Correct and structured audio filenames greatly facilitate music search and removal of duplicated songs, while proper numbering in names ensures the right order of files during playback.
Tag Editor is ideal for editing and unification of music filenames. Spreadsheet format allows you to check, edit, and automatically standardize multiple filenames in a single table.
Tag Editor allows renaming of MP3 and other audio files in the manual and automatic mode. You can also create new filenames out of any ID3 tags in ANY order with Apple Numbers, Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Renaming in Automatic Mode
Automatic Mode allows creating filenames using the pattern of tags' values, such as Track# - Artist - Title. We recommend batch automatic renaming after verifying corresponding audio metadata, such as Track #, Artist, Title, Album Artist, Album, Year.
To rename in Automatic Mode, follow the steps below:
- Select a single cell, few cells, or entire File Name column.
- Click on the button with three dots to open the Filename Renaming window.
- Choose the components of the new filename and characters that should separate them.
- Click Rename to apply changes.
Suppose you are happy with renaming, press ⌘+S to save it. If you are not, you can undo changes using ⌘+Z keys.
Read More: Loading tags from Path Components >>
Read More: Selection of cells with keyboard shortcuts >>
Renaming in Manual Mode
To change filenames in manual mode, just select cells in the File Name column and modify them as any other audio metadata cells. We recommend using Copy-Paste and Find-Replace functions for speeding up the manual renaming.
Typing in a filename with Tag Editor for Mac
Read More: Batch Tagging >>
Read More: Tagging with Find and Replace >>
Batch Audio Renaming with Tag Editor & Excel
When the standard order of filename components is not sufficient, or there is a need to use some other tags as filename components, the renaming with Excel becomes handy.
To rename with Excel, follow the steps below:
- Select a range of cells in the Tag Editor and Copy-Paste them to Excel.
- In Excel, in the empty column, type the formula for composing a new file name. In the video below, the formula is
= B1 & " - " & C1 & " - " & D1 & " - " & E1. The formula joins cells B1, C1, D1 and E1 by using " - " separators. - In Excel, to automatically populate the filenames in the column, copy the cell with the formula, extend the selection and paste the formula into the selection, as was shown in the video below.
- Select the new filenames in Excel and Copy-Paste them to the Tag Editor.
In a similar way, along with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets or Apple Numbers also can be used for composition.
Generating of Audio File Names from ID3 Metadata with Tag Editor & Apple Numbers
Just use the same formula as for Excel: = B1 & " - " & C1 & " - " & D1 & " - " & E1
Read More: Selection of cells with keyboard shortcuts >>
Read More: Batch Tagging >>
Read More: Tagging with Find and Replace >>
