numbering title tag

[Terry W]

I want to append a 3-digit number prefix on each Title tag (my car's mp3 player plays the files of a folder sorted by Title tag only), e.g. title 1, some other title 2, any old title 3 would become: 001 title 1, 002 some other title 2, 003 any old title 3

Is there a (hopefully easy) way to do this using Kid3?

[Urs Fleisch]

Use %{track.3} instead of %{track}.

[Terry W]

Wow, thanks for the very quick response! but, I am new to using Kid3 so can you provide a more complete description of how to do this? Also, I do not want to use the info from the Track Tag, I want to just use absolute numbering starting with 001 and continuing through nnn independent of what is in the Track Tag field.

[Urs Fleisch]

The format used to create file names from tags is in the line edit labeled "Format: <arrow up="">". It contains "%{track} %{title}" by default. You have to change this to "%{track.3} %{title}" in order to have 3 digits in the track when clicking the "From Tag 1" or "From Tag 2" button at the right side of the line edit.

Generating track numbers in the file name without using a tag value is only possible using Export to clipboard using a custom format with "%{title}" and then importing from clipboard using the "Title" format. But this seems to be a bit complicated. You would better use Tools/Number Tracks and then use the values in the track tag frame to set the file names using the procedure described above. If you do not want to keep the track tag, you could delete it afterwards.

[Terry W]

thanks again; the Tools/Number tracks approach is fine to make the track tags have the correct values (i.e. 001 - nnn); however, I still don't fully understand the other part of your response as I am not trying to change the filenames to have the nnn in them, but the Title Tag field itself since this is what the player sorts on to determine play order. The filenames can be whatever they currently are and not affect the play order. So, for example:

song1.mp3 has Title Tag Field: Title 1
song2.mp3 has Title Tag Field: Some Other Title 2
song3.mp3 has Title Tag Field: Any Old Title 3

even though the filenames are named in order, the player sorts and plays using the Title Tag field, so will play the 3 songs in reverse order, so I need these to be:

song1.mp3 Title Tag Field: 001 Title 1
song2.mp3 Title Tag Field: 002 Some Other Title 2
song3.mp3 Title Tag Field: 003 Any Old Title 3

FWIW - I can see that export can be used to create an external list of title tags by simply selecting all tracks and then exporting with a format of:

%{track.3} %{title}

then the clipboard will have the correct data for the title tags,but I don't understand how IMPORT works, so don't see how to import that data back into the TITLE tag field. Maybe I need to export a second field that can be used to match on? or something?

[Urs Fleisch]

Sorry for being so slow on the uptake, the subject "numbering title tag" should say it all.

Select File/Import..., From Tags, Select "Track Number to Title" as "Format", then change "%{track}" to "%{track.3}", and finally click "Apply". To use it later again, you could click "Save Settings". Then "Close" and "OK" and you have the 3-digit track numbers in the title.

[Terry W]

Thanks so much! That works fine (as long as the tracks have the sequential numbering as produced by the number tracks tool)!