# Why so many Unknown Artists **URL:** \ **Category:** Metadata & Adding Files\ **Tags:** server-linux\ **Created:** [May 5, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649 "2020-05-05T02:31:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jpigato1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jpigato1](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jpigato1)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/1 "2020-05-05T02:31:53Z")
Server Version:1.19.2.2737 Embedded in MyCloudEx2Ultra NAS Player Version#: Hoping someone can explain why I am getting so many Unknown Artists in “Album by Album Artist” view. ![Album Album Artist Unknowns](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/e/b/eb860d31dbc775047940907489288e591f407668.jpeg) I have checked the metadata. It looks just like all my other metadata. In order to correct this I need to Edit the Album as follows: ![Edit DIalogue Box](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/4/b/4b51b9307bf37c6bacf94b49d21041768f5ce99c.jpeg) In each case the Artist field contains “Unknown Artist”. I replace it with the correct name of the artist and it is fixed. What is this all about? I have so many??? ---
**Author:** ![Forkboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/forkboy/32/96773_2.png) [@Forkboy](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Forkboy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 10:46am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/2 "2020-05-05T10:46:47Z")
Can you show us the metadata on the actual file? It seems that the tags are missing something on the files themselves. But I don’t want to assume anything. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2020, 10:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/3 "2020-05-05T10:56:20Z")
Equally important is how your albums are organised into folders and subfolders. Please show that as well. Here is an example how it will work. You can see both file and folder names and the embedded meta tags. Give particular attention to the ‘Album Artist’ meta tags. ![mp3tag_multidisc_album](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/d/9/d99eb616afc401d94c7819b107aea62c024fb0a6.png) ---
**Author:** ![jpigato1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jpigato1](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jpigato1)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 4:01pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/4 "2020-05-05T16:01:36Z")
My Environment: Plex Server Embedded in MyCloudEx2Ultra ![Plex and MyCould](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/e/6/e629817e91341d5f354135a6ee149f72c7605027.jpeg) Example of typical Folder structure: Y:\Phil Collins\>Face Value ![Phil Collins_3](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/1/3/13894f9d787c0c2a12d5d524e7d4eba24ec7be13.png) Example of folder structure with several artists: ![Barbershop Quartet folder](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/b/f/bf126e5b10787308c8a4b3d989366fafeb8c24a5.png) Example metadata Phil Collins\>Face Value: Missing Track 1 ![Phil Collins_2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/f/2/f2ebfc3fe4a6135969d1a44bc37f792d8fbfe76e.png) Example metadata Phil Collins\>Face Value: Track 1 Fixed ![Phil Collins_4](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/0/1/0130168a73485c8cdf3505aab7b65175472af3eb.png) Example Plex View: Phil Collins\>Face Value Unknown Artist ![Phil Collins](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/7/0/70f666947b338c02212cd3153cdcfd772aee5541.jpeg) Example Plex View: Phill Collins\>Face Value in Edit Mode ![Phil Collins_1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/e/f/ef5db46b480b8ec179a0c282544dff223c6a4bdb.jpeg) Example Plex View: Phil Collins\>Face Value Fixed ![Phil Collins_Fixed](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/8/2/82d815ee01ce9ff4a75de0795381f060a5a85561.jpeg) I have now found many of such Unknown Artists. I have been able to fix some but not all, by following procedure. above. Question 1: Would it be easier if I just delete my Plex Library, Clean Bundles, Optimize database, fix the metadata, and then rebuild my library? Question 2: Do I need to do the [Plex Dance](https://forums.plex.tv/t/the-plex-dance/197064) as part of my fix? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![sekthree](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/sekthree/32/20440_2.png) [@sekthree](https://forums.plex.tv/u/sekthree)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/5 "2020-05-05T17:30:27Z")
depending on how all your metadata is… you MIGHT be able to fix just those having issues. after correctly the tags you’ll need to rescan, refresh, empty trash. personally i found [picard](https://forums.plex.tv/t/howto-music-organizing-with-musicbrainz-picard/218734) to work amazingly. ---
**Author:** ![jpigato1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jpigato1](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jpigato1)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/6 "2020-05-05T17:55:06Z")
The errors that I have found are Track 1, Track 2 missing song name. Unknown Artist, Unknown Artist Album, Unknown Genre, Unknown Album. While these are fixable in mp3tag, I have lots of unknown records. Easily 50. But I have done what you suggest on some and they don’t get corrected in the library. But I don’t empty the trash with each one. Could that be an issue? ---
**Author:** ![sekthree](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/sekthree/32/20440_2.png) [@sekthree](https://forums.plex.tv/u/sekthree)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/7 "2020-05-05T18:34:03Z")
for those songs/items that are showing… go to the item, click on the three dots at the far right… then select get info. this will tell you EXACTLY what file is giving you issues. go to that file/item in your folders and verify metadata. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2020, 2:35am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/8 "2020-05-06T02:35:25Z")
I’d move your “mixed artists” out of the library for now. These have to be treated carefully, before you can re-introduce them to your library. They are “Various Artists”/“Sampler”-type of albums. Most important is to set the “Album Artist” meta tag in each track of these albums to an identical content (usually “Various Artists”). Don’t let a single track without or a different content in the Album Artist tag. ---
**Author:** ![jpigato1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jpigato1](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jpigato1)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/9 "2020-05-06T15:16:16Z")
I am editing mixed artists so that the secondary artist is not seen. Doing that by assigning both Artist and Album Artist to the same “main” artist. But I notice that in, mp3tag, the “Filename” includes multiple artists and featured artists. Can I leave the “Filename” as it is? Thanks. I am making progress. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/10 "2020-05-06T17:11:46Z")
No need to change the (track) ‘Artist’. Concentrate on the ‘Album Artist’ tags. If there are empty ‘track number’ and ‘disc number’ tags, fill them (preferably with simple numbers). (disc number only necessary in multi-disc albums) The filenames are rather insignificant, as long as the meta tags are in order. But you must make absolutely sure that all albums (i.e. their tracks) which are stored inside a common ‘AlbumArtist’ _folder_ have also identical ‘Album Artist’ meta tags. ---
**Author:** ![jpigato1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jpigato1](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jpigato1)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/11 "2020-05-06T17:51:46Z")
Otto. Things are moving forward here but I have found a few duplicate albums. The metadata all is in one location and it is accurate as per your instruction. However 1 album will have 18 of 19 available tracks, while the other album has the track that is missing. I have tried matching, refreshing, re-scanning. I am considering moving that album out of the source location, re-scanning to clear the library and then moving it back in etc etc. Will that work? ---
**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:** [May 7, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/12 "2020-05-07T05:06:02Z")
Simply “merge” the albums. > **[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... ---
**Author:** ![jpigato1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jpigato1](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jpigato1)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/13 "2020-05-07T16:34:54Z")
Thank you all. My Library is now how I envisioned to be. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 4:44pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-so-many-unknown-artists/585649/14 "2020-08-05T16:44:45Z")
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