# Remove THE from start of Artist field
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 12, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210 "2012-03-12T15:06:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sobeitjedi](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/sobeitjedi)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210/1 "2012-03-12T15:06:16Z")
Hi.
How can I remove the word 'The' from the artist field if the artist begins with The, eg ...
The Smiths = Smiths
The Strokes = Strokes
But keep where 'The' appears in the artist name, eg
Adam & The Ants = Adam & The Ants
---
### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210/2 "2012-03-12T17:19:28Z")
Use the new Tag-Tag Converter or Action: Format Value
Field: ARTIST
Formatstring: $regexp(%artist%,^The ,)
---
### Author:  [@sobeitjedi](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/sobeitjedi)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210/3 "2012-03-13T12:12:44Z")
> [@pone](#):
>
> Use the new Tag-Tag Converter or Action: Format Value
> Field: ARTIST
> Formatstring: $regexp(%artist%,^The ,)
Thanks - while that does work, it's putting an extra space at the end of the artist name. For example ...
1. Madonna - Lucky Star
bcomes
1. Madonna - Lucky Star (an extra space after Madonna)
---
### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210/4 "2012-03-13T12:45:41Z")
> [@sobeitjedi](#):
>
> Thanks - while that does work, it's putting an extra space at the end of the artist name. For example ...
No, it should not.
If so, maybe you had the extra space at the end of the formatstring.
Or it was there before.
---
### Author:  [@sobeitjedi](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/sobeitjedi)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210/5 "2012-03-13T13:21:32Z")
> [@pone](#):
>
> No, it should not.
> If so, maybe you had the extra space at the end of the formatstring.
> Or it was there before.
Looks like when I copied your string in, somehow an extra space got tagged on the end. Unfortunately, I've just applied this action to a load of tracks. Is there a way I can remove the trailing spaces from the end of Artist? Otherwise I have to go through them all manually to remove the additional spaces.
---
### Author:  [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210/6 "2012-03-13T15:12:37Z")
> [@sobeitjedi](#):
>
> Looks like when I copied your string in, somehow an extra space got tagged on the end. Unfortunately, I've just applied this action to a load of tracks. Is there a way I can remove the trailing spaces from the end of Artist? Otherwise I have to go through them all manually to remove the additional spaces.
[/t/967/1](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/967/1)
or, in your case:
Converter: Tag-Tag or Action: Format Value
Field: ARTIST
Formatstring: $regexp(%artist%,\s+$,)
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/remove-the-from-start-of-artist-field/13210/7 "2026-02-09T12:23:43Z")