# Variable Filename to Tags **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [January 14, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/variable-filename-to-tags/16507 "2015-01-14T19:23:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sera](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sera](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sera)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/variable-filename-to-tags/16507/1 "2015-01-14T19:23:21Z")
My filenames have the following pattern: 'artists'[a number of spaces]-[a number of spaces]'title'[a number of spaces]'(album)' The problem is that the title can also be something like "abc (def)" followed by a number of spaces and then "(album)". Examples(with.mp3 ending): Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Moguai, Julian Perretta - Body Talk (Mammoth) (Original Mix) EDX - Everything (Cazzette Remix) EDX- Everything (Cazzette Remix) The obvious thing to try is Filename-\>Tag. So I tried this, but I did not manage to come up with a way to consider the optional second title thing and the variable number of spaces. However, I managed to describe the name with a simple Regex: (.+?)[]_-[]_(.+?[]_(?:(.+))?)[]_(?:((.\*))) $1=artist $2=title $3=album Is there a way to edit multiple tags at once with a regex? ---
**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:** [January 14, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/variable-filename-to-tags/16507/2 "2015-01-14T19:36:48Z")
As long as the pattern of data an separator stay the same, you are fine e.g. artist - album (space-hyphen-space) and artist - album (space-space-hyphen-space-space) it can be split into various fields: use only the single space. You end up for the double-space construction with extra spaces at the end of the artist field and a leading space for the album field. You may then apply a format-value-action with the $trim() command to get rid of these spaces. Or you run 2 "replace" action over the filename that first replace every hyphen-space with space-hyphen-space and then all double-spaces with a single space. Finally you use a "Guess value" action for \_FILENAME with the pattern you would have used in the convert filename-tag-function. ---
**Author:** ![Sera](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sera](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sera)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/variable-filename-to-tags/16507/3 "2015-01-14T20:57:51Z")
The way I understand your solution, is that it only works for every category when seperated by a sign The thing is, it is not always like that. It can be 'artist - title (album)' or 'artist - title (still title) (album)' Brackets are in the filename as written. So the 'still title' part is optional and not actually seperated from the album part. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2015, 5:59am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/variable-filename-to-tags/16507/4 "2015-01-15T05:59:40Z")
> [@Sera](#): > > The way I understand your solution, is that it only works for every category when seperated by a sign > The thing is, it is not always like that. > .. Yes, you have to adapt your masks to the unique separator for each pattern. If it is a different pattern, you have to use a different mask. Or you manipulate the original data in such a way that in the end you have a universal pattern - whatever is easier for you. Even though the action is called "Guess values" it does not do too much guessing but sticks to the supplied masks. ---
**Author:** ![DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/detlevd/32/123_2.png) [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 9:55am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/variable-filename-to-tags/16507/5 "2015-01-15T09:55:42Z")
> [@Sera](#): > > My filenames have the following pattern: ... > The problem is that the title can also be something like "abc (def)" followed by a number of spaces and then "(album)". ... Is there a way to edit multiple tags at once with a regex? **Your situation is ... $1=artist $2=title $3=album Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Moguai, Julian Perretta - Body Talk (Mammoth) (Original Mix) 1------------------------------------------------- 2-------- 3----------------------- EDX - Everything (Cazzette Remix) 1-- 2--------- 3--------------- EDX- Everything (Cazzette Remix) 1-- 2--------- 3--------------- Proposal 1 ... Action Group Action "Format value" Field: ARTIST Formatstring: $regexp(%\_FILENAME%,'^(.+?)\s\*-\s\*(.+?)\s\*(\(.+\))$','$1') Action "Format value" Field: TITLE Formatstring: $regexp(%\_FILENAME%,'^(.+?)\s\*-\s\*(.+?)\s\*(\(.+\))$','$2') Action "Format value" Field: ALBUM Formatstring: $regexp(%\_FILENAME%,'^(.+?)\s\*-\s\*(.+?)\s\*(\(.+\))$','$3') Proposal 2 ... Action "Guess values" Source format: $regexp(%\_FILENAME%,'^(.+?)\s\*-\s\*(.+?)\s\*(\(.+\))$','$1===$2===$3') Guessing Pattern: %ARTIST%===%TITLE%===%ALBUM% To remove round brackets from the tag-field ALBUM, you have to do an additional step.** DD.20150115.1218.CET ---
**Author:** ![Sera](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sera](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sera)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 11:19am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/variable-filename-to-tags/16507/6 "2015-01-16T11:19:38Z")
Ohrenkino, I see what you mean. I decided to go with DetlevD's second proposal as I do not have to rename anything at all. Thanks you both for the help, I really appreciate it. ---
**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, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/variable-filename-to-tags/16507/7 "2026-02-09T12:25:28Z")
Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC