# Mass substitution with \\\\ does not split tag **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [March 6, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-substitution-with-does-not-split-tag/18779 "2017-03-06T15:51:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blobber](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@blobber](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/blobber)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-substitution-with-does-not-split-tag/18779/1 "2017-03-06T15:51:23Z")
Hi there guys I noticed that if I have COMPOSER tags on a few files formatted like for example: ``` Macdermot/G. Ragni/J. Rado Nina Simone, A. Irving ``` and I want to reach something like ``` Macdermot\\\\G. Ragni\\\\J. Rado Nina Simone\\\\A. Irving ``` that splits COMPOSER into separate tags so that a robust music player could read that as separate persons and not like a single one. If I do it one file by one everything is OK, but if use a conversion action Mp3tag gives me the correct final result, that is **Macdermot\\G. Ragni\\J. Rado** but the COMPOSER tag is still a single one. If I open ALT + T and then click OK to save even with no mods, it finally split values.. Hope that I was able to explain it, otherwise please ask for details (not english mother-tongue) Is there any solution here? thanks guys, see you! ---
**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:** [March 6, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-substitution-with-does-not-split-tag/18779/2 "2017-03-06T17:26:53Z")
> [@blobber](#): > > ... that is **Macdermot\\G. Ragni\\J. Rado** but the COMPOSER tag is still a single one. If I open ALT + T and then click OK to save even with no mods, it finally split values.. Perhaps this is misunderstanding. The \\ is an indication for and in MP3tag that there should be a multi-value field The split happens when the \\ is detected and another "save" happens. This is what you see when you check the files in the GUI. When you apply an action, the \\ is saved in the tag but no further "save" happens - this happens again, when you check the file with the GUI. If you want to have the same effect that after you got the \\ into the tag field and that splits the tag field, the you would have to create an action of the type "Split field" after the insertion of the \\. So the action group would consist of (at least) 2 actions: one to get the \\, the other to use the \\ as indicator where to split the field. ---
**Author:** ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-substitution-with-does-not-split-tag/18779/3 "2017-03-06T17:51:53Z")
QUOTE (blobber @ Mar 6 2017, 17:51) \<{POST\_SNAPBACK}\> ... I noticed that if I have COMPOSER tags on a few files formatted like for example: ``` Macdermot/G. Ragni/J. Rado Nina Simone, A. Irving ``` and I want to reach something like ``` Macdermot\\\\G. Ragni\\\\J. Rado Nina Simone\\\\A. Irving ``` that splits COMPOSER into separate tags so that a robust music player could read that as separate persons and not like a single one. ... This should create a multi-value tagfield for the given testcases ... **Action "Format value" ... or ... Convert "Tag-Tag" Field: COMPOSER Formatstring: $replace(%COMPOSER%,'/','\\\\',', ','\\\\') From: Macdermot/G. Ragni/J. Rado Nina Simone, A. Irving To: Macdermot\\\\G. Ragni\\\\J. Rado Nina Simone\\\\A. Irving** DD.20170306.1951.CET ---
**Author:** ![blobber](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@blobber](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/blobber)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-substitution-with-does-not-split-tag/18779/4 "2017-03-10T15:17:54Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#): > > Perhaps this is misunderstanding. > The \\ is an indication for and in MP3tag that there should be a multi-value field > The split happens when the \\ is detected and another "save" happens. This is what you see when you check the files in the GUI. > > When you apply an action, the \\ is saved in the tag but no further "save" happens - this happens again, when you check the file with the GUI. > > If you want to have the same effect that after you got the \\ into the tag field and that splits the tag field, the you would have to create an action of the type "Split field" after the insertion of the \\. > So the action group would consist of (at least) 2 actions: one to get the \\, the other to use the \\ as indicator where to split the field. > [@DetlevD](#): > > This should create a multi-value tagfield for the given testcases ... > > **Action "Format value" ... or ... Convert "Tag-Tag" Field: COMPOSER Formatstring: $replace(%COMPOSER%,'/','\\\\',', ','\\\\') From: Macdermot/G. Ragni/J. Rado Nina Simone, A. Irving To: Macdermot\\\\G. Ragni\\\\J. Rado Nina Simone\\\\A. Irving** > > DD.20170306.1951.CET thanks both guys, I got it. I guess that if a further action is required there must be someone using the double slash for something else.. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-substitution-with-does-not-split-tag/18779/5 "2017-03-10T15:23:25Z")
> [@blobber](#): > > thanks both guys, I got it. I guess that if a further action is required there must be someone using the double slash for something else.. You could actually check if the column definition for composer looks something like this for "value": $meta\_sep(composer,\\) This would display all the seperate composer fields in one tabel cell, divided by a \\. ---
**Author:** ![blobber](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@blobber](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/blobber)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-substitution-with-does-not-split-tag/18779/6 "2017-03-10T16:44:13Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#): > > You could actually check if the column definition for composer looks something like this for "value": > $meta\_sep(composer,\\) > > This would display all the seperate composer fields in one tabel cell, divided by a \\. the point is not showing that tag as separate in Mp3tag itself, while see the correct persons names in music players. As I seem to understand this last suggestion should have no effect on tag as it is saved, so in music players I will still see persons name as Foo Bar\\Bar Foo instead of Foo Bar; Bar Foo as shown when the ag is split **EDIT:** or maybe I completely misunderstood that, sorry! ☹ ---
**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, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/mass-substitution-with-does-not-split-tag/18779/7 "2026-02-09T12:26:42Z")