# Release Date field in itunes
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [December 29, 2009, 11:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602 "2009-12-29T11:27:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@stolpis100](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/stolpis100)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2009, 11:27am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/1 "2009-12-29T11:27:23Z")
Hi All,
Does anyone know which tag in mp3tag corresponds to the 'Release Date' field in itunes? And if so, what format should I enter the info: DD-MM-YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY etc or MMDDYYYY etc
I'm trying to edit this field for mp3 files so that I can more accurately sort them.
Many thanks in advance
---
### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2009, 11:35am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/2 "2009-12-29T11:35:12Z")
Only for mp3:
RELEASETIME
Format: YYYY-MM-DD
Complete format: YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ
T and Z are literals
---
### Author:  [@stolpis100](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/stolpis100)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2009, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/3 "2009-12-29T12:14:35Z")
Thanks Dano, but I cannot find RELEASETIME in my Tag options. ☹
I have RATING WMP and SETSUBTITLE in the options and I can see in the Help section that RELEASETIME should be inbetween these!
I am running 2.45a on an XP pc.
Do I have to manually add it somehow or I am missing something obvious?
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/4 "2009-12-29T12:30:04Z")
Just enter it manually then.
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### Author:  [@stolpis100](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/stolpis100)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/5 "2009-12-29T12:34:29Z")
Ah worked out how to get it in manually. Thanks again!
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### Author:  [@gidxg03](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gidxg03)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2010, 8:15am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/6 "2010-01-03T08:15:48Z")
I too have this issue and it is wrecking my head. Been going around in circles for the past 4 hours trying to fix this.
I am trying to copy the "date created" data of each MP3 to the corresponding "release date" field in itunes. The reason for this is that I want to be able to sort my MP3's, in Itunes, by the date I have downloaded them (not added modified). It would appear the release date feild is the only tag I can add and then sort by date (I tried adding the date created into the comment field but Itunes will not sort this feild correctly by date).
but I have no idea how to create the RELEASETIME column. Anyone have any idea's?
Thanks in advance.
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### Author:  [@gidxg03](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gidxg03)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/7 "2010-01-04T20:55:35Z")
Anyone.... ?
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/8 "2010-01-04T21:26:04Z")
Make a [new action](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/967/1):
_Action type:_ **Format value**
_Field:_ **RELEASETIME**
_Format string:_ **%\_file\_create\_datetime%**
Also have a look at
[/t/965/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/965/1)
---
### Author:  [@gidxg03](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gidxg03)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 8:12am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/9 "2010-01-05T08:12:44Z")
Thanks for the reply and instructions dano. I did exactly what you said and it copied the date created for each MP3 into the new RELEASETIME feild but even when I refresh in itunes the dates do not show up in the "release date" feild. Any ideas why?
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 8:34am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/10 "2010-01-05T08:34:17Z")
What's the format of your %\_file\_create\_datetime% ?
We probably must adjust it to the itunes date format.
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### Author:  [@gidxg03](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gidxg03)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/11 "2010-01-05T20:32:41Z")
Not sure what you mean dano. Do you mean what is the resultant output in the RELEASETIME output column in MP3Tag when I follow the steps you outlined above? If so each file in the RELEASETIME field displays like this:
7/4/2008 1:04:29 AM
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/12 "2010-01-05T21:14:49Z")
Yes, you must convert
7/4/2008 1:04:29 AM
into
2008-07-04T01:04:29Z
(assuming 7 is the month)
Do you also need the time? Cause converting AM/PM into 24h format in Mp3tag might be tricky.
If you change your date & time settings in windows to a 24h format it would be easier.
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### Author:  [@gidxg03](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gidxg03)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/13 "2010-01-05T21:23:14Z")
Hi dano. No I dont need the time. How would I go about converting 7/4/2008 1:04:29 AM
into 2008-07-04T01:04:29Z?
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### Author:  [@gidxg03](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gidxg03)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/14 "2010-01-05T21:27:42Z")
Just a quick update I manually edited one of my MP3 tags and pasted in 2008-07-04T01:04:29Z? into the releasetime feild. I then refreshed this MP3 in itunes and the release date appeared!!!! If you can just tell me how to write that info to all of my files I'll be laughing!!
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/15 "2010-01-05T21:32:11Z")
I can offer you
7/4/2008 1:04:29 AM
into
2008-07-04Z
_Action type:_ **Replace with regular expression**
_Field:_ **RELEASETIME**
_Regular expression:_ **^(\d\d?)/(\d\d?)/(\d\d\d\d).+**
_Replace matches with:_ **$3-$num($1,2)-$num($2,2)Z**
(You can also remove the Z if you want, it should also be recognized without it)
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### Author:  [@gidxg03](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gidxg03)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/16 "2010-01-05T21:49:38Z")
Thanks dano but how do I go about writing all my MP3 releasetime feilds to 2008-07-04T01:04:29Z format?
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/17 "2010-01-05T22:13:31Z")
I thought you didn't need the time, but ok.
No guarantee for this one though:
Action #1:
_Action type:_ **Format value**
_Field:_ **RELEASETIME**
_Formatstring:_ **$ifgreater($strstr(%releasetime%,PM),0,$replace(%releasetime%, 1:,T13:, 2,T14, 3,T15, 4,T16, 5,T17, 6,T18, 7,T19, 8,T20, 9,T21, 10,T22, 11,T23, PM,Z, ,T),$replace(%releasetime%, 12,T00, AM,Z, ,T))**
Action #2:
_Action type:_ **Replace with regular expression**
_Field:_ **RELEASETIME**
_Regular expression:_ **^(\d\d?)/(\d\d?)/(\d\d\d\d)T(\d\d?)**
_Replace matches with:_ **$3-$num($1,2)-$num($2,2)T$num($4,2)**
---
### Author:  [@gidxg03](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gidxg03)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/18 "2010-01-05T22:33:53Z")
> [@gidxg03](#):
>
> Thanks dano but how do I go about writing all my MP3 releasetime feilds to 2008-07-04T01:04:29Z format?
All fixed  
I used the string (Actions quick) %\_file\_create\_datetime%which gave me the following output in the RELEASETIME field: 7/4/2008 1:15:20 AM. I then ran your suggestion (Replace with regular expression) which edited each RELEASETIME feild from 7/4/2008 1:15:20 AM to 7/4/2008Z which now shows up in itunes!!
Thanks a million for your help dano.
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### Author:  [@SliceOfHorse](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/SliceOfHorse)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/19 "2013-02-05T12:30:14Z")
Hey guys,
I realize this is pretty old, sorry...By following the steps in this thread, I've been able to edit the release date field in order to make my M4As show the full release date (i.e. Jan 13 2009, etc.) on my iPod, but it only works for dates 2000 and after, anything in the 1990s only shows the year...is there anything extra I need to do in order to make it work?
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/release-date-field-in-itunes/9602/20 "2026-02-09T12:22:03Z")