# Filter question find The as first 3 characters in artist field
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-question-find-the-as-first-3-characters-in-artist-field/69014
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [July 1, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-question-find-the-as-first-3-characters-in-artist-field/69014 "2025-07-01T20:15:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@reddwarf4ever](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/reddwarf4ever)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-question-find-the-as-first-3-characters-in-artist-field/69014/1 "2025-07-01T20:15:37Z")
What would the filter be to see if the first 3 characters of the artist field is `The`
Thank you
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-question-find-the-as-first-3-characters-in-artist-field/69014/2 "2025-07-01T20:16:53Z")
Try
`%artist% MATCHES "^The "`
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### Author:  [@reddwarf4ever](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/reddwarf4ever)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2025, 11:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-question-find-the-as-first-3-characters-in-artist-field/69014/3 "2025-07-02T11:27:23Z")
Perfect thanks . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2025, 11:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/filter-question-find-the-as-first-3-characters-in-artist-field/69014/4 "2025-08-01T11:27:33Z")
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