# Swapping contents of columns

**URL:** <https://community.mp3tag.de/t/swapping-contents-of-columns/44209>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [January 16, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/swapping-contents-of-columns/44209 "2019-01-16T18:15:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 4

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**Author:** ![Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/florian/32/5759_2.png) [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 6:06am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/swapping-contents-of-columns/44209/4 "2019-01-17T06:06:57Z")

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> [@Wolksby](#):
>
> I have information in every file in the Artist Column, and different information in the Album Artists Column. Rather than replace the Album Artist Column information with that of the Artist Column, how would I be able to swap the information from the Artist Column to the Album Artist Column and vice versa, without losing either set of information?

You'd use the converter "Tag - Tag" for that. It allows for copying information from one field to another. To copy the Artist to the Album Artist, you'd use

**Copy Artist to Album Artist (replace existing data)**  
Field: `ALBUMARTIST`  
Format string: `%artist%`

To preserve what's already there and simply append the Artist:  
**Append Artist to Album Artist**  
Field: `ALBUMARTIST`  
Format string: `%albumartist% %artist%`

Further reading would be using an action "Format value" and only fill in the Album Artist if it's empty

> [@Copy ARTIST to ALBUMARTIST only if empty](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/copy-artist-to-albumartist-only-if-empty/43511/3):
>
> see this thread: the shortest way would probably be: Action "Format value" Field: ALBUMARTIST Formatstring: $if2(%ALBUMARTIST%,%ARTIST%)

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