# shorten file names
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/shorten-file-names/8789
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [August 17, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/shorten-file-names/8789 "2009-08-17T09:57:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@egbert\_se](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/egbert_se)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/shorten-file-names/8789/1 "2009-08-17T09:57:19Z")
Hello,
I want to shorten my mp3 filenames to 46 chracters. It's for my mobile phone. There's an option to shorten filenames to 64 characters in convert/actions but i can't edit that option. So if someone can help me i would be very grateful.
Egbert
Allready figured it out with help from an answer from detlevd
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### Author:  [@fluke](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/fluke)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/shorten-file-names/8789/2 "2009-08-19T18:12:33Z")
Could you let me know how you did this ???
I need to convert file name to 16 characters for my cars head unit.
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### Author:  [@egbert\_se](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/egbert_se)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/shorten-file-names/8789/3 "2009-08-20T13:11:33Z")
> [@fluke](#):
>
> Could you let me know how you did this ???
>
> I need to convert file name to 16 characters for my cars head unit.
I use convert filename filename,
In the first box I put : %1 - %2
in the second box i put: %1 - $left(%2,$ifgreater($len(%1 - %2),45,$sub($len(%2),$sub($len(%1 - %2),45)),$len(%2)))
So you have to chance 45 with 16.
Mind you my file name are like this Diana Ross - Chain Reaction.mp3 so %1 is for the first part en %2 is for the second part. If your filenames contain more parts you have to work with %1 - %2 - %3 -%4 and %1 - $left(%2,$ifgreater($len(%1 - %2 - %3 - %4),60,$sub($len(%2),$sub($len(%1 - %2 - %3 - %4),60)),$len(%2))) - %3 - %4
Here ofcourse yoy have to change the 60 to 16 en even maiby to 12 because of .mp3
Anyway, you have to play around with it.
Success,
Egbert
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:21pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/shorten-file-names/8789/4 "2026-02-09T12:21:43Z")