# Further help in ignoring the leading "the" when sorting.

**URL:** <https://community.mp3tag.de/t/further-help-in-ignoring-the-leading-the-when-sorting/15025>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [September 10, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/further-help-in-ignoring-the-leading-the-when-sorting/15025 "2013-09-10T17:56:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Seasider](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Seasider](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Seasider)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/further-help-in-ignoring-the-leading-the-when-sorting/15025/1 "2013-09-10T17:56:32Z")

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Hi

```
I have read <a href="/t/7845/1" target="_blank">This post</a> , but do not fully understand the instructions.

```

Like the poster there I want to retain the "the" in the artist name, but make MP3Tag ignore it when sorting artists, thus making The Killers appear with Killers in the list. In other words to sort by the first letter of the artists' name after 'the'.

Do I add a new column (via Customize Columns), and if so what details do I enter in the name/value/field/sort by boxes? Or do I do it as a new action ?

I use the command $swapprefix(%artist%) in foobar - can I use this in MP3Tag?

Sorry to appear dumb, but I just can't get there !!

Thanks in advance.

Clive.

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**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:** [September 10, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/further-help-in-ignoring-the-leading-the-when-sorting/15025/2 "2013-09-10T18:04:46Z")

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> [@Seasider](#):
>
> ...In other words to sort by the first letter of the artists' name after 'the'.
> 
> Do I add a new column (via Customize Columns), and if so what details do I enter in the name/value/field/sort by boxes? Or do I do it as a new action ?

Yes, you can do it with an extra column  
enter as value  
$replace(%artist%,The ,)  
leave empty "field" and "sort by"

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**Author:** ![Seasider](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Seasider](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Seasider)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/further-help-in-ignoring-the-leading-the-when-sorting/15025/3 "2013-09-10T19:43:09Z")

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> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> Yes, you can do it with an extra column  
> enter as value  
> $replace(%artist%,The ,)  
> leave empty "field" and "sort by"

Thanks for your swift reply which does the job !!

I seem to have gone one step further by entering '$replace(%artist%,The ,) into the 'sort by' box of my original 'Artist' column and getting the exact result I was looking for.

Thanks again.

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**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, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/further-help-in-ignoring-the-leading-the-when-sorting/15025/4 "2026-02-09T12:24:39Z")

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Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC