# Would this be an acceptable way to tag tracks with multiple artists?

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [December 8, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083 "2020-12-08T20:56:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![swept1](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@swept1](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/swept1)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083/1 "2020-12-08T20:56:14Z")

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Say we have the song:

**Artist1 - Song1 (feat. Artist2)**

Would it be frowned upon if I wanted to tag it like this?

_ARTIST = Artist1_  
_ARTISTS = Artist; Artist2_  
_TITLE = Song1_

Another ex:

**Artist1 - Song2 (feat. Artist2 & Artist 3)**

_ARTIST = Artist1_  
_ARTISTS = Artist; Artist2; Artist3_  
_TITLE = Song2_

**Artist1 & Artist2 - Song3 (feat. Artist 3)**

_ARTIST = Artist1; Artist2_  
_ARTISTS = Artist; Artist2; Artist3_  
_TITLE = Song3_

effectively using ARTIST for main artists and ARTISTS for _all_ artists? Is ARTISTS a standard tag? Could have sworn I've seen it before.

Keep in mind I am _not_ utilizing multi-value tags with \\, I am using a _single_ tag with a semicolon. So the tags are quite literally "Artist1; Artist2" etc, not multiple of the same tag

I am considering this approach because I am trying to _ **distinguish main artists from featured artists** _, and was wondering if this is a potential solution.

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### 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: [December 8, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083/2 "2020-12-08T21:00:50Z")

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> [@swept1](#):
>
> Is ARTISTS a standard tag?

No. It's user-defined. So not a lot of players can show it.  
See the help on supported fields:

> **[Tag Field Mappings – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/mapping/)**
>
> Overview of all available tag fields, their names in Mp3tag, and how they are mapped to the internal structures of the different tag formats. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![swept1](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@swept1](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/swept1)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083/3 "2020-12-08T23:41:41Z")

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i wrote my own player, so i can easily support any tags. im just wondering

- is using ARTISTS deviating too far away from the standard?

- is this a reasonable way to handle differentiating main & featured artists? if not, what would be better?

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### Author: ![vilsen](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/v/e95f7d/32.png) [@vilsen](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/vilsen)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083/4 "2020-12-09T01:13:05Z")

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> [@swept1](#):
>
> I am trying to distinguish main artists from featured artists

Since you seem to prefer standard tags: It's very common to use ALBUMARTIST for the main artist and ARTIST for the main and the featured artists.

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![swept1](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@swept1](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/swept1)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083/5 "2020-12-09T01:41:32Z")

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this doesnt cover every case. ex:

- Juice WRLD & The Weeknd - Smile -- on the album Legends Never Die by Juice WRLD.  
\*\* The Weeknd is credited as a main artist, not a featured artist, even though it is on a solo Juice WRLD album.
- Lil Yachty & DaBaby - Oprah's Bank Account (feat. Drake) -- on the album Lil Boat 3 by Lil Yachty.  
\*\* DaBaby is credited as a main artist, not a featured artist, while Drake is credited as a featured artist, taking place on a solo Lil Yachty album.

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### 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: [December 9, 2020, 5:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083/6 "2020-12-09T05:33:22Z")

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> [@swept1](#):
>
> i wrote my own player, so i can easily support any tags

If this is the case then you needn't bother, do whatever you want.  
But if you can use whatever tag field you like - then I would use a tag field that shows with its name somehow what the contents would be, e.g. FEATURED\_ARTIST or MAIN\_ARTIST.  
And for compatibility reasons, so that the tracks can also be treated on other players, fill the fields as suggested in

> [@Would this be an acceptable way to tag tracks with multiple artists?](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/would-this-be-an-acceptable-way-to-tag-tracks-with-multiple-artists/51083/4):
>
> Since you seem to prefer standard tags: It's very common to use ALBUMARTIST for the main artist and ARTIST for the main and the featured artists.
