# Filename to tag help please
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 21, 2025, 12:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914 "2025-03-21T12:07:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BigKev](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BigKev)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 12:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/1 "2025-03-21T12:07:55Z")
Hi - I'm trying to set the tags on some files from the filename, but having a problem...
The files are named in the format
Artist - Album - Track - Title
When I opt to Convert Filename to Tag, it shows the correct info and also in the Preview, but when applied the Info is incorrectly pulled - the format of the Album is
Album Year-Year (no spaces either side of the dash) but it appears that the dash is being interpreted as a field divider when the converter runs - but not at the preview stage??
Any ideas? Hopefully some screenshots to show the problem...
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### Author:  [@BigKev](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BigKev)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 12:09pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/2 "2025-03-21T12:09:18Z")
Last screenshot showing the effect..
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/3 "2025-03-21T12:28:45Z")
You add data to a user-defined field called `TRACK,2` - the standard name is `TRACK`
> [@BigKev](#):
>
> but it appears that the dash is being interpreted as a field divider when the converter runs - but not at the preview stage??
The screenshot fom MP3tag also shows that the album is filled as suggested in the preview.
At least in this session with the converter no data is written to YEAR. So a screenshot from the extended tags dialogue for a single file would be nice.
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### Author:  [@BigKev](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BigKev)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/4 "2025-03-21T12:35:28Z")
Is that not what I've done in the second screenshot?
If I've misunderstood - could you post the full format string that would work on this title please
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 12:38pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/5 "2025-03-21T12:38:43Z")
> [@BigKev](#):
>
> Is that not what I've done in the second screenshot?
The second screenshot shows accurately the attempt to fill a user-defined field with the name `TRACK,2` - and the Windiws explorer does not show user-defined fields.
This means that existing data in the field TRACK will not be updated as TRACK is not addressed.
Also, no data is written to YEAR - so it would be interesting to see if that happened before, hence the request to see a screenshot from the extended tags dialogue Alt-T
> [@BigKev](#):
>
> post the full format string that would work on this title please
If the problem is the contents of YEAR then a different format string would still not explain the data in the year field as that is not updated in the example.
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 12:50pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/6 "2025-03-21T12:50:28Z")
As you can see in the preview for your Format string:
only **artist** , **album** and **title** are written in **bold**.
This means, these 3 are official tag field names.
`track,2` is not an official field name, its a (very special) custom one and therefore not written in **bold**.
I strongy advice against using field names with a comma in its name.
> [@BigKev](#):
>
> could you post the full format string that would work on this title please
`%artist% - %album% - %track% - %title%`
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### Author:  [@BigKev](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BigKev)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 1:09pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/7 "2025-03-21T13:09:15Z")
Ah right - thanks - I thought I was forcing a 2 digit track number with that format - my bad
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### Author:  [@BigKev](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BigKev)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 1:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/8 "2025-03-21T13:12:56Z")
LyricsLover - thanks - I hadn't realised the meaning of it not being in BOLD - as I say above, I was trying to force a 2 digit track number
Your format string worked fine - so now I feel stupid!
Thanks to all for your prompt help - it was much appreciated!
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 1:14pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/9 "2025-03-21T13:14:12Z")
> [@BigKev](#):
>
> Album Year-Year (no spaces either side of the dash) but it appears that the dash is being interpreted as a field divider when the converter runs - but not at the preview stage??
I thought that this was the problem ...
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2025, 1:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/10 "2025-03-21T13:27:49Z")
> [@BigKev](#):
>
> Your format string worked fine - so now I feel stupid!
There is no reason to feel stupid.
> [@BigKev](#):
>
> I thought I was forcing a 2 digit track number with that format
I suggest to adjust the format AFTER your initial import - if necessary.
You could use Convert -\> [Tag - Tag](https://docs.mp3tag.de/getting-started/first-steps/#copying-one-field-to-another-field) (with very useful preview) or an [Action](https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions/).
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### Author:  [@BigKev](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BigKev)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2025, 11:30am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/11 "2025-03-22T11:30:39Z")
Wildo - thanks very much
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2025, 11:30am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filename-to-tag-help-please/67914/12 "2025-04-21T11:30:44Z")
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