# Multi-value MP4 fields written by MusicBrainz Picard are not displayed

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 31, 2022, 8:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138 "2022-01-31T08:27:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/an3k/32/10937_2.png) [@an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/an3k)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/1 "2022-01-31T08:27:23Z")

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I stumbled about this problem somewhat often in the recent past and noticed it for more tags than just this one but (stupid me) can't remember what else tags were affected. Is this a known problem? Are all tags "multi-value capable" by default or is supported added for each specifically?

For now I can report that MusicBrainz Picard writes two MUSICBRAINZ\_ARTISTID tags but mp3tag can only read one (and if I re-write the tag only one tag is written back, thus I lose the other tag).

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### Author: ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:29am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/2 "2022-01-31T08:29:32Z")

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> [@an3k](#):
>
> Are all tags "multi-value capable" by default

For some tags like the TRACK number it doesn't make sense to have multi-value capability.  
I can't remember other tags who are not multi-value capable.

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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: [January 31, 2022, 8:32am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/3 "2022-01-31T08:32:57Z")

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> [@an3k](#):
>
> For now I can report that MusicBrainz Picard writes two MUSICBRAINZ\_ARTISTID tags but mp3tag can only read one (and if I re-write the tag only one tag is written back, thus I lose the other tag).

Then you would have to show us how you and where treat this tag field.  
If you modify a value for 1 instance of this field in the extended tags dialogue, then the other tag fields of the same type are preserved.  
If you have a display like `artist1\\artist2` and you overwrite that to `artist3` then the former data will be lost.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:36am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/4 "2022-01-31T08:36:12Z")

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> [@an3k](#):
>
> but mp3tag can only read one

I can not confirm this behaviour:  
 ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0d3713fe0f98641acdb05f4a8c14dd4e0c68b43f.png)  
As you see, I can write 3 different values in the same MUSICBRAINZ\_ARTISTID in Mp3tag. They will be shown as `123\\456\\789` in the Mp3tag tag panel.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/an3k/32/10937_2.png) [@an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/an3k)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:37am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/5 "2022-01-31T08:37:49Z")

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I have a MP4 with all tags removed. I tag that MP4 with MusicBrainz Picard which writes two MUSICBRAINZ\_ARTISTID tags. I read that MP4 with mp3tag but I only see a single MUSICBRAINZ\_ARTISTID tag. I read that MP4 with MusicBrainz Picard again and still can see both MUSICBRAINZ\_ARTISTID tags.

EDIT: Writing two MUSICBRAINZ\_ARTISTID tags with mp3tag is possible, and those two tags can be read by mp3tag too. MusicBrainz Picard will also read those two tags. But two tags written by MusicBrainz Picard can't be read with mp3tag.

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### Author: ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:42am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/6 "2022-01-31T08:42:07Z")

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Again, I can not reproduce this behaviour inside Mp3tag.  
 ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/c7987cf56b3b5fa5a0990d26218d0f44a876fb5b.png)  
Seems to be something related to MB Picard in collaboration with Mp3tag?

**BUT you are right, as soon as I write a Song in MB Picard, the multiple values will not be visible anymore in Mp3tag. Strange thing.**

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/an3k/32/10937_2.png) [@an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/an3k)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:43am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/7 "2022-01-31T08:43:02Z")

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Either MB Picard is writing the tag incorrectly or mp3tag is reading that tag incorrectly.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/8 "2022-01-31T08:46:44Z")

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MB Picard still show the 3 values:

 ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/f/fa41c95b9102f19f0da9956608a3766da9f12ae3.png)  
but Mp3tag can read only the first one after a save in MB Picard.  
 ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/a/a2a2d80541f46f488efe3efcd3c66fec844891aa.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/an3k/32/10937_2.png) [@an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/an3k)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:49am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/9 "2022-01-31T08:49:25Z")

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I tagged a file with MB Picard and a different file with mp3tag.  
MediaInfo can see two tags in both files  
foobar can see two tags in the mp3tag one but only one tag in the Picard one.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/an3k/32/10937_2.png) [@an3k](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/an3k)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 8:56am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/10 "2022-01-31T08:56:05Z")

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Two other tags are affected:  
ARTISTS  
MUSICBRAINZ\_ALBUMTYPE

EDIT: mp3tag as well as foobar only reads the last occurrence of these tags. MediaInfo shows all tags.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 9:01am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/11 "2022-01-31T09:01:39Z")

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Mp3tag write the multi-value field like this (UTF-8 for better reading):

 ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/3/379c9007e99024f80c5e2e28c397b56710fd41a9.png)

MB Picard write it like this:

 ![image](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/a/a418e2cdf2761df0d1de6f460a9ab2e5c3934f52.png)

I'm not familiar with MP4 and can't say for sure, which version is closer to the expected standard definition. Maybe someone with more experience about MP4 can tell you.

_Note:_  
The numbers itself (987/789) are different for better visible distinctness where they come from.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2022, 10:09am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/12 "2022-01-31T10:09:51Z")

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Mp3tag doesn't currently support the format in which MusicBrainz Picard is writing multi-value fields. I've made a note regarding this issue and will look into supporting this.

I'll keep you posted!

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![phw](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/phw/32/11831_2.png) [@phw](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/phw)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2022, 5:29am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/13 "2022-02-01T05:29:09Z")

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There is some controversy around how to do multi value tags with MP4. This is not really specified, and hence software took different approaches. See the following Picard ticket:

[https://tickets.metabrainz.org/browse/PICARD-376](https://tickets.metabrainz.org/browse/PICARD-376)

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2022, 4:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/14 "2022-02-13T16:10:57Z")

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I've added experimental support for reading those multi-value fields with [Mp3tag v3.12a](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/455).

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<div class="post-metadata">

### 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, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multi-value-mp4-fields-written-by-musicbrainz-picard-are-not-displayed/56138/15 "2026-02-09T12:29:39Z")

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