# Import from file name without using dashes or space

**URL:** <https://community.mp3tag.de/t/import-from-file-name-without-using-dashes-or-space/15082>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [October 5, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/import-from-file-name-without-using-dashes-or-space/15082 "2013-10-05T23:20:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hotdak3](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/f08c70/32.png) [@hotdak3](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/hotdak3)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/import-from-file-name-without-using-dashes-or-space/15082/1 "2013-10-05T23:20:19Z")

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Import from the file name,

Example: Smith, Fred - 99 Red Cars & trucks - AC1997 (My LP309)

Just AC Into Genre & 1997 Into Year without having to rename the file with dashes or spaces

Thank you

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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:** [October 6, 2013, 6:42am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/import-from-file-name-without-using-dashes-or-space/15082/2 "2013-10-06T06:42:12Z")

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As you do not have a unique separator in the string, you have to sacrifice a letter for that.  
I could think of a Convert\>Filename - Tag with  
%dummy% - %dummy% - %genrte%1%year% (%dummy%

You will end up with 997 instead of 1997 and it only works for years pointing to the last millennium.

Or you import everything into genre and then strip it apart with an action like import value for genre:  
Source: $regexp(%genre%,'^(..)(\d\d\d\d)',$1\*\*\*$2)  
Formatstring: %genre%\*\*\*%year%

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**Author:** ![hotdak3](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/f08c70/32.png) [@hotdak3](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/hotdak3)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/import-from-file-name-without-using-dashes-or-space/15082/3 "2013-10-06T18:37:21Z")

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> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> As you do not have a unique separator in the string, you have to sacrifice a letter for that.  
> I could think of a Convert\>Filename - Tag with  
> %dummy% - %dummy% - %genrte%1%year% (%dummy%
> 
> You will end up with 997 instead of 1997 and it only works for years pointing to the last millennium.
> 
> Or you import everything into genre and then strip it apart with an action like import value for genre:  
> Source: $regexp(%genre%,'^(..)(\d\d\d\d)',$1\*\*\*$2)  
> Formatstring: %genre%\*\*\*%year%

Thank you, I'll give those a try

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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/import-from-file-name-without-using-dashes-or-space/15082/4 "2026-02-09T12:24:41Z")

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