# Various Artists recognition by Tag\>Filename
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/various-artists-recognition-by-tag-filename/9695
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 12, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/various-artists-recognition-by-tag-filename/9695 "2010-01-12T22:56:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@teratomata](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/teratomata)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/various-artists-recognition-by-tag-filename/9695/1 "2010-01-12T22:56:13Z")
Is it possible to have mp3tag figure out if an album has multiple artists by comparing if the album tag has more than one artist for it? At first I was wondering if it could be done through tag to filename, however I am fairly sure that's not possible, however I don't know if it would be possible for the rest of mp3tag to recognize that. So I am asking, is it possible for mp3tag to consider a chunk of files by their album tag, see if there's only one artist present, and if there is, mark off in some other field 'VA' or whatever. From there I would be able to use the functions in tag to filename.
Thanks for your help, I have been using mp3tag for several years and am still exploring it's endless functions. It is bar none the best.
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2010, 6:16am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/various-artists-recognition-by-tag-filename/9695/2 "2010-01-13T06:16:01Z")
> [@teratomata](#):
>
> Is it possible to have mp3tag figure out if an album has multiple artists by comparing if the album tag has more than one artist for it?
As nice as it sounds, at closer look I would not want such a function - there are so many albums like "The best of" or "The works" - all by individual artists that I would not like to get a "VA" tagging automatically. Or classical music spins around a set of traditional compositions that are interpreted by various orchestras and other artists. They do not deserve to be labelled "VA",
Or if it were done automatically, I would have to revert the action manually.
I am afraid that it comes down to that manual work - but as you have experienced, MP3tag has an awful lot of great features to filter, sort and format fields.
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### Author:  [@JJ\_Johnson](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/JJ_Johnson)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/various-artists-recognition-by-tag-filename/9695/3 "2010-01-13T14:56:23Z")
> [@teratomata](#):
>
> Is it possible to have mp3tag figure out if an album has multiple artists by comparing if the album tag has more than one artist for it?
I can't think of how. Mp3tag actions only operate with individual files.
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### Author:  [@teratomata](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/teratomata)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/various-artists-recognition-by-tag-filename/9695/4 "2010-01-13T20:34:02Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> As nice as it sounds, at closer look I would not want such a function - there are so many albums like "The best of" or "The works" - all by individual artists that I would not like to get a "VA" tagging automatically. Or classical music spins around a set of traditional compositions that are interpreted by various orchestras and other artists. They do not deserve to be labelled "VA",
>
> Or if it were done automatically, I would have to revert the action manually.
>
> I am afraid that it comes down to that manual work - but as you have experienced, MP3tag has an awful lot of great features to filter, sort and format fields.
Aha, I had typed up a full paragraph reply when I realized the solution. I don't need the program to automagically figure out what's VA, I can just label it myself very very quickly just by selecting everything like I normally do and instead of using a different tag\>filename function, just add that special tag and then use a general tag\>filename function! This wouldn't be difficult to do retroactively because I can filter for everything that has VA in the filename and quickly add that tag. Thank you soooo much for such a simple solution!!!
Here's new tag\>filename string:
$iflonger(%origyear%,0,%origyear%,%year%.00.00) $iflonger(%origartist%,0,%origartist%,%artist%) - %album% '['$iflonger(%origalbum%,0,%origalbum% ,)%\_extension%']'\%discnumber%'['$num(%track%,2)']' %artist% - %title%
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/various-artists-recognition-by-tag-filename/9695/5 "2026-02-09T12:22:05Z")