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Rename files and folders

Build a two-disc folder layout from tags, review the complete destinations, then rename a small practice selection. This lesson takes about 15 minutes. The audio extension is retained and the tag values remain unchanged.

  • Two copied audio files in one writable practice folder.
  • Pending edits saved or discarded.
  • Both files: ARTIST = Juniper Vale, ALBUM = Harbour Lights.
  • First file: TITLE = Paper Boats, TRACK = 1, DISCNUMBER = 1.
  • Second file: TITLE = North Pier, TRACK = 1, DISCNUMBER = 2.
  • Original copies kept outside the folder being reorganized.

Select both files after checking their tags in Extended tags… (Alt+T; Alt is ⌥ Option on a Mac). Their current filenames can be different from their titles; this converter will read the tags.

1. Preview a filename before adding folders

Choose Convert → Tag → Filename… (Alt+1), and enter:

$num(%track%,2) - %title%

Choose Preview. For MP3 copies, expect 01 - Paper Boats.mp3 and 01 - North Pier.mp3. For another audio extension, that extension remains instead. Do not apply yet; first build the intended folder layout.

$num reads the track number and pads it to at least two digits. %title% supplies each title. The fixed - keeps its two spaces.

2. Add an album folder

Change the expression to:

%album%\$num(%track%,2) - %title%

Run Preview again. The album part before the backslash becomes a folder:

Harbour Lights/01 - Paper Boats.mp3
Harbour Lights/01 - North Pier.mp3

Backslashes in the format string separate folders on macOS, Windows and Linux. The preview can display platform-native path separators. This relative destination is under each source file's current containing folder.

3. Keep disc numbers in the path

Both tracks start at 1 because they belong to different discs. Add a disc folder so the layout retains that information:

%album%\CD$num(%discnumber%,1)\$num(%track%,2) - %title%

Run Preview. For the two MP3 practice files, the final relative paths are:

Harbour Lights/CD1/01 - Paper Boats.mp3
Harbour Lights/CD2/01 - North Pier.mp3

Read the expression in order:

Piece Role
%album% Name the album folder
\ Start the next path component
CD$num(%discnumber%,1) Build CD1 or CD2 from the disc tag
\ Begin the filename inside that disc folder
$num(%track%,2) - %title% Build the filename stem

Do not use this fixed CD… piece on files with missing disc tags: the numeric function would produce CD0. Choose a selection with known disc tags, or deliberately design an optional folder rule afterward.

4. Check the safety rules

Before applying, verify each destination:

  • The root is correct. A relative path stays under the source folder. If the selection spans several source folders, they do not automatically converge on one archive root. An absolute expression is needed for that.
  • Every destination is distinct. Track 01 titled Intro can occur on more than one disc. Keep enough album/disc/title information to avoid two inputs producing the same destination.
  • Tag values are usable. Missing album or title fields can produce incomplete names. A valid expression is not proof that every source tag was filled correctly.
  • Existing files are accounted for. A preview does not reserve a destination forever; a new collision or changed source can block applying.

Literal separators in the expression create folders. A slash or backslash coming from a tag value is treated as part of a name and uses the configured replacement, initially _. For example, an artist value Kofi/Mira becomes the component Kofi_Mira under the default setting; it does not create two artist folders. Other forbidden characters from values become underscores.

5. Apply the reviewed plan

When the final preview is correct, choose Apply to … files. The files are renamed or moved immediately. There is no second Save tags step. Inspect the two disc folders in the file manager and check the operation result for errors.

If a file moved outside the folders currently shown in the file list, Keep moved files determines whether it remains listed. Inspect the destination before assuming a missing row means the file was deleted. Creating the new layout does not promise to remove old empty folders or move unrelated sidecar images and text files with the audio.

6. Practice recovery

Use Edit → Undo (Cmd+Z / Ctrl+Z) in the same desktop session to reverse the recorded rename. Inspect the original paths afterward. Undo can also encounter occupied destinations; keep the untouched copies for recovery beyond that session.

Changing an expression or selection invalidates the preview. Source changes or an expired plan can also require a new preview. Repeating a relative folder format after moving the files may nest the layout again, because the source files now have different containing folders.

What you learned

  • Tag → Filename reads tags and changes paths when applied.
  • Literal separators create folders; separators inside values are replaced.
  • Disc folders retain information that track numbers alone cannot express.
  • Relative paths depend on the current source folder.
  • A reviewed plan still needs successful file operations and inspection.
  • Session undo helps reverse a recorded rename; copies provide longer-term recovery.

Next steps