# Separate Artist fields info disappears **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [September 4, 2018, 11:18am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/separate-artist-fields-info-disappears/42851 "2018-09-04T11:18:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhylan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Rhylan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Rhylan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:18am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/separate-artist-fields-info-disappears/42851/1 "2018-09-04T11:18:31Z")
First of all I have additional artist columns displayed set up as Artist 1 Value $meta(artist,0) Field %artist% Artist 2 Value $meta(artist,1) Field %artist% Artist 3 Value $meta(artist,2) Field %artist% Artist 4 Value $meta(artist,3) Field %artist% So I can see multiple artist as seperate columns. If I click direclty into Artist 1 column to do an edit and press return, the artist 2 entry is deleted. This didnt use to happen. Cheers ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 11:50am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/separate-artist-fields-info-disappears/42851/2 "2018-09-04T11:50:17Z")
To me it looks as though you write the whole artist field when you edit any of the columns - you do not address one of the artist multi-value fields. I would have assumed that you had to use the same expression for field as for value, but I am not even sure that that would work. ---
**Author:** ![Rhylan](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Rhylan](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Rhylan)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/separate-artist-fields-info-disappears/42851/3 "2018-09-04T13:38:07Z")
I'm sure it used to work - what happened occasionally was that the separates needed updating so in artist 1 it would read "Bob//Harry//Jim" all together. What you could do is click in the artist 1 field, press return and they would separate out it the correct columns, but now they get deleted. ---
**Author:** ![poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/poster/32/4881_2.png) [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/separate-artist-fields-info-disappears/42851/4 "2018-09-04T16:06:18Z")
> [@Rhylan](#): > > "Bob//Harry//Jim" It has to be `"Bob\\Harry\\Jim"` for a multivaluue-field. ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/separate-artist-fields-info-disappears/42851/5 "2018-09-04T18:02:09Z")
> [@Rhylan](#): > > I'm sure it used to work I doubt it has. If you read the help on the various $meta-functions, then you will notice that this function only returns a value but never sets one. | $meta(x) | returns all values of field x (e.g. $meta(artist)). Multiple values of a field are separated by ", ". | | --- | --- | | $meta(x,n) | returns the nth value of field x (where n starts at 0, e.g. $meta(artist,1)). | | $meta\_sep(x,sep) | returns all values of field x (e.g. $meta\_sep(artist,; )). Multiple values of a field are separated by sep. | If you want to treat a multi-value field, you either have to use the extended tags dialogue or first merge duplicate fields > **[Merge Duplicate Fields – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions/merge-duplicate-fields/)** > > Documentation on the Merge Duplicate Fields action type that can be performed as Quick Action or as reusable workflow from Action Groups. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor. and then split them again. > **[Split Field by Separator – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/actions/split-field/)** > > Documentation on the Split Field action type that can be performed as Quick Action or as reusable workflow from Action Groups. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/separate-artist-fields-info-disappears/42851/6 "2026-02-09T12:27:38Z")