# How do I stop apostrophes being changed to underscores?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [April 24, 2026, 9:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110 "2026-04-24T09:24:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BillHarper](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/BillHarper)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2026, 9:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110/1 "2026-04-24T09:24:35Z")
Hi there,
I’m using the Convert \> Tag - Filename option to add the Album Artist and Album as folders before the track and title.
%albumartist%\%album%\$num(%track%,2) %title%
But when the album artist’s name has an apostrophe (“Sharon O’Neill”), the apostrophe gets replaced by an underscore.
Is ther any way of stopping this from happening?
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2026, 9:29am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110/2 "2026-04-24T09:29:13Z")
I just tried
> [@BillHarper](#):
>
> Sharon O’Neill
as part of a filename and the character between O and N was kept:
But:
that character is no apostrophe:
with an apostrophe it would look like this:
Invalid characters for filenames usually just get skipped, e.g. like this using a quotation mark:
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2026, 10:11am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110/3 "2026-04-24T10:11:10Z")
> [@BillHarper](#):
>
> Is ther any way of stopping this from happening?
You could use a `$replace()` around your format string and define the replacement character as you like.
Something like this, where x is the replacement for your `’`
`$replace(%albumartist%\%album%\$num(%track%,2) %title%,'’',x)`
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2026, 10:14am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110/4 "2026-04-24T10:14:52Z")
> [@LyricsLover](#):
>
> You could use a `$replace()` around your format string and define the replacement character as you like.
But there is no need for a replacement. The character in the example ist a valid sign for folders and filenames and it does not ge replaced by an underscore here.
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### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2026, 10:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110/5 "2026-04-24T10:24:04Z")
> [@poster](#):
>
> But there is no need for a replacement.
The OP says
> [@BillHarper](#):
>
> But when the album artist’s name has an apostrophe (“Sharon O’Neill”), the apostrophe gets replaced by an underscore.
I can't see too why an apostrophe ([or similar looking character](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostrophe#Characters_similar_to_apostrophe)) should be replaced by an underscore with Convert Tag -\> Filename.
`$replace` would be just one way to solve such a special character as the OP see it.
---
### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2026, 10:32am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110/6 "2026-04-24T10:32:58Z")
> [@LyricsLover](#):
>
> `$replace` would be just one way to solve such a special character as the OP see it.
For me it looks as if there is already a not mentioned $replace function involved.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2026, 10:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-do-i-stop-apostrophes-being-changed-to-underscores/71110/7 "2026-05-01T10:33:39Z")
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