# Second Sort
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [May 15, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429 "2012-05-15T17:25:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ykeyke](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ykeyke)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429/1 "2012-05-15T17:25:09Z")
Hi,
As you noticed, I'm new using this software, and I find it: _ **THE MOST COMPLETE IN THE MARKET** _, so thank you all, developers and supporters. But I'm trying to improve my skills using it, and that gives me lots of doubts...
Here come a new question:
How can I make second sort column runs **automatically** , as example, I have files ordered by album, but I need, that the order for each album sorted by release time. I've discovered that, if I click on the release time column, then on the album column, this order is what I need for that list, however, if I change directory, or even if I refresh, the sorting list is only ordered by the column active in that moment, and the second sort is assigned to file name always !!!
How can I make the second sort permanent???
Thanks
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429/2 "2012-05-15T17:39:18Z")
> [@ykeyke](#):
>
> ...
>
> How can I make the second sort permanent???
>
> Thanks
You could create a column that has as value both fields that you want to use.
e.g. enter as value
%releasetime%%album%
Do not enter anything in "field".
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### Author:  [@ykeyke](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ykeyke)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429/3 "2012-05-15T17:54:00Z")
Ahhaaa, that's it, an ingenious way to do it... 🙂
Just a question, what is the utility of the "Sort by" field in the columns adjustments??
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429/4 "2012-05-16T03:36:08Z")
This would set sort criteria for a that specific column. You see the value but the sorting is according to the sort criteria.
E.g. if you used TRACK and entered for
"Sort by"
%album%%track%
Any attempt to sort by clicking on the column header for TRACK would result in sorting album first, then the track.
Similar, but not quite the same.
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### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429/5 "2012-05-16T03:46:12Z")
> [@ykeyke](#):
>
> Ahhaaa, that's it, an ingenious way to do it... 🙂 Just a question, what is the utility of the "Sort by" field in the columns adjustments??
Please read ...
[Sort by file name then by track number](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/10870/6)
DD.20120516.0745.CEST
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### Author:  [@ykeyke](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ykeyke)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429/6 "2012-05-16T05:59:41Z")
Wow, I damn definitely love this program, really versatile.
😃 😃 😃
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/second-sort/13429/7 "2026-02-09T12:23:50Z")