# Mass renaming folders?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [August 19, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407 "2011-08-19T01:36:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@PlasmaShock](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/PlasmaShock)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/1 "2011-08-19T01:36:35Z")
Currently I have all the folders in my music library with the album name as the directory. How can I rename all of them to "Year - Album" or "Year - Current\_Filename"?
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### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/2 "2011-08-19T05:38:38Z")
Action: **Format Value**
Field: **\_DIRECTORY**
Formatstring: **%year% - %album%**
_or_
Formatstring **%year% - %\_filename%**
_%\_filename% takes the filename of the first file in the list for the whole folder. Maybe you meant Current\_Foldername:_
Formatstring **%year% - %\_directory%**
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2011, 11:54am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/3 "2011-08-19T11:54:48Z")
In addition to pone's description:
renaming files and various folders in one go is not possible, I think. The first foldername becomes the foldername for all files in that selection.
So: if you do not have any other files than just the audio files in those folders then it might be an alternative to first treat all files with the converter "tag - filename" and an absolute path, e.g.:
d:\allnewmusicfolder\%year% - %album%\%track% - %title%
After you have moved all files to the new destination, delete the old folder structure and rename the root-folder to the desired name.
As I said: this works only for files that mp3tag can see but not e.g. pictures and text files.
Allternatively you could use a program to delete only the empty folders.
If this is all too awkward you would have to do it album by album.
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### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/4 "2011-08-19T12:42:01Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> In addition to pone's description:
> renaming files and various folders in one go is not possible, I think. The first foldername becomes the foldername for all files in that selection.
This is not true.
It is possible to rename various folders in one go.
What is not possible is to split one folder in two or more folders with the method described by me. In that case, the values of the first files are taken for renaming the whole folder.
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### Author:  [@Biri](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Biri)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2011, 7:36am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/5 "2011-10-15T07:36:09Z")
Hi does this still work in v2.49? I followed it exactly as you wrote it and I get Warning:
"Formatted tags in 0 of 13 files. 0 of 13 files renamed."
Has the functionality of the Format Value changed? Because the help now says:
"Formats tag fields by other fields content..." while I want to edit other fields according to tags...
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### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2011, 8:05am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/6 "2011-10-15T08:05:17Z")
still works, I use it all the time.
does it happen to in all folders, or is it just one you have tested?
maybe some windows settings like folders or files which are protected form being deleted or rewritten.
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### Author:  [@PlasmaShock](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/PlasmaShock)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/7 "2011-12-20T03:08:09Z")
How do you get "Format Value" from the actions tab? It doesn't show it and I'm running the most current version.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/8 "2011-12-20T05:12:01Z")
Actions Tab? You can find the user-defined actions either under the toolbar button "Actions" or a list in the menu "Actions".
But you you have to create a new action (group) first to "see" one.
Alternatively, in the toolbar you can press the button "Actions (quick)" and define a one-off action.
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/9 "2011-12-20T05:13:58Z")
> [@PlasmaShock](#):
>
> How do you get "Format Value" from the actions tab? It doesn't show it and I'm running the most current version.
You have to select at least one file in the list view to activate the menu functions.
DD.20111220.0715.CET
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### Author:  [@PlasmaShock](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/PlasmaShock)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/10 "2011-12-20T16:51:46Z")
Thanks I got it now. Works like a charm!
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-renaming-folders/12407/11 "2026-02-09T12:23:17Z")