# How do I rename multiple folders from one folder?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-rename-multiple-folders-from-one-folder/40834
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 17, 2018, 3:57am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-rename-multiple-folders-from-one-folder/40834 "2018-02-17T03:57:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@marcusj0015](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/marcusj0015)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2018, 3:57am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-rename-multiple-folders-from-one-folder/40834/1 "2018-02-17T03:57:43Z")
MP3Tag messed up my folder heirarchy, I have a Music folder, with subfolders based on the artist and album tags, and I have an action to edit the `_DIRECTORY` variable based on the artist and album name.
The problem is, that when I select even 2 files with a different artist or album, it will just create a folder for the first one and put EVERYTHING in the current folder into that one, so I'm basically having to go through by hand and redo the whole heirarchy for 4000 songs...
Here's my action.
Action Name: `Rename Folder`
Action 1 Type: `Format Value`
Field: `_DIRECTORY`
Format String: `$validate(E:\Media\Music\%artist%\%album%,_)`
Action 2 Type: `Format Value`
Field: `_FILENAME`
Format String: `%title%.%_extension%` (I tried with validate here too, but it just completely stripped the title and made a file named `.m4a`)
---
### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-rename-multiple-folders-from-one-folder/40834/2 "2018-02-17T05:56:56Z")
You have to take an action for \_FILENAME and not for \_DIRECTORY. Or you can use the Converter "Tag -\> Filename" with the same format string. In the Coverter you have a preview of the result of your format string.
```
Type: Format Value
Field: _FILENAME
Format String: $validate(E:\Media\Music\%artist%\%album%\%title%,_)
```
Note:
As you don't rename the directory other files in the source-directory than the marked music-files will not be moved to the new location. It may be neccesary to delete the source directories later.
---
### Author:  [@marcusj0015](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/marcusj0015)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2018, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-rename-multiple-folders-from-one-folder/40834/3 "2018-02-17T23:40:57Z")
I don't even unsderstand what you just tried saying, but it's all good I used Foobar2000.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2018, 10:55am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-rename-multiple-folders-from-one-folder/40834/4 "2018-02-18T10:55:58Z")
You could also have a look at the Frequently Asked Questions:
> [@Converters to rename files or to import tags](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/converters-to-rename-files-or-to-import-tags/8016/2):
>
> How to rename files based on tags? Renaming files, creating folders and complete directory structures from tags can be done by using the [:mt\_ttf:] Converter \> Tag - Filename with a format string. A format string is used to describe the structure of the desired filename. Besides using normal placeholders (such as %artist%, %title%, ...) and arbitrary text (e.g., Music) it also allows for separating folders with the backslash \ character. Here is an example that renames the file based on the t…
And to rephrase that what @poster has said:
If you want to move a file to an individual folder, then you have to rename each file individually - which is the property \_FILENAME..
If you want to rename a folder and not every file individually, then rename \_DIRECTORY.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-rename-multiple-folders-from-one-folder/40834/5 "2026-02-09T12:27:15Z")