One name, several artists?
When a track brings several artists together, many files store them in a single field, separated by a comma, a slash or “&”. The result: “Chris Brown/Nicki Minaj” shows up as an artist of its own, with its own page, instead of joining each artist’s discography.
Splitting at every separator doesn’t work: “AC/DC”, “Simon & Garfunkel”, “Earth, Wind & Fire” and “Florence + The Machine” are bands, and must stay whole. So each name has to be checked before it is touched.
Unambiguous cases are split during the scan, as before: semicolon, “feat.”, “ft.” and a slash with spaces around it (“A / B”). The check is for names that can be read both ways.
How RustMusic decides
A name is doubtful if it contains a comma, a slash, “&”, “+”, “x”, “and” or “et”. Each one is checked only once, and the decision is remembered:
- 1
The file’s ARTISTS tag
If it exists, it gives the exact list of the track’s artists. It is the most reliable source.
- 2
The whole name on MusicBrainz
If “AC/DC” exists as is in the database, it is a single artist: nothing changes.
- 3
The parts of the name
Otherwise, RustMusic looks for the simplest split where every part is a known artist: “Chris Brown” and “Nicki Minaj”.
- 4
No sure answer
Nothing is changed. The name is set aside under “Your call”, with a suggested split, and you decide.
Only artist names are sent to MusicBrainz: not your files, not your track titles, nothing that identifies you.
Running the check
- 1
Open the settings
Settings → Storage & data, “Check multiple artists” row, “Check” button.
- 2
Follow it live
The window opens right away: the number of names checked, the time left, split names and photos of known artists appear as it goes.
- 3
Or let it run
“Keep going in the background”: you can close the window and the check carries on.
For a single name, use its “…” menu on the artist page: “Is this several artists?” checks it right away.
The summary: undo or decide
At the end, the window turns into a two-part summary:
- Split: each name that was split, with the resulting artists. “Undo” restores the original name, “Undo all” reverts the whole check, and “Split again” goes back on an undo.
- Your call: names without a sure answer. “Split” applies the suggested split, “One artist” keeps the name whole. There is no rush: they wait for your choice.
- A name of exactly 30 characters is flagged “Cut at 30 chars”: it is often an old truncated ID3v1 tag, whose last artist may be incomplete.
You can reopen the summary later from Settings → Storage & data → “Review corrections”.
Check after each scan
Turn on “Check after each scan” in Settings → Storage & data: new doubtful names from your latest additions are checked in the background, and a summary only shows up if something changed.
The ARTISTS tag, the best source
Editors such as MusicBrainz Picard or Mp3tag write an ARTISTS tag that lists each artist separately. RustMusic reads it during the scan: when it is present, the track’s exact list of artists is used as is, with no separator to guess and no online check.
Your files stay untouched
The check never modifies your files: only the links between tracks and artists change in the RustMusic library, and every correction can be undone from the summary.
Frequently asked questions
Will RustMusic split “AC/DC” in two?
No. Before splitting a name, RustMusic checks whether it exists as is, first in the file’s ARTISTS tag, otherwise on MusicBrainz. “AC/DC”, “Simon & Garfunkel” and “Florence + The Machine” stay a single artist.
Are my tags modified?
No. Only the RustMusic library changes: your files stay exactly as they were, and every split can be undone.
What happens without an internet connection?
The check stops after a few network failures; the remaining names will be checked next time. Nothing changes for them in the meantime.
What about names with “feat.”?
They are split during the scan, like the semicolon and the slash with spaces around it: there is no ambiguity to resolve.
What data is sent to MusicBrainz?
Only the artist names to check. No files, no track titles, no personal information.
Every artist in the right place
RustMusic splits duos and keeps bands whole, without touching your files. Free, open source, no account.