# Delete Artist duplicate **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [March 2, 2018, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954 "2018-03-02T23:36:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zontir](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zontir/32/473_2.png) [@Zontir](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zontir)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 11:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/1 "2018-03-02T23:36:10Z")
Hello! Maybe someone else once opened a thread similar to this one, but I have actually searched the forum and couldn't solve my problem. I'm trying to eliminate duplicate artists from the %artist% field. Suppose I have in this field "Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra & Mia Farrow" and would like to replace it with just "Frank Sinatra & Mia Farrow". I have tried %dummy%, %artist% but it leaves me the field like this ",Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra & Mia Farrow". Can someone give me a hand? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 9:19am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/2 "2018-03-03T09:19:16Z")
The attempt to split the field %artist% with an action of the type "Guess value" Source: %artist% Pattern: %dummy%, %artist% gave the result "Frank Sinatra & Mia Farrow", whereas the original was "Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra & Mia Farrow" ---
**Author:** ![djdizzle](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@djdizzle](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/djdizzle)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 1:37pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/3 "2018-03-03T13:37:00Z")
I am also having issues using %dummy% in an action, mp3tag doesn't seem to be recognising it anymore. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 3:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/4 "2018-03-03T15:07:06Z")
You would have to supply some more details like - what the data looks like, - which action you use - which outcome you expect. Without this information, I can assure you that %dummy% gets "recognized" like any other part of a pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Zontir](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zontir/32/473_2.png) [@Zontir](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zontir)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/5 "2018-03-03T16:55:40Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#): > > Guess value Excellent, if it works! I was wrong was to choose the right option type "Guess value". Thanks you very much ---
**Author:** ![djdizzle](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@djdizzle](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/djdizzle)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 8:26am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/6 "2018-03-04T08:26:54Z")
It turns out I was using the wrong action... I was using format, not guess values. ---
**Author:** ![Zontir](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zontir/32/473_2.png) [@Zontir](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zontir)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/7 "2018-03-04T17:39:54Z")
Is there a possibility that if the artist is not the same as the next one, he will not remove the artist or change it? I'm having problems changing several music pieces because sometimes it's the same format as %artist%, %artist% but with a different artist, but also eliminated. Is it possible to make some kind of condition? It's hard, isn't it? ---
**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:** [March 4, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/8 "2018-03-04T18:26:30Z")
> [@Zontir](#): > > the same as the next one I am not quite sure if this means a comparison between 2 different files. If that is the case, then it is not possible. ---
**Author:** ![Zontir](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zontir/32/473_2.png) [@Zontir](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zontir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/9 "2018-03-19T22:10:04Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#): > > I am not quite sure if this means a comparison between 2 different files. No, it's the same file. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2018, 9:40am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/10 "2018-03-20T09:40:41Z")
I would filter for those that should be treated: `NOT "$strstr($mid(%artist%,$strstr(%artist%,', '),$len(%artist%)),$left(%artist%,$sub($strstr(%artist%,','),1)))" IS 0` ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/delete-artist-duplicate/40954/11 "2026-02-09T12:27:15Z")