# Save metadata of a number of songs and reapply after editing
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 27, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599 "2026-01-27T18:23:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/1 "2026-01-27T18:23:59Z")
Hi,
I’d like to save the metadata of a number of songs and reapply them after editing in software. The editing software I use applies the metadata of the first song to everyone of them and I want to save the pre-editing metadata and re - apply bulk after edit.
Is it possible to do so ?
I’ve used the export function but I can’t seem to ?load/re-apply? to the songs.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/2 "2026-01-27T18:31:28Z")
See the documentation:
> **[Import Tags from Text Files – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/converters/import-tags-from-text-files/)**
>
> Documentation on Text File to Tag, a converter to import tags from text files. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
As thi sprocess is rather complicated: which function are you missing in MP3tag that is worth the effort?
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/3 "2026-01-27T20:39:17Z")
Ahh shit , it feels like rocket science.
I added my previous songs to the menu and choose the Convert/ Text file - Tag but when I press ok it says
“Cannot parse line 1.
Cannot parse line 2.
Cannot parse line 3.
Cannot parse line 4.
”
I don’t think that the function is missing , I can’t make it work.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/4 "2026-01-27T20:42:56Z")
You would have to show us at least 1 line from the text file and also the format string that you use in the Convert function.
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/5 "2026-01-27T20:49:56Z")
I have 4 files which sit in C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\. I have exported the original metadata on “TrackList.csv“ as below.
```auto
Guitar Rag;Sylvester Weaver;Rough GuideTo Bottleneck Blues: (Slide Guitar: Original Legends & Modern Masters);01;2005;Blues;182;10.31 MB;1/27/2026 2:30:58 AM;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;01 - Sylvester Weaver - Guitar Rag.flac
Traveling Back Home;Johnny Shines;Too Wet To Plow;02;2005;Blues;236;5.47 MB;1/27/2026 6:16:09 PM;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;1.Johnny Shines - Too Wet To Plow - Traveling Back Home.mp3
Old Dollar Mamie;22;Negro Prison Blues and Songs;08;1994;Work Songs;204;15.32 MB;1/27/2026 7:26:15 PM;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;02- Old Dollar Mamie.flac
Lonesome;Memphis Slim;4.00 Blues;11;;Blues;150;11.00 MB;1/27/2026 6:25:36 PM;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;03- Memphis Slim - Lonesome.flac
```
My edited files sit on C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited . When I open the edited files and apply “Convert/ Text file - Tag” I get in preview as below
```auto
"C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited\01 - Sylvester Weaver - Guitar Rag.flac" ->
"C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited\1.Johnny Shines - Too Wet To Plow - Traveling Back Home.flac" ->
"C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited\02- Old Dollar Mamie.flac" ->
"C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited\03- Memphis Slim - Lonesome.flac" ->
Cannot parse line 1.
Cannot parse line 2.
Cannot parse line 3.
Cannot parse line 4.
```
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/6 "2026-01-27T20:52:37Z")
Thank you for the contents of the text file.
Now you would have to show us the format string that you use for the import
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/7 "2026-01-27T20:55:04Z")
I tried with this one
`%artist%, %album% ,%comment%`
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/8 "2026-01-27T20:57:08Z")
I can send you the files if you want to try it yourself.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/9 "2026-01-27T20:58:14Z")
> [@POl](#):
>
> %artist%, %album% ,%comment%
You use the comma as separator between the fields but
`Traveling Back Home;Johnny Shines;Too Wet To Plow;02;2005;Blues;236;5.47 MB;1/27/2026 6:16:09 PM;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;1.Johnny Shines - Too Wet To Plow - Traveling Back Home.mp3`
has the semicolon `;` as separator.
Also, you have match the pattern of the text file with the format string. Every space and other character counts.
So, to get
`Traveling Back Home;Johnny Shines;Too Wet To Plow`
into fields, you could use:
`%title%;%artist%;%album%`
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/10 "2026-01-27T21:01:13Z")
Using your Format string %title%;%artist%;%album%` I get the same on preview`
` `
```auto
"C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited\01 - Sylvester Weaver - Guitar Rag.flac" ->
"C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited\1.Johnny Shines - Too Wet To Plow - Traveling Back Home.flac" ->
"C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited\02- Old Dollar Mamie.flac" ->
"C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata\Edited\03- Memphis Slim - Lonesome.flac" ->
Cannot parse line 1.
Cannot parse line 2.
Cannot parse line 3.
Cannot parse line 4.
```
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/11 "2026-01-27T21:10:40Z")
It worked over here:
The text file with which I tested looked like this:
```auto
Traveling Back Home;Johnny Shines;Too Wet To Plow;02;2005;Blues;236;5.47 MB;1/27/2026 6:16:09 PM;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;1.Johnny Shines - Too Wet To Plow - Traveling Back Home.mp3
```
Leading to:
Artist: Johnny Shines
Title: Traveling Back Home
Album: Too Wet To Plow;02;2005;Blues;236;5.47 MB;1/27/2026 6:16:09 PM;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;1.Johnny Shines - Too Wet To Plow - Traveling Back Home.mp3
The album does not make sense, of course. but I was too lazy to create a full list of fields, so all the data following the second field ends up in the third, which is ALBUM.
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/12 "2026-01-27T21:29:44Z")
I can’t make it work. I exported the original metadata as `txt_taglist` which gave me
`Sylvester Weaver - Rough GuideTo Bottleneck Blues: (Slide Guitar: Original Legends & Modern Masters) - Guitar Rag - 01 - 2005 - Blues - Collection Of LITBe`
`Johnny Shines - Too Wet To Plow - Traveling Back Home - 02 - 2005 - Blues -`
`22 - Negro Prison Blues and Songs - Old Dollar Mamie - 08 - 1994 - Work Songs -`
`Memphis Slim - 4.00 Blues - Lonesome - 11 - - Blues - fre:ac - free audio converter `\<`https://www.freac.org/`\>
Then I replaced all the text on the exported `.txt` file with text from an exported csv , which is formated like what is posted in other posts above :
`Title;Artist;Album;Track;Year;Length;Size;Last Modified;Path;Filename;`
`Guitar Rag;Sylvester Weaver;Rough GuideTo Bottleneck Blues: (Slide Guitar: Original Legends & Modern Masters);01;2005;182;10.31 MB;1/27/2026;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;01 - Sylvester Weaver - Guitar Rag.flac;`
`Traveling Back Home;Johnny Shines;Too Wet To Plow;02;2005;237;5.47 MB;1/27/2026;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;1.Johnny Shines - Too Wet To Plow - Traveling Back Home.mp3;`
`Old Dollar Mamie;22;Negro Prison Blues and Songs;08;1994;205;15.32 MB;1/27/2026;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;02- Old Dollar Mamie.flac;`
`Lonesome;Memphis Slim;4.00 Blues;11;;150;11.00 MB;1/27/2026;C:\Users\Pol\Music\Metadata;03- Memphis Slim - Lonesome.flac;`
`build on 1/27/2026 with Mp3tag v3.33 - the universal Tag editor - ` [Mp3tag - the universal Tag Editor (ID3v2, MP4, OGG, FLAC, ...)](http://www.mp3tag.de/en/)
Even with the first line removed `Title;Artist;Album;Track;Year;Length;Size;Last Modified;Path;Filename;`
But I still get cannot parse error
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:32pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/13 "2026-01-27T21:32:09Z")
At this point I wouldn’t waste any more of your time but if you feel like it might help others feel free to reply. At the beginning I even thought of replacing the `,/comma` with a `;/semicolon`in the command string , but beyond that it would take me some time as a beginner to think something out .
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/14 "2026-01-27T21:39:54Z")
Again: which format string are you using for the import?
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/15 "2026-01-27T21:40:29Z")
```auto
%title%;%artist%;%album%
```
---
### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/16 "2026-01-27T21:42:24Z")
There are several problems with your above data:
#1 the artist on line 4 is 22 - is this really the correct value?
#2 the album on line 5 is "4.00 Blues"?
#3 the Year on line 5 is empty?
#4 the line 6 contains the footer from your export. Just delete it.
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/17 "2026-01-27T21:43:25Z")
This is how I got the files . Do I need to change them to something relevant ?
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/18 "2026-01-27T21:48:16Z")
MP3tag needs files that have valid data and need no guessing.
The pattern in the data has to match the format string.
That is the case if position, number of the fields and the separators are the same in the text file and the format string.
---
### Author:  [@POl](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/POl)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/19 "2026-01-27T21:48:54Z")
Ok . Thank you very much!
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2026, 7:52am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599/20 "2026-01-28T07:52:07Z")
> [@POl](#):
>
> At this point I wouldn’t waste any more of your time
It would also be interesting to know which function you are missing in MP3tag that is worth the effort to export data from tags and attempt to import the modified data.
[Next page](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/save-metadata-of-a-number-of-songs-and-reapply-after-editing/70599.md?page=2)