How do I rename a music file on Android?
There are many reasons why you may want to rename a music file on your Android device. Some common reasons include:
To organize your music library – Renaming files with a consistent naming convention (e.g. “Artist – Song Title”) can help keep your music collection organized and easier to navigate.
Fix mislabeled song information – Sometimes music files may not have the correct metadata, like the artist name or song title. Renaming the file allows you to manually fix this.
Remove special characters – Certain special characters like <, >, :, “, /, \ in filenames can cause issues. Renaming the file lets you remove these.
Shorten overly long names – Music services may encode extra details in default filenames that make them excessively long. Renaming can shorten them for simplicity.
Personalize filenames – You may want to customize filenames to suit your personal organization system.
Fix misspellings – Incorrectly spelled words in filenames can prevent songs from showing up correctly. Renaming fixes typos.
By renaming music files on your Android device, you can organize your library, fix metadata issues, simplify names, and personalize your collection.
Locate the File
To get started renaming a music file on your Android device, you first need to locate the file within your Music app. Here are the steps to find the song file you want to rename:
1. Open the Music app on your Android device. The Music app may be named something slightly different depending on your specific device, but there is usually a default music player app pre-installed.
2. Navigate to the song file you want to rename. You can scroll through your playlists or albums to find it. Use the search bar at the top of the app if you know the song name but don’t see it.
Once you have located the specific song file, you can then hold down on the file name to bring up the rename option.
Long Press the File
The next step is to long press on the song title that you want to rename. To do this, tap and hold your finger on the song title for 2-3 seconds. This will bring up a menu with options for that particular song file.
According to WikiHow, when you long press on a song title in your Android music library, a menu will pop up with options like Play, Add to playlist, Delete, and Rename.
So after locating the song you want to rename in your music library, simply long press the song title. You should see a menu appear with various options for actions you can take on that file.
Select Rename
Once you have located the file and long pressed on it, a menu will appear. In the menu, choose the “Rename” option to select it. This can usually be found near the bottom of the menu. According to wikiHow, the Rename option is typically represented by a pen or edit icon.
Selecting the Rename option will allow you to change the current name of the file to something new. After choosing Rename, you will be prompted to enter a new name for the file.
Enter New Name
After selecting the Rename option, you will be prompted to type the new name for the song file. This is your opportunity to provide a descriptive, organized name for the track.
It is best practice to name song files according to a convention that identifies the song title, artist, and album. For example: Artist Name – Song Title. You may also wish to include the track number, year of release, or other details.
Keep the file name concise, but unique enough to differentiate it from other songs. Avoid using vague names like “Track 1” or overly long names. Standardize the formatting and punctuation used in the file names for consistency.
The new file name you enter will replace the existing name entirely. Take care to type it correctly. The rename operation will apply the new name right away after you hit enter or tap the checkmark to confirm.
Using clear, organized naming conventions for your music files will make them easier to find and sort through later. It also ensures compatibility with music apps and libraries.
Save Changes
Once you have entered the new name for the file, you need to save the changes you made. On Android, simply hit the enter key on your keyboard or tap outside of the text field to save the new name. This will commit the change and rename the file.
Android will automatically save the new file name without any additional confirmation prompts. So be sure you have entered the name correctly before hitting enter or clicking out of the field.
According to this StackOverflow post, there are limited options for controlling the save behavior in Android. The system will save any changes once you commit them.
Alternate Methods
There are a couple other ways you can rename music files on your Android device besides using the built-in method mentioned above.
Using a File Manager App
Many third-party file manager apps on the Google Play Store allow you to easily rename files. For example, apps like ES File Explorer, X-plore File Manager, and MiXplorer all have rename functions. You can install one of these apps, grant it the necessary permissions, browse to your music file, long press it, choose the rename option, and enter a new name just like with the standard Files app.
Some users may find third-party file managers more fully-featured for renaming and organizing files. Popular file manager apps often provide more options and ways to batch rename multiple files at once.
See https://www.androidcentral.com/best-file-managers-android for some top file manager recommendations.
Connecting to a Computer
You can also rename music files on your Android device by connecting it to a computer with a USB cable. Once connected, open the music folder on your phone using your computer’s file explorer. You can then rename files and folders directly from your computer just like you would with any other files.
This may be easier if you need to rename large batches of files at once. Some find it more convenient to rename files using their computer’s keyboard and file management tools.
Organizing Music Files
Properly organizing your music library is crucial for easy access and management of your files. The two main ways to organize music are through folder structure and metadata tagging.
When organizing into folders, it’s recommended to create a top-level “Music” folder, with subfolders for each artist, album, or genre. For example:
- Music
- Rock
- Jazz
- The Beatles
- Abbey Road
- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
This allows you to browse your music by genre, artist, or album. Consistently naming and structuring your folders makes searching easier.
Adding metadata tags is also important, as this enables searching by title, artist, album, genre, year, etc. Apps like MusicBrainz Picard make tagging easy by looking up and attaching the correct metadata to untagged files.
Combining folders and metadata provides optimal organization and management for large music collections. Keeping your library tidy will help you find and enjoy your music.
Potential Issues
When renaming music files on Android, there are a couple common issues to be aware of:
Handling duplicate names:
You may run into a situation where you try to rename a file, but Android warns you that a file with that name already exists. To handle this:
- Add a number, letter or other modifier to the end of the new file name before saving (e.g. Song Title(1).mp3)
- Search your music folder to find where the duplicate name exists, and rename that file first before renaming your current file.
Dealing with missing album art:
Sometimes when renaming files, the album artwork becomes detached or goes missing. To fix this:
- Use a metadata editor app to re-embed the album art into the music file’s metadata after renaming.
- Manually re-add the album art image file to the folder containing your renamed music files.
Proper organization and planning when renaming multiple files can help avoid these issues. Additionally, using a dedicated music metadata editor app provides more control than just renaming through your file browser.
Conclusion
To summarize, renaming a music file on Android is a simple process that only takes a few taps. By locating the file, long pressing on it, selecting the rename option, and entering a new name, you can easily change the name of any music file. This can provide benefits like easier organization and search of your music library. By giving music files descriptive names, you make them easier to identify at a glance. Renaming can also help group similar music together through naming conventions like including the genre or release year. While changing a file name does not alter the actual music contents, it can vastly improve your ability to sort, browse and select songs from your Android device. Just be sure not to rename files too frequently, as this can break links that apps or playlists may have to that music. But occasional judicious renaming helps keep your library neat and navigable.