# Database for Tags **URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/database-for-tags/43444 **Category:** General Discussion **Created:** [October 31, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/database-for-tags/43444 "2018-10-31T20:25:12Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 2
### Author: ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino) #### Post date: [October 31, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/database-for-tags/43444/2 "2018-10-31T21:00:27Z")
> [@ArjanH](#): > > if this is feasible in any timeframe I would say that the feature is almost there. Already now you can load the new files and those from the same artist. Like that you can select the already used artist name from the dropdown list in the tag panel if you use one of the older tracks as template for the new ones. All other data probably has to be entered individually anyway (as it is a new album with new titles, individual track numbering, new cover). A more generic approach where all input is stored in the database and then presented for the new files has its drawbacks IMHO: when does a string become a template? Everytime a new string is entered with all its typos? How do you maintain these templates? How do you modify, delete existing entries when you find out that they were not quite right when you check them again? How long should a list of suggestions be? For bigger collections several thousand items will be added to a dropdown list. This will take quite some time to load and also to find the right entry. Would you need some kind of fuzzy search to cater for cases like "Rolling Stones" and "The Rolling Stones"? That is why I think that the already possible approach with template files or actions of the type "Format value" for often used strings is a good one. But as I don't know what the future will bring, let us see. Oh, and here is a thread on a similar topic: > [@Creating Database from Music Library](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/creating-database-from-music-library/13897/7): > > I'm also not understanding what advantage any direct DB integration would buy, and think such a feature would unnecessarily add to MP3Tag's complexity. one very useful option: I can choose from my existing library to fill up most of the required fields (considering I have the same artist, composer etc. in some of my previous files) If you just add multiple files/directories to the MP3Tag UI, a mix of already-tagged and new files, you can then easily get the data you want from the old to th… or the idea to create user-defined dropdown lists: > [@Auto-Populated drop-down lists](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/auto-populated-drop-down-lists/8207): > > This question has been addressed in previous posts, but I haven't seen a clear answer on whether the feature exists, or is in development, or is unavailable. The question is whether it's possible to create user-defined lists of artists, composers, etc. in the same way that a user-defined list of genres can be set up (Tools/Options/Tag Panel/Genres). This would let me select an artist, composer, etc. from a drop-down list of predefined entries and thus maintain data integrity within my collecti… --- _[View the full topic](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/database-for-tags/43444)._