# Sending file paths via command line must be sent twice
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/sending-file-paths-via-command-line-must-be-sent-twice/57440
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [May 29, 2022, 12:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/sending-file-paths-via-command-line-must-be-sent-twice/57440 "2022-05-29T12:11:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mr\_bug](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mr_bug)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2022, 12:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/sending-file-paths-via-command-line-must-be-sent-twice/57440/1 "2022-05-29T12:11:51Z")
Via PowerShell, when running:
```nohighlight
& "C:\Program Files\Mp3tag\Mp3tag.exe" /fn:"C:\a.mp3" "C:\b.mp3" "C:\c.mp3"
```
This only succeeds without fail when Mp3tag is currently closed. If however it is already running with some files having been previously added to its list, running the above command will replace that list but only show `a.mp3`. The command must be run a _second_ time for the list to now show song `a`, `b`, and `c`.
There are other quirks such as if you only run the command once, and then drag-and-drop different files to the list, the dropped files will be added but also the files that would've been added by a second run of the command. Something isn't right here.
Mp3tag 3.15
Windows 11
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2022, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/sending-file-paths-via-command-line-must-be-sent-twice/57440/2 "2022-05-29T12:24:10Z")
> [@mr\_bug](#):
>
> Something isn't right here.
I would say that a look at the documentation is missing:
> **[Command Line Interface – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/command-line/)**
>
> Overview on command-line parameters to be used with Mp3tag. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
You are leaving out the `/add` switch.
You need a separate call for each file, each with the /add switch. A list of files is not mentioned.
---
### Author:  [@mr\_bug](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mr_bug)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/sending-file-paths-via-command-line-must-be-sent-twice/57440/3 "2022-05-29T12:55:23Z")
On closer inspection, you're right. However, it's strange that specifying a list of file paths does actually succeed flawlessly when the program isn't running, or on the mentioned command's second run, so it's indeed possible, just not supported which I find a little odd considering what the program does. The confusion arises because sometimes it works and other times not.
I think it's quite typical to call a program once with a list of file paths instead of resorting to calling it multiple times once for each file of interest, so ideally Mp3tag would support this in the future. Maybe with a `/replace` or `/list` switch so that no matter if the program is open or closed, what is passed will be what is listed in the UI.
My use case is selecting a bunch of media files in my file manager and sending those to Mp3tag as the files I want to focus on tagging. For now, I will stick to running the command twice, or killing Mp3tag before each run of the script to ensure I get the behaviour I'm looking for. Not ideal, but it works. The other option would be to create a temporary M3U8 playlist containing the desired files and only only that file.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2022, 12:59pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/sending-file-paths-via-command-line-must-be-sent-twice/57440/4 "2022-05-29T12:59:42Z")
> [@mr\_bug](#):
>
> I think it's quite typical to call a program once with a list of file paths instead of resorting to calling it multiple times
Oh, there is a lengthy thread about calling a program which obviously does not support a list of filenames...
> [@Run a TOOL Command, based on selection, in a SINGLE WINDOW](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/run-a-tool-command-based-on-selection-in-a-single-window/55787):
>
> I was hoping if someone could help me: I am using MP3Tag & mkvpropedit, via MP3Tag GUI Tool option (please see attachment), in order to retain the Encoded date within this parameter: --edit info --set date="%creation\_time%" "%\_path%" The command does as intended but my issue is that once I run the tool on the files that I selected, multiple windows show up, instead of a SINGLE window handling the same command for the selected files. Basically, I want to know if there is an additional code tha…
so I am not sure about "typical".
---
### Author:  [@mr\_bug](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/mr_bug)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2022, 1:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/sending-file-paths-via-command-line-must-be-sent-twice/57440/5 "2022-05-29T13:11:56Z")
Be it typical or not, i'd argue it should be supported to some extent as attempting to do this does lead to the program appearing broken in some way from a UX perspective, specifically because of it succeeding in some but not all cases when intuitively you'd think it would. Maybe the docs could be more explicit that the program doesn't support passing a _list_ of files.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2025, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/sending-file-paths-via-command-line-must-be-sent-twice/57440/6 "2025-11-16T15:08:59Z")
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