# Renaming files differently depending on if album is VA or not

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/renaming-files-differently-depending-on-if-album-is-va-or-not/4787
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [April 28, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/renaming-files-differently-depending-on-if-album-is-va-or-not/4787 "2007-04-28T16:25:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![zencd](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zencd/32/88_2.png) [@zencd](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/zencd)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/renaming-files-differently-depending-on-if-album-is-va-or-not/4787/1 "2007-04-28T16:25:53Z")

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When renaming files from tags I should set up the pattern manually each time. All because I prefer to use different patterns for different kinds of albums:

$num(%track%,2). %artist% - %title% for Various Artists and  
$num(%track%,2). %title% for other

It would be very helpful to not to think about these details and choose pattern automatically, depending on what kind the album is: just \<Ctrl+1\> and 🙂

About implementation: it could be two text fields in settings: "default rename pattern for mono artist albums" and "default rename pattern for VA" or whatever

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### Author: ![dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/dano/32/6_2.png) [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/renaming-files-differently-depending-on-if-album-is-va-or-not/4787/2 "2007-04-28T19:23:58Z")

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You can use scripting functions to make one string that covers both cases:  
[https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting](https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting)

$num(%track%,2) $if(your VA condition,%artist% - ,)%title%

You just have to find something that distinguishes VA albums and normal albums and you put it in the string.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![zencd](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/zencd/32/88_2.png) [@zencd](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/zencd)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/renaming-files-differently-depending-on-if-album-is-va-or-not/4787/3 "2007-04-28T19:34:38Z")

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dano  
you are right - that's the more true way; but then it seems like mp3tag "should" provide a special variable if all selected files are of the same artist or different ones

I know there is id3 tag like "VARIOUS" but it is not used in my collection and I dont wanna insert that tag by hands