# Multiple artist edit fail
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 18, 2014, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599 "2014-03-18T12:30:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/1 "2014-03-18T12:30:28Z")
If I enter multiple artist fields in the track list (using the undocumented \\ trick - I know no other way), I get:
Fine. If I then make an edit there, Mp3tag combines the artists into a single field:
This also happens if I just enter edit mode and exit with no change.
It would be good if this could be fixed.
Workaround: Upon each edit, manually resplit the artists list by replacing each ", " between artists by "\\". Or don't do edits in the track list.
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/2 "2014-03-18T12:53:20Z")
> [@chrisjj](#):
>
> ... Mp3tag combines the artists into a single field ...
Here the ARTIST column value is defined as ...
$if($eql($meta(ARTIST,1),),%ARTIST%,$meta\_sep(ARTIST,'\\'))
... or ...
$iflonger($meta(ARTIST,1),0,$meta\_sep(ARTIST,'\\'),%ARTIST%)
... and here is no problem when changing field content in the list view.
DD.20140318.1453.CET
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/3 "2014-03-18T13:04:18Z")
Thanks for the workaround Detlev. I see that comes at the price of display as "\\" not ", ".
FTR:
And why not simplify to:
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/4 "2014-03-18T14:06:47Z")
> [@chrisjj](#):
>
> Thanks for the workaround Detlev. I see that comes at the price of display as "\\" not ", ". ...
> And why not simplify to: ...
Chris, yes, the column value code was a ~~relict~~ leftover, I have changed it to the minimal code now.
In the early days of the new multi-value feature, I'm also stumbled about the different regulation or purpose between ', ' and '\\'.
Now I understand the function $meta\_sep as a function only for displaying purpose.
Because in the Mp3tag user interface there is the double-backslash '\\' the only legal symbol for combining single items into a multi-value tag-field, I decided to use the double-backslash '\\' also when displaying a multi-value, especially in the list view, for the purpose to be able to make changes immediately there.
DD.20140318.1606.CET
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/5 "2014-03-18T14:59:57Z")
Thanks D.
s/relict/relic/ 🙂
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Because in the Mp3tag user interface there is the double-backslash '\\' the only legal symbol for combining single items into a multi-value tag-field, I decided to use the double-backslash '\\' also when displaying a multi-value, especially in the list view, for the purpose to be able to make changes immediately there.
I'm glad that workaround was possible.
(Let us hope we I don't find a literal \\ in pre-existing field values. I think no workaround for that will be possible.)
Florian, are you planning a fix for the standard fields such as Artist?
---
### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/6 "2014-03-18T17:35:08Z")
> [@chrisjj](#):
>
> Thanks for the workaround Detlev. I see that comes at the price of display as "\\" not ", ".
Why is that a problem? It's displayed the same in both the Tag Panal and the file list, is it not? Actually, it's the only way that I can see for it to work correctly, otherwise you get the behavior you see above: the fields being combined again.
What is the default definition for the ARTIST column? My installation is old, so I don't know whether I've redefined the value or not.
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/7 "2014-03-18T17:46:55Z")
> [@JJ Johnson](#):
>
> Actually, it's the only way that I can see for it to work correctly
Perhaps then ask yourself why the program itself has not adopted it.
> [@JJ Johnson](#):
>
> What is the default definition for the ARTIST column?
%artist%.
---
### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/8 "2014-03-18T18:21:21Z")
Are you sure of that?
I just did a clean install (after backing up my settings) and it appears to be
$meta\_sep(artist,\\)
The genre field is similarly defined.
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/9 "2014-03-18T19:00:28Z")
> [@JJ Johnson](#):
>
> Are you sure of that?
I was! Now I find a fresh install shows I am wrong and you are are right. Thanks.
Please can someone tell me where this is 'fessed in the changelog. I can't see it. [http://www.mp3tag.de/en/changelog.html](http://www.mp3tag.de/en/changelog.html)
---
### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/10 "2014-03-18T19:11:44Z")
I think the problem (if there is one) is that when something like that gets changed, the setting doesn't get changed when upgrading an existing installation. No doubt this is to avoid changing the setting for anyone who has redefined it.
Another approach would be for the installer to change it if the definition remains the old default. I can't say for sure, though, whether that would be best.
---
### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 7:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/11 "2014-03-18T19:19:48Z")
And:
[/t/8488/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/8488/1)
🙂
---
### Author:  [@chrisjj](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrisjj)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/12 "2014-03-18T19:21:33Z")
> [@JJ Johnson](#):
>
> I think the problem (if there is one) is that when something like that gets changed, the setting doesn't get changed when upgrading an existing installation.
Indeed for the installer not to warn and offer is highly remiss.
This secret change makes the program version number suddenly far less useful for support. For years going forward, helpers will have to ask users to root in the UI to find out what version's config they actually have. Or what fragment of it...
---
### Author:  [@chrishirst](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/chrishirst)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/13 "2014-03-18T22:26:20Z")
You will probably find that BOTH are correct;
%artist% is the **variable** that mp3tag assigns to hold the first value from the ARTIST tag field
$meta\_sep(tag, seperator) is a **function** that reads the value(s) from the ARTIST tag field.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/multiple-artist-edit-fail/15599/14 "2026-02-09T12:24:58Z")