Sometime when you rip a CD, or otherwise add an album to iTunes, its tracks aren’t correctly grouped together as a single album. It may show as two, three, or more separate albums. If you look at the tags, they are all the same, but somehow, iTunes doesn’t think they belong together.
This is a fairly common problem, and, fortunately, there’s a simple solution.
In iTunes, select all the tracks of the album, then press Command-I (Control-I on Windows). This brings up the Info window for multiple items. You’ll see the album name, artist name, genre, and more.
In this window, change the Artist name. For example, add an x to the end of the artist’s name:
Click OK, and let iTunes change the tags to the tracks.
Select all the tracks again, then remove the x from the artist’s name, and click OK. The tracks should all be grouped together.
If that doesn’t work, do the same thing with the Album Artist tag. In many cases, this field will be empty, but if not, it could cause iTunes to split albums.
If the above don’t work, then the problem is generally caused by the Sorting tags. Select the tracks, press Command-I, and click the Sorting tab.
If you see anything in the Sort As fields for Album, Album Artist, or Artist, delete them and click OK. Your tracks should be grouped correctly.
And if none of the above work, drag the files from iTunes to the desktop, delete them from your iTunes library, and re-add them. That should fix the issue, but you’ll lose metadata such as ratings and play counts.
Yes, true,” fortunately, there’s a simple solution”. Actually four. Because sometimes they don’t work.
Tried all of them, sometimes they do the trick, sometimes not. After deleting and re-uploading all the files 2-3 times in a row, restarting iTunes and verifying all the metadata repeatedly I really wish there was a simple solution.
If you have any files that one of these solutions cannot fix, I’d love to see a few of them.
Yes, true,” fortunately, there’s a simple solution”. Actually four. Because sometimes they don’t work.
Tried all of them, sometimes they do the trick, sometimes not. After deleting and re-uploading all the files 2-3 times in a row, restarting iTunes and verifying all the metadata repeatedly I really wish there was a simple solution.
If you have any files that one of these solutions cannot fix, I’d love to see a few of them.
I haven’t had this problem with music files, but I have had the problem with audiobook files. Your tip worked. FYI in one instance I also had to delete the artwork, then re-add it in order to get the audiobook files to group properly. I used Doug’s Multi-Item Edit script to do this.
I haven’t had this problem with music files, but I have had the problem with audiobook files. Your tip worked. FYI in one instance I also had to delete the artwork, then re-add it in order to get the audiobook files to group properly. I used Doug’s Multi-Item Edit script to do this.
I’ve got another option which I’ve been using for years that always works for me.
Select all the offending tracks, call up the ‘Get Info’ window and tick the Compilation checkbox, then click OK. This should group them together as an album – then you can simply repeat the process and uncheck Compilation and they should stay grouped.
Hope this helps 🙂
Interesting. I’ll try that next time it happens to me. That could be a clue as to what’s going on.
I’ve got another option which I’ve been using for years that always works for me.
Select all the offending tracks, call up the ‘Get Info’ window and tick the Compilation checkbox, then click OK. This should group them together as an album – then you can simply repeat the process and uncheck Compilation and they should stay grouped.
Hope this helps 🙂
Interesting. I’ll try that next time it happens to me. That could be a clue as to what’s going on.
This worked! Thanks you!
Why should I have to do this for manually for each of my scrambled albums (or even go through and inventory which ones are ok and which ones aren’t, and THEN go through and fix each one of them?) when Apple is the one that screwed up by messing with something as simple and basic as a tag that keeps songs from a single album together as default upon import? Albums are often designed to be listened to as complete sets (for instance movie soundtracks and Broadway musicals). I have shoulder issues and CANNOT manually go through all of the clicks needed to fix every track on every album that new versions of iTunes screwed up. Am I alone in being frustrated that Apple did this to iTunes and won’t fix it themselves? Any hope for a future version of iTunes to put my albums back together again?
Why should I have to do this for manually for each of my scrambled albums (or even go through and inventory which ones are ok and which ones aren’t, and THEN go through and fix each one of them?) when Apple is the one that screwed up by messing with something as simple and basic as a tag that keeps songs from a single album together as default upon import? Albums are often designed to be listened to as complete sets (for instance movie soundtracks and Broadway musicals). I have shoulder issues and CANNOT manually go through all of the clicks needed to fix every track on every album that new versions of iTunes screwed up. Am I alone in being frustrated that Apple did this to iTunes and won’t fix it themselves? Any hope for a future version of iTunes to put my albums back together again?
ITUNES REALLY SUCKS NOW!!!!! I have had albums that were fine but now have split on my ipad and on my iPhone. The problem is if the same recordings are found on other albums in the “EFFIN CLOUD” i tunes will decide where they go, and if iTunes does not think it should be where it was it will change it…. IT SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS!
ITUNES REALLY SUCKS NOW!!!!! I have had albums that were fine but now have split on my ipad and on my iPhone. The problem is if the same recordings are found on other albums in the “EFFIN CLOUD” i tunes will decide where they go, and if iTunes does not think it should be where it was it will change it…. IT SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS!
The solution provided worked for me on a number of albums as long as it’s a single artist’s album. However, it can’t work for compilations that have different artists. I have compilation albums where the tracks are split across two albums with the same name. Cannot figure out how to fix this …
Hi Jim
See my solution above re. checking and unchecking the ‘Compilation’ box and see if it works for you (it does for me)
The solution provided worked for me on a number of albums as long as it’s a single artist’s album. However, it can’t work for compilations that have different artists. I have compilation albums where the tracks are split across two albums with the same name. Cannot figure out how to fix this …
Hi Jim
See my solution above re. checking and unchecking the ‘Compilation’ box and see if it works for you (it does for me)
I’m having trouble. My album is split up on my phone, but when I check it on the computer, it’s all together.
I’m having trouble. My album is split up on my phone, but when I check it on the computer, it’s all together.
I am having the same problem as Austin, latest version of iTunes, I can bring the album together on my MBP, but they split up on my iPod Touch 6. Maybe this is why iTunes is getting revamped for iOS 13.
Hi, I’am also calling from 2019, found your post by Google. I just found out, you need to put every album TWICE. No changes in id3tags necessary. On first run, it got split, then you remove it and upload again – now it’s fine!
Hey, it worked for me! Haha, I downloaded the Frozen 2 Deluxe Edition Soundtrack, and it split it in two, so I googled it, found this, and my problem is solved! Thanks!
Thanks for the great tip… A big relief…
It’s August 2020 and iTunes is still doing this splitting thing. C’mon Apple, seriously?!?
How stupid that you have to do all of this. Itunes is horrible.
Thanks Kirk! I tried your ‘x’ trick and it worked. Grateful to have Los Lobos’ “Kiko” in one single album for once!