# Move each file into separate directory **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [February 22, 2019, 2:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624 "2019-02-22T14:12:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9de0a6/32.png) [@phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/phred1)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 2:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/1 "2019-02-22T14:12:59Z")
Hiya I've loaded a bunch of files into mp3tag, can i now move all of them into separate folders based on tags in "one move"? Now, when selecting all files in the list, all the directory's names will then be the same as the first file in the list - eg all files are placed into the same directory. BTW, mp3tag is a wonderful app =) Tnx! ---
**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:** [February 22, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/2 "2019-02-22T14:39:24Z")
> [@phred1](#): > > the same as the first file in the list Actually, MP3tag does not really know anything about a "first file" but sees only the current file. So, if you want to move files to a certain folder, then the data for that folder has to visible from the current file. What you could do to get the files all to a folder with lets say a structure like `d:\music\artist\year - album\title` then fill the fields for ARTIST, YEAR, ALBUM, TITLE first and then use the function Convert\>Tag-Filename with a Format String: `d:\music\%artist%\%year% - %album%\$num(%track%,2) _ %title%` ---
**Author:** ![phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9de0a6/32.png) [@phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/phred1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/3 "2019-02-24T12:31:22Z")
Tnx for the suggestion! It should work but I must miss something rudimentary - when selecting the files i'd like to be moved/renamed, all of them ends up in a folder named after the tags in the first selected file. What am i doing wrong? ---
**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:** [February 24, 2019, 12:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/4 "2019-02-24T12:34:39Z")
I don't know. You would have to describe what you are doing with which data. ---
**Author:** ![phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9de0a6/32.png) [@phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/phred1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/5 "2019-02-24T12:44:25Z")
ofcourse =) I've got a bunch of tracks, single tracks not belonging to an album, of which several of them are duplicates. I'd like to remove the duplicates and save all files in one folder. At first the plan was to let mp3tag to do the work for me - renaming all files after my preferences and then moving them into one folder where the duplicates should be overwritten. Since mp3tag doesn't do overwriting my next plan was to rename the files, place them in separate directories and then let windows handle the "overwriting" of duplicates. But now it seems I can't create those directories either since all tracks ends up in a directory named after the tags in the first/topmost selected file in the mp3tag file list. I'm stuck =( ---
**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:** [February 24, 2019, 12:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/6 "2019-02-24T12:46:43Z")
Please show us which action/function you use with which parameters and which data leads to the desired result and which does not. ---
**Author:** ![phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9de0a6/32.png) [@phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/phred1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 12:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/7 "2019-02-24T12:59:06Z")
Now last, I was trying a basic maneuver creating a directory with "Format value": Field: \_DIRECTORY Format string: %artist%%album%%title%%track%%year% First track in file list contains these tags: Nik Kershaw - The Riddle (Expanded Edition) - The Riddle - 2/30 - 2013 - Pop - When all files in tracklist are selected, all files are moved into the same directory formatted like this: \Nik Kershaw\The Riddle (Expanded Edition)\The Riddle\230\2013 I'd like one separate directory for each file. Is that possible? ---
**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:** [February 24, 2019, 1:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/8 "2019-02-24T13:06:14Z")
If you want to move a FILE, you have to modify the \_FILENAME. So instead of Format value for \_directory, it should be Format value for \_FILENAME. And as you want to move it to a new path alltogether, use an absolute path, e.g. Format string: `d:\music\%artist%\%album%\%title%\%_filename%` ---
**Author:** ![phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9de0a6/32.png) [@phred1](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/phred1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 1:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/9 "2019-02-24T13:12:16Z")
Arrggh! Now it works! I really did miss something rudimentary! Of course I should have used the \_Filename command. Thanks!!! =) ---
**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, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/move-each-file-into-separate-directory/44624/10 "2026-02-09T12:27:56Z")