# Keep everything in brackets
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [September 1, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802 "2026-09-01T22:54:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chayes](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chayes)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802/1 "2026-09-01T22:54:14Z")
Hi All
I'm trying to untangle my entries to the ARTIST column.
Presently , I have entries like this :
You Oughta Know (Alanis Morissette)
Under the Bridge (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
U Can't Touch This (MC Hammer)
Say My Name (Destiny's Child)
I'd like to apply an ACTION to leave them so that only the text in brackets remains.
So the above would become
Alanis Morissette
Red Hot Chili Peppers
MC Hammer
Destiny's Child
Can someone advise how to satisfy this?
Grateful for any help. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2026, 1:11am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802/2 "2026-09-02T01:11:16Z")
> [@chayes](#):
>
> I'd like to apply an ACTION to leave them so that only the text in brackets remains.
You can use the Action "Guess Values" for the Field Artist with the below info.
Source format: `%artist%`
Guessing pattern: `%dummy% (%artist%)`
This requires all of your current artists to follow the pattern you described. Test with a couple of tracks before you apply it across more.
---
### Author:  [@chayes](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chayes)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2026, 1:55am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802/3 "2026-09-02T01:55:17Z")
Many thanks [MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/motleyg). 🙂
That's very neat. It's working on the sample I tried out , and I'll try with further examples.
BTW The logic as to how this actually works escapes me presently , but I'll see if I can fathom it out!
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2026, 6:04am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802/4 "2026-09-02T06:04:06Z")
> [@chayes](#):
>
> BTW The logic as to how this actually works escapes me presently
The action "Guess value" works like the converter Filename-Tag - only that you can determine how the source is composed, you are not limited to the filename.
So you enter a _generating format string_ as source.
The target is defined as _matching format string_ in which you match the pattern in the text with fields.
In your case you take the contents of the field ARTIST and then you assign parts of the resulting string to the DUMMY field and the part in parenthesis to ARTIST.
See also the documentation on format strings:
> **[Format Strings and Placeholders – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/format/)**
>
> Documentation on format strings and placeholders to describe the structure of file names and imported data. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
> Matching format strings are used for simple pattern matching of existing strings, e.g., file names to import tags from or lines in a text file that describe tag contents to be imported.
> Generating format strings are used to create new strings, e.g., file names when renaming, field contents when formatting tag fields, data when exporting, but also file names for playlists or cover images that are parameterized with tag contents. Generating format strings can be combined with [scripting functions](https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting).
---
### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2026, 12:41pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802/5 "2026-09-02T12:41:03Z")
> [@chayes](#):
>
> Presently , I have entries like this :
>
> You Oughta Know (Alanis Morissette)
> Under the Bridge (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
> U Can't Touch This (MC Hammer)
> Say My Name (Destiny's Child)
BTW Your current Artist entries all seem to include the song title as well. Do these files already have an accurate %title% field stored? This can be easily filled in at the same time by making the below tweak to my earlier suggestion, replacing the %dummy% placeholder with %title%.
Source format: `%artist%`
Guessing pattern: `%title% (%artist%)`
---
### Author:  [@chayes](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chayes)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2026, 2:40pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802/6 "2026-09-02T14:40:12Z")
Thanks [MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/motleyg). That's actually better. I was trying to split Artist (Title) into the separate tag columns so that does it in one go. 🙂
Thanks also to [ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino) for increasing my knowledge. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2026, 2:40pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/keep-everything-in-brackets/71802/7 "2026-09-04T14:40:27Z")
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