# Tag Plex "Originally Available" Section
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628
**Category:** Mac
**Tags:** player
**Created:** [September 5, 2025, 2:29am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628 "2025-09-05T02:29:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@gplans](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gplans)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 2:29am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/1 "2025-09-05T02:29:17Z")
I use Mp3tag to look up my audiobooks and tag them. I then put them in Plex. Plex does not read the Originally Available from the Mp3tag correctly. Does anyone know how I can map this correctly so that Plex will see this date.
I need clear instruction as I am unsure if I should make the changes in the File list or Tag Panel sections and how I should be naming them. Thanks
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 6:06am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/2 "2025-09-05T06:06:12Z")
If you have a file that show the proper data in your player, then load that into MP3tag and open the extended tags dialogue.
In that dialogue, you will find a list of fields.
Use that field name that contains the required data for "originally available" to define further elements in the tag panel and the file list.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 8:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/3 "2025-09-05T08:08:59Z")
I think it depends on the scanner and agent you've configured to use for your library. If you use the default **Plex Music** scanner and agent at **Settings → Libraries → Edit Library... → Advanced** and enable **Prefer local metadata** , it should use the `YEAR` field.
If you set it to year only, e.g., `2021` it'll use `2021-01-01`. If you use a date, e.g, `2021-05-28`, this will be used directly.
Some audiobook libraries on Plex are using different scanners and agents, e.g., **Plex Music Scanner** in combination with the **Audnexus Agent**. In this case, the metadata is often automatically retrieved via the respective APIs. The existing metadata is only used to decide which record matches best — if there are multiple, **Fix Match** from the **...** menu can be used to correct a mismatched audiobook.
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### Author:  [@gplans](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gplans)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/4 "2025-09-05T16:00:15Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> enable **Prefer local metadata**
I used the Plex enable Prefer local metadata. The year comes in correctly, but the month and day are not correct. These I need as a lot of books are put in a series order that help to organize them. Is there a way to fix this in the Tag Panel and have it look up the correct date automatically?
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### Author:  [@gplans](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gplans)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/5 "2025-09-05T16:01:28Z")
This looks like a book fix but not a fix that will fix the problem. Am I correct?
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 4:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/6 "2025-09-05T16:11:47Z")
> [@gplans](#):
>
> This looks like a book fix
I don't understand what that means.
As you may see from @Florian's description it is an interaction of the existing local metadata and the player's settings.
You would probably have to decide which way should have priority.
If you decide that the local metadata is to be prioritized, then determine which format your player likes so that it shows the data in the way you want it.
The easiest way to find the correct format would be to check the extended tags dialogue for a file that looks ok in the player and then use the found data format in future files.
> [@gplans](#):
>
> and have it look up the correct date automatically?
There is no way to make MP3tag any missing the data automatically.
Please note, that by standard, the field YEAR has only 4 digits. It could be, though, that your player does not follow the standard too strictly.
If you want to have a more exact date, then [RELEASETIME](https://docs.mp3tag.de/mapping/#releasetime) may be a good field for that.
I don't know, though, if your player will show data from this field.
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### Author:  [@gplans](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gplans)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/7 "2025-09-05T17:22:04Z")
Yes, I want Plex to use the local metadata to be prioritized. I am not sure just how to map RELEASETIME date to Plex "Originally Available" Section on the tag listing info when I embed the tag information on the m4b file.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/8 "2025-09-05T17:25:39Z")
Could you please show us the screenshot of a file's extended tags dialogue in which you find the date in a format that you prefer?
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/9 "2025-09-05T18:04:51Z")
> [@gplans](#):
>
> I am not sure just how to map RELEASETIME date to Plex "Originally Available" Section on the tag listing info when I embed the tag information on the m4b file.
As I've written above, I don't think that `RELEASETIME` is used, but `YEAR` is and
> [@Florian](#):
>
> If you set it to year only, e.g., `2021` it'll use `2021-01-01`. If you use a date, e.g, `2021-05-28`, this will be used directly.
Please try it first before doing other experiments with other metadata fields.
I've tried it all this morning, I'm not a Plex user myself, but bought a lifetime pass just to be able to answer questions like yours.
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### Author:  [@gplans](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gplans)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/10 "2025-09-05T19:58:46Z")
I am unsure how to add date, e.g, 2021-05-28, this will be used directly. Here are some screenshots of what I am referring to.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/11 "2025-09-05T20:10:02Z")
Because **Extended Tags** already shows `RELEASETIME` with the full date string `2014-07-01`, you can use **Convert → Tag - Tag** to fill the `YEAR` field using the format string `%RELEASETIME%`
Alternatively, you can edit the `YEAR` field by double-clicking it in **Extended Tags** to enter `2014-07-01`, or by entering this value in the `YEAR` field in the Tag Panel on the left.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/12 "2025-09-05T20:14:23Z")
I would like to add that the definition of the column in the filelist with the name "Originally available" reads the value from year but writes the new data to the field ORIGYEAR - I doubt that this is intended.
"Field" should show %year%.
If a different field is intended to show the original year, then another column should be defined with "Value" and "Field" showing %origyear%.
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### Author:  [@gplans](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gplans)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2025, 10:41pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/13 "2025-09-05T22:41:05Z")
> [@Florian](#):
>
> Convert → Tag - Tag
Does this mean I will need to do an extra step before putting it in my Plex Library? When I did this, the date was correct in my Plex library.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2025, 12:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/14 "2025-09-06T12:57:48Z")
Yes, this step is needed with your current combination of Plex scanner and agent and your already tagged audiobooks.
Currently, I can think of two alternatives:
1. I've just released [audible-api v0.6.2](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/ws-audible-via-api/64347), where I've added a configuration setting to use the full release date for the `YEAR` field. You'd need to install this new version of the Audible via API Tag Source, enable the configration setting, and any future audiobooks tagged via this Tag Source will have the full release date.
1. You can use the **Plex Music Scanner** in combination with the **Audnexus Agent**. In this case, the metadata is automatically retrieved via the respective APIs.
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### Author:  [@gplans](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/gplans)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2025, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/15 "2025-09-06T15:08:11Z")
That’s amazing. Thanks for all your had work!! I wish Plex played better with audiobooks but maybe one day. In the meantime, this program is a great help.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2025, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-plex-originally-available-section/69628/17 "2025-10-06T15:08:24Z")
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