# Startup option for mp3tag
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/startup-option-for-mp3tag/70791
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 28, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/startup-option-for-mp3tag/70791 "2026-02-28T13:18:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gapf2010](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gapf2010)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/startup-option-for-mp3tag/70791/1 "2026-02-28T13:18:30Z")
Hi! First of all, thanks for mp3tag. It’s a very useful software and you can easily see all the hard work that has gone into it, however I have a couple question about it that I have not been able to solve by myself:
1. I have a library of about 13000 mp3 files, stored in a Windows share directory. When I start mp3tag, it will load all 13000 mp3 files and their tags, which takes several minutes. Any way to avoid that, while still being able to tag my files? (if I abort the loading, no mp3 file is displayed).
2. Sorting a huge list like mine is not ideal, in my opinion. I’d like to have my list sorted by artist, then by albums (per artist) and finally by song number (per album), but I have found no way to do this.
Anyway, thanks for any help or suggestions regarding my use case and thanks again for this piece of software.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2026, 1:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/startup-option-for-mp3tag/70791/2 "2026-02-28T13:27:32Z")
> [@gapf2010](#):
>
> Any way to avoid that, while still being able to tag my files? (if I abort the loading, no mp3 file is displayed).
You can set an empty folder to start in and then load further (and fewer) files after MP3tag has started. See the Options Ctrl-O \> Directories.
> [@gapf2010](#):
>
> Sorting a huge list like mine is not ideal
Click on the column header of the various criteria that you want to use e.g.
1. TRACK, 2) ALBUM, 3) ARTIST
or set the column definition property for one of the columns like this:
---
### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2026, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/startup-option-for-mp3tag/70791/3 "2026-02-28T13:31:39Z")
> [@gapf2010](#):
>
> Any way to avoid that, while still being able to tag my files? (if I abort the loading, no mp3 file is displayed).
You can enable the so-called "Library". The first time you use it, data from your files will be collected and written in a local database. From the second time you start Mp3tag with the library enabled, your files will load much faster.
> **[Library – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/customization/options/library/)**
>
> Documentation of Library configuration options. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
> [@gapf2010](#):
>
> I’d like to have my list sorted by artist, then by albums (per artist) and finally by song number (per album)
From the [documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/getting-started/main-window/#sorting):
> Sorting
>
> You can sort the files by clicking on the column header of the respective column. An additional click on the current sort column inverses the sort order. You can sort by multiple criteria by holding the Shift key down when clicking on the additional sort columns. Clicking on the first column header (the one with the file icons) randomizes the File List.
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2026, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/startup-option-for-mp3tag/70791/4 "2026-02-28T13:42:55Z")
Please post separate topics in the future so each can be handled separately.
> [@gapf2010](#):
>
> Any way to avoid that, while still being able to tag my files?
You can change Options\>Directories\>Startup Directory to empty, this will leave the file list blank when opening mp3tag. You will then have to manually add files to be edited.
Alternatively you can navigate to the folder contains the files you want to edit, right-click and start mp3tag to have just those files in the list.
> [@gapf2010](#):
>
> I’d like to have my list sorted by artist, then by albums (per artist) and finally by song number (per album)
Clicking on the column headers in the file list sorts them by the definition for each. If you click on other headers it will keep the previous ones as the secondary sort options.
For more control you can edit the definition for specific headers and use more details. For example this is what I use for my Albumartist definition.
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### Author:  [@gapf2010](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gapf2010)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2026, 2:03am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/startup-option-for-mp3tag/70791/5 "2026-03-02T02:03:24Z")
Thanks for the hints guys, they worked for me.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2026, 2:03am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/startup-option-for-mp3tag/70791/6 "2026-03-09T02:03:34Z")
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