# Artists being combined and won't split **URL:** \ **Category:** Metadata & Adding Files\ **Tags:** server-linux\ **Created:** [February 16, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743 "2022-02-16T17:17:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chucksense](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chucksense/32/666_2.png) [@chucksense](https://forums.plex.tv/u/chucksense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/1 "2022-02-16T17:17:46Z")
Server Version#: 1.25.0.5246 N/A: Metadata issue, happens regardless of player I’m having a confounding time with an artist in my library. I have the following file hierarchy: /music /music/Nas/ /music/Nas/album1 /music/Nas/album2 … and so on for 6 or 7 other albums /music/Nas & Damian \_Jr. Gong\_ Marley/ /music/Nas & Damian \_Jr. Gong\_ Marley/album1 All of my albums by Nas are showing under artist Nas & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley (I want to treat this album as a separate artist). Every time I edit them to separate them via at the Plex UI, they revert to being combined. I’ve checked the underlying ID3 tags of the files, I’ve tried editing every combination of field I can imagine, and nothing seems to work. In the id3 metadata for the duet album, I have both artist and album artist to include both of them. How do I unravel this and get my edits to actually stick? Thank you, -Chuck ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/2 "2022-02-16T17:29:38Z")
I assume the library has been pointed exactly to the folder `/music`, right? Is the checkbox “prefer local metatags” enabled or disabled? (in the properties of your library) This is important, because they might not be separate artists over on [MusicBrainz.org](http://MusicBrainz.org) So if you want to force something deviating to musicbrainz, you better enable this checkbox. But careful: your folder structure and meta tags must be immaculate, or chaos will ensue. > [@chucksense](#): > > In the id3 metadata for the duet album, I have both artist and album artist to include both of them. Which album is that? Where is it stored? In general, make sure that all albums which are stored inside `/music/Nas/` have identical content in their “Album Artist” tags. (And that every track has indeed “Album Artist” meta tags, and not just “Artist” tags.) The same applies to all albums inside of `/music/Nas & Damian _Jr. Gong_ Marley/` In other words: never use a deviating album artist in one of the albums inside one particular “[artist name]” folder. Futhermore, `Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley` must be _one_ artist tag. Not two. Plex unfortunately has no support for multiple artists. ---
**Author:** ![chucksense](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chucksense/32/666_2.png) [@chucksense](https://forums.plex.tv/u/chucksense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:33pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/3 "2022-02-16T17:33:44Z")
> I assume the library has been pointed exactly to the folder `/music` , right? Yes, correct. > Is the checkbox “prefer local metatags” enabled or disabled? Yes and always has been. I’ve been using Plex for over a decade, but my workflow used to involve immaculately curating my metadata in iTunes before going to Plex. I’ve since cut iTunes out of the picture and just use Plex instead. > Which album is that? > Where is it stored? The duet album. The one in the two artists folder of `/music/Nas & Damian _Jr. Gong_ Marley/album1` > [@OttoKerner](#): > > In general, make sure that all albums which are stored inside `/music/Nas/` have identical content in their “Album Artist” tags. > (And that every track has indeed “Album Artist” meta tags, and not just “Artist” tags.) > > The same applies to all albums inside of `/music/Nas & Damian _Jr. Gong_ Marley/` > > In other words: never use a deviating album artist in one of the albums inside one particular “[artist name]” folder. Yes, this is understood and how I have it set up. > [@OttoKerner](#): > > Futhermore, `Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley` must be _one_ artist tag. Not two. Plex unfortunately has no support for multiple artists. Yes, this is understood. Unfortunate, of course, but I’ve read about the architectural challenges inherent to changing this (plug to still please consider how to do so someday!). ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/4 "2022-02-16T17:42:43Z")
> [@chucksense](#): > > Unfortunate, of course, but I’ve read about the architectural challenges inherent to changing this (plug to still please consider how to do so someday!). Actually, I think I know hat is going on: There is no artist named `Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley` on Musicbrainz. So, Plex tries to match the artist to one of the existing artists it has. And that may be (plain) `Nas`. I have also a few collaboration albums which get assigned to one of the artists involved (usually the first one mentioned). So all you can do is decide under which of the artists the album shall appear and change the “album artist” tags accordingly. And hope that multiple artist support will eventually make its way into Plex. ---
**Author:** ![chucksense](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chucksense/32/666_2.png) [@chucksense](https://forums.plex.tv/u/chucksense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:44pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/5 "2022-02-16T17:44:11Z")
Wait, are you telling me there is absolutely no way I can separate this album out? ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/6 "2022-02-16T17:45:17Z")
~~I’m afraid so.~~ I managed to separate the affected duet album by performing “Split” on the album artist. Unfortunately, it copied all information about the artist, so now there is manual editing to do. ---
**Author:** ![chucksense](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chucksense/32/666_2.png) [@chucksense](https://forums.plex.tv/u/chucksense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/7 "2022-02-16T20:08:32Z")
> [@OttoKerner](#): > > I managed to separate the affected duet album by performing “Split” on the album artist. > Unfortunately, it copied all information about the artist, so now there is manual editing to do. That wouldn’t bother me that much, I just care about my artist’s list to be accurate. How do you do this split as you referred to? ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2022, 6:41am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/8 "2022-02-17T06:41:19Z")
As I wrote, by performing Split at the Album Artist level. > **[Merge or Split Items | Plex Support](https://support.plex.tv/articles/201018248-merge-or-split-items/)** > > Merging Items If you have several different versions of the same Movie (maybe a SD and HD version), you can combine them... The Split command is available under this button, but only on artists which combine several “artist” folders in them. ![grafik](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/9/a/4/9a4a0eeda2c32fc71e9f1370edc028909aa17be0.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 6:41am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/artists-being-combined-and-wont-split/776743/9 "2022-05-18T06:41:36Z")
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