# Tag Importing from external sources **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [August 15, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153 "2019-08-15T14:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kuchlei](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kuchlei](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Kuchlei)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153/1 "2019-08-15T14:33:24Z")
I've been unable to find an exact Q&A for my situation and am looking for some help. I have a database (MS Access) that contains all the information regarding my music (MP3) files I have on my computer including a direct link to the MP3. I would like to use that information to update the tags on my MP3s. Is there a way to do that? I can export the information to any file format that could be imported to Mp3Tag. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2019, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153/2 "2019-08-15T16:50:56Z")
Please see "Convert \> Text file - Tag" and the documentation at [Import Tags from Text Files – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/converters/import-tags-from-text-files) ---
**Author:** ![Kuchlei](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kuchlei](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Kuchlei)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153/3 "2019-08-16T19:13:02Z")
Hi Florian, Thanks for the info. Don't know why I did not see that. The help reference helped. A few things are not clear to me though, Do I have to import the files I want to update into MP3TAG? If yes does there have to be a 1 to 1 correspondence between the text file and the files imported? Do I have to include all the tags or can I update just one and the remaining ones will remain unchanged? ---
**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:** [August 16, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153/4 "2019-08-16T19:22:35Z")
> [@Kuchlei](#): > > Do I have to import the files I want to update into MP3TAG? Yes. > [@Kuchlei](#): > > does there have to be a 1 to 1 correspondence between the text file and the files imported? Only if you do not include the filename in each record. The filename is used to align data and file if the sequence of the records does not correspond to the selected files. If there is no filename a part of the data record then the number and sequence have to match. > [@Kuchlei](#): > > Do I have to include all the tags or can I update just one and the remaining ones will remain unchanged? All the fields that you do not want to import can be mapped to the field %dummy%. The number of fields in the data records and in the mask in which you specify the target field have to match. ---
**Author:** ![Kuchlei](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kuchlei](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Kuchlei)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153/5 "2019-08-16T19:43:07Z")
Ok, I understand the the first 2 answers but not sure about the last. I am trying to add a year for all the MP3 files in my library. All the other tags are set. I can create the text file with the exact file name and the other few tags I am using such as Artist, Title, Genre and Year. There are a number of other tags that I'm not using and want to leave blank. Do I then create the text file with `%_path%`, many %dummy% tags and one %year% tag? Or can I get away with `%_path%` one %year% tag? ---
**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:** [August 16, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153/6 "2019-08-16T19:48:13Z")
Importing data only replaces the named fields. If it is possible to create a text file that has only the filename and the field YEAR, then the import mask would look like %\_filename\_ext%;%year% If the text file looks like > [@Kuchlei](#): > > Artist, Title, Genre, Year and you want to import only YEAR, the mask would look like %dummy%, %dummy%, %dummy%, %year% Please note that field names and separators in the mask have to match exactly the pattern in the data file. ---
**Author:** ![Kuchlei](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kuchlei](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Kuchlei)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153/7 "2019-08-16T19:53:56Z")
Ok, that makes more sense. Since my files are in multiple folders I will then use the `%_path%` which I believe is drive:/path/folder/filename.ext. Thanks for your help. I have over 7500 tracks to update and started to do it manually. This will save a lot of time.😍 ---
**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, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-importing-from-external-sources/46153/8 "2026-02-09T12:28:12Z")