How to properly rename those movie files using FileBot#

⚠️💵 Warning : FileBot is a great peace of software, but it's not free (6 USD a year). You can download and try it for free, but you will need a license to actually rename your files. But it's worth it because there is no other software that can easily detect and rename your movie files as this one. But if you do know a free (or even better an open source) alternative, please tell me !

What is FileBot#

FileBot can help you turning this filename :

robocop.mp4

Into this filename :

RoboCop (1987, Paul Verhoeven, US, Action, 7.283) x264 1080p.mp4

But you can choose much more informations (like the main actors, the movie's spoken language, audio codec, container format, etc.). And you can use FileBot to rename TV Series as well. See the "getting started" page from their website.

How to use it#

There is a nice FAQ on the FileBot forum, but here is a quick start :

Simply drag & drop the movies you want to rename to the left screen panel (original files).
Click on the "Match" button.
On the list, as a DB provider, choose "Movie Mode" > "TheMovieDB" (works in most of the case)
The new name will be previewed in the right screen panel (new names).

The default new name is quite timorous. See the next chapter here to get a more talkative one.

My preset#

There are millions way to rename files using FileBot. Here is my setup :

Right click on one of the panel and open "Preferences".
Choose your language, that will help getting the movie's title information in your language.
Click on OK.
Now right click again on one of the panel and open "Edit Format"

In the input field, replace the default preset by this one :

{primaryTitle.colon('-')}{ n.lower().replaceAll(/[\W]/, "") != primaryTitle.lower().replaceAll(/[\W]/, "") ? ' ('+n.colon('-')+') ' : '' } ({y}, {director}, {country}, {genre}, {rating}) {vc} {vf} {audioLanguages}

Click on "Use Format".

Done !

This would allow you to rename things like :

alice.in.wonderland.mp4

into :

Alice in Wonderland (Alice au pays des merveilles) (1951, Hamilton Luske, US, Animation, 7.2) x264 1080p [eng].mp4

On this previous example I do have a french title, because I do have chosen the french language in the Preferences.

Default FileBot preset#

Just putting here the default FileBot format :

{n.colon(' - ')} ({y}){' CD'+pi}{subt}

Credits#

The "Cinema Seats" photography is from Mark Lorch, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.