# Possible Bug with Semi-Colon?

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/possible-bug-with-semi-colon/67988
**Category:** Mac
**Created:** [March 27, 2025, 11:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/possible-bug-with-semi-colon/67988 "2025-03-27T23:20:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 2

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### Author: ![MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/motleyg/32/440_2.png) [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2025, 2:37am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/possible-bug-with-semi-colon/67988/2 "2025-03-28T02:37:00Z")

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What you are seeing with the `\\` display in mp3tag is a placeholder to indicate a multi value field. Other programs may indicate this in different ways, such as the semicolon in Musicbrainz you have found.

> [@Should I use ";" or "\\\\" or "-" as a separator?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/should-i-use-or-or-as-a-separator/45708):
>
> To date I have been using a ";" as a separator for the Artist, Composer and Genre fields. I would then do an action of merge duplicate fields for these fields after ripping a CD (or after a bunch of CD's). This displays well with the music players that I use currently but whether if or I may want to use another player in the future I am wondering if there is a better solution that is more universal?. Been thinking about whether it would of been best to use the "\" as a separator or even a …

This can occur in the Composer, Artist, and Genre fields most commonly.

> [@Klangfarben](#):
>
> What makes it worse is if I do a search/replace for either ";" or "`\\`" it finds neither of those characters and I cannot replace them other than manually.

If you are trying to manipulate the line, you may first want to use the `MERGE` action where you can assign a new separator. This will combine all of the values of the same field name and allow you to make the edits you wish. There is also actions to `SPLIT` them in a similar fashion.

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