AIMP Playlist Display Template Wrong: How to Fix It

When an AIMP playlist displays the wrong title, includes an unwanted file extension, shows a strange second line, or substitutes unexpected metadata, the problem is usually not the audio file or sound output. Playlist rows are assembled from display templates, metadata tags, filename fallbacks, playlist-specific settings, and the active skin. Internet radio, podcast, cloud, and network entries can add another complication because their metadata may come from a changing stream rather than a local file. The safest solution is to identify which layer controls the incorrect text, test one small change, and stop as soon as the row displays correctly.

1. Confirm the Symptom With a Small Safe Test

Before changing AIMP settings, determine exactly which part of the interface is wrong. A playlist row, playlist group heading, player title area, Windows taskbar text, lock-screen notification, and music library entry can use different formatting rules. A display template that controls one area may have no effect on another.

1.1 Create a Three-Item Test Playlist

Create a temporary playlist and add only three representative items:

• One local file with complete artist and title tags
• One local file with missing or intentionally blank tags
• One affected radio, podcast, cloud, or network entry if applicable

Do not delete the original playlist. The temporary list makes changes easy to observe and prevents sorting, grouping, or cached information from hundreds of tracks from hiding the result.

Write down what is wrong in each row. For example, the first line may show the filename instead of the title, the second line may be blank, or an MP3 extension may appear. Also note whether the same text appears in File Information. This distinction reveals whether the template is wrong or the template is correctly displaying bad or missing source data.

1.2 Compare the Row With File Information

Open File Information for the test track and compare its Title, Artist, Album, Album Artist, filename, and path with the playlist row. If the row says exactly what a tag contains, the template is probably working and the tag needs correction. If File Information contains the desired value but the playlist shows something else, investigate the display template, playlist override, grouping mode, or skin.

Success means you can describe the mismatch precisely, such as “the Title tag is correct, but the first playlist line uses the filename.” Once you know that, stop testing unrelated playback settings.

2. Check the Display Template That Controls Playlist Rows

The most direct AIMP playlist display template wrong fix is to inspect the formatting expression responsible for each row. A template combines literal text with macros representing fields such as title, artist, album, or filename.

2.1 Find the Active Playlist Formatting Setting

On AIMP for Windows, open Preferences and look under the Playlist appearance or formatting options. Exact labels and control placement can differ between skins and releases. If the expected button is not visible beside the playlist search field, inspect the playlist menu, context menu, or Preferences instead. Some skins reposition or hide standard controls.

On Android, open the playlist-related settings and look for playlist entry formatting, primary-line formatting, secondary-line formatting, grouping, or sorting templates. AIMP for Android supports customizable playlist formatting, but the available presentation controls can depend on the active skin.

Do not confuse a display template with a sorting template. Sorting determines row order. Grouping determines section headings. Display formatting determines the text visible inside an individual row.

2.2 Use the Available Macros List

Do not guess macro spelling or copy an expression written for another program. Open the template editor and use its legend, context menu, or available macros list. Select macros from that list whenever possible. This avoids invisible spacing mistakes, unsupported field names, and syntax copied from an older discussion.

For the first test, use a deliberately simple expression containing one known field, such as the Title macro shown by AIMP's editor. Apply the change and inspect the three-item test playlist. If the row now shows only the title, you have confirmed that you are editing the correct template.

Next, add one element at a time. Add the artist macro, check the result, and only then add separators or fallback functions. Testing one macro change at a time makes it clear which field or expression causes the unexpected output.

2.3 Remove an Unwanted Filename Extension

If a row displays “Example Song.mp3” when you want “Example Song,” determine whether the template is using a filename macro. A filename macro may include the extension by design. Use the macro or template function offered by AIMP for removing the file extension rather than editing every filename.

If the extension remains after the template change, check whether the visible line is supplied by a different template, a secondary line, or the active skin. Success means the playlist row loses the extension while the actual file remains unchanged. Stop there unless another visible field is still wrong.

2.4 Check the Secondary Line

A weird second line usually comes from the secondary-line template, not from a duplicate file. It may be configured to show album, artist, folder, format, path, or another metadata field. Clear or simplify the secondary template if you want a one-line playlist. If the setting is already empty but text remains, temporarily switch to a default AIMP skin to determine whether the skin supplies its own layout.

Success means the second line disappears or displays the intended field without affecting playback or the first line.

3. Check Per-Playlist Settings, Grouping, and Playlist State

A global template can be correct while one playlist still looks wrong. This can happen when a playlist has its own appearance, grouping, or view state.

3.1 Compare a New Playlist With the Existing Playlist

Add the same track to a newly created playlist. If the new playlist displays it correctly, the source file and global tag reader are probably fine. Compare the old playlist's display, grouping, sorting, and customization options with the new list.

Look for an option that restores default formatting or makes the playlist inherit global settings. Use that option only on the affected test playlist first. Success means the same track appears identically in both playlists.

3.2 Distinguish Row Formatting From Group Headings

If the row is correct but the heading above several tracks shows only the album, the problem is grouping rather than row formatting. Select the default grouping mode if you want AIMP's configured group template to take effect. A predefined grouping choice can override a custom group expression.

Similarly, changing a sort template will not necessarily change the visible row text. It may rearrange tracks while leaving their displayed titles untouched. Stop changing the row template when the row is correct, even if the group heading still needs separate adjustment.

3.3 Refresh Stale Playlist Entries Carefully

A playlist can retain information gathered when an item was first added. After correcting tags, try the least destructive refresh available, such as rereading file information, refreshing a smart playlist, or removing and re-adding one test item. Do not delete an entire playlist merely to refresh one row.

If re-adding the file fixes the text, refresh or rebuild only the affected playlist after backing it up. Success means the corrected metadata survives an AIMP restart.

4. Verify Tags, Filenames, Ratings, and Artwork Sources

Display templates cannot show metadata that does not exist. When Title or Artist is blank, AIMP may fall back to a filename, URL, stream name, or another available field so the row is not empty.

4.1 Correct Missing or Misassigned Tags

Open AIMP's tag editor or File Information dialog for one affected local file. Verify that the desired song name is in Title, the performer is in Artist, and the release name is in Album. Album Artist is a separate field and can produce different results from Artist on compilations.

Save the correction to one copied or safely backed-up test file. Confirm that the file is writable and that the selected format supports the tag field. Then refresh or re-add it to the test playlist.

Success means the playlist displays the corrected value without requiring a filename-based template. At that point, decide whether you prefer tag-based rows or filename-based rows for the rest of your collection.

4.2 Understand Filename Fallbacks

If an untagged file displays its filename, that is usually a fallback rather than a malfunction. You have two practical choices:

• Add accurate Title and Artist tags to the file
• Build a template that intentionally uses the filename when tags are absent

Use AIMP's available functions and macros list to construct the fallback. Avoid pasting a complex conditional expression before a simple Title-only test works. A malformed condition can produce blank lines or unexpected literal characters.

4.3 Check Rating and Star Display Options

Unexpected stars may represent a rating, an automatically calculated value, or a skin element rather than text generated by the title template. Review the music library and rating display options, including any setting that displays a calculated rating when no manual rating exists.

If the stars disappear after disabling that display option, leave the title template unchanged. If they remain only in one skin, test the default skin. Success means rating symbols match the intended rating state and no longer appear to be part of the song title.

4.4 Separate Artwork Problems From Row Text

Artwork can come from embedded tags, image files in the track folder, a cache, or an online source. Changing artwork settings will not normally correct the textual title in a playlist row. Investigate artwork only if the symptom includes the wrong thumbnail or cover beside an otherwise correct row.

5. Check External Sources and Android Storage Access

Local files provide relatively stable metadata. Radio streams, podcasts, cloud storage, WebDAV, Samba shares, and generated playlists may provide incomplete or changing labels.

5.1 Internet Radio and Podcast Metadata

An internet radio playlist entry can have a fixed station name while the currently playing stream supplies a changing artist and title. The row, player panel, notification, and taskbar may therefore show different text. A playlist template cannot create metadata that the server does not send, and it may not control every system-facing display.

Test the station while it is playing and compare the playlist row with File Information. If the incoming stream title changes but the saved row does not, treat that as a source or interface distinction rather than repeatedly editing the local-file template.

5.2 Cloud, WebDAV, and Samba Entries

For network audio, confirm that AIMP can reconnect to the source and read the file rather than relying on an old playlist label. Verify the address, credentials, share permissions, protocol settings, and filename visibility. Test one file copied locally. If the local copy displays correct tags while the network entry does not, focus on network access, cached metadata, or the remote file's readability.

Do not embed passwords in exported playlists or share diagnostic files containing private server addresses. Success means the remote item remains accessible after restarting AIMP and its row resolves to the expected metadata.

5.3 Android Storage Permissions

On Android, confirm that AIMP retains access to the folder containing the music. Modern Android storage access can be folder-specific, especially for removable storage or folders selected through the system picker. If AIMP can see an old playlist entry but cannot reopen the file, it may be unable to refresh its tags.

Grant access only to the required music folder, then refresh the playlist or rescan that location. Also check battery restrictions if network or smart-playlist synchronization stops in the background. Battery settings are relevant to refresh behavior, but they do not directly rewrite a display template.

Success means the file opens, File Information reads its current tags, and the playlist row remains correct after closing and reopening AIMP.

6. Use AIMP Diagnostic Tools Without Changing Unrelated Settings

Playlist text is generally independent of codec configuration, Windows audio output mode, Bluetooth profile, volume control, and exclusive device access. Those settings matter when sound fails, stutters, or uses the wrong device, but they are poor candidates for a row-formatting problem.

6.1 Rescan the Music Library When the Library Is Stale

If the playlist is correct but the music library shows old text, rescan the relevant library folder or update the affected records. Conversely, if the library is correct but one playlist is wrong, refresh that playlist rather than rescanning the entire collection.

Compare the same track in File Information, the music library, and a new playlist. This comparison identifies the stale component. Success means all three views show the same intended metadata, unless you deliberately configured different templates.

6.2 Review Converter Results Separately

If converted files display the wrong title, inspect the converter's tag-copying or metadata options. Confirm that the destination file contains the expected tags before blaming the playlist. Review the converter log for write errors, unsupported tag operations, inaccessible destinations, or filename-template mistakes.

Convert one short test track to a separate folder. Add the result to a new playlist and inspect File Information. Success means the converted file carries the intended tags and displays correctly without manual repair.

6.3 Temporarily Disable Display-Related Plugins

A plugin that imports metadata, integrates online services, processes playlists, or changes interface behavior can affect what you see. Disable only one relevant plugin at a time, restart AIMP, and retest the small playlist. Do not disable security software or remove unrelated audio components.

If disabling a plugin fixes the rows, check for an updated compatible release or adjust that plugin's metadata settings. If nothing changes, re-enable it and continue. This preserves a clear record of what was tested.

6.4 Test the Default Skin

Switch temporarily to an official default skin. A custom skin can place formatting controls differently, omit a secondary line, add rating indicators, or present fields in a layout that resembles a template error.

If the default skin displays the row correctly, the underlying tags and playlist template are likely valid. Update or reconfigure the custom skin instead of reinstalling AIMP. Success means you can reproduce the correct result consistently with the default skin.

7. Run a Clean Temporary Test Before Reinstalling

Reinstallation is rarely the best first response to an AIMP playlist display template wrong symptom because settings and profile data may remain in place. A clean, reversible test provides more useful evidence.

7.1 Use a Temporary Playlist and Minimal Template

1. Create a new empty playlist.
2. Add one correctly tagged local file.
3. Select the default skin.
4. Set the row template to one Title macro selected from AIMP's macros list.
5. Disable grouping for the test or select the default grouping mode.
6. Apply the setting and restart AIMP once.

If the row displays the Title tag correctly, add the Artist macro and then the desired separator. Add the second line only after the first line works. This controlled sequence is safer than changing several templates, plugins, and library settings simultaneously.

7.2 Use a Clean Profile Only When Necessary

If even the minimal test fails, back up AIMP's settings and playlists before trying a temporary clean profile or portable test installation where supported. Do not overwrite the existing profile. Add one local test file and check the default formatting.

If the clean environment works, the cause is likely in the existing profile, skin, plugin, or playlist state. Restore or recreate only the relevant setting. If the clean environment shows the same problem, verify the file's tags and confirm that you are evaluating the playlist row rather than another interface area.

Stop changing settings as soon as the minimal test displays the expected title and the correction survives a restart.

8. Quick Fix Checklist

• Confirm that the incorrect text is inside a playlist row
• Test one local file with known Title and Artist tags
• Open File Information and compare source metadata with the row
• Locate the playlist appearance or entry-formatting template
• Select macros from AIMP's available macros list
• Test one Title macro before building a complex expression
• Check the secondary-line template for unexpected extra text
• Use an extension-removal function if filename output includes .mp3 or another suffix
• Compare the affected playlist with a new temporary playlist
• Check for per-playlist formatting, grouping, or sorting overrides
• Correct missing tags or accept the intentional filename fallback
• Review rating and calculated-star display options separately
• Refresh only the stale playlist or music library location
• Test the official default skin
• Verify Android folder access or network credentials when tags cannot be reread
• Use a clean temporary profile before reinstalling or deleting playlists

9. Frequently Asked Questions

9.1 Why Does AIMP Show the Filename Instead of the Song Title?

The Title tag may be empty, unreadable, or excluded from the active display template. Open File Information to verify the tag. If Title is blank, add a valid title or intentionally use a filename-based fallback. If Title is present, simplify the row template to the Title macro and test again.

9.2 How Do I Remove .mp3 From an AIMP Playlist Row?

Check whether the display template uses a filename macro that includes the extension. Use the extension-removal function available in AIMP's template editor, or use a suitable field that does not contain the suffix. This changes only the displayed text, not the physical filename.

9.3 Why Is There a Strange Second Line Under Every Track?

The secondary-line template may be configured to show an album, folder, path, format, or another field. Clear or simplify that template. If the line remains, switch temporarily to the default skin because the active skin may control the two-line layout.

9.4 Why Does Changing the Template Not Affect One Playlist?

That playlist may have its own display state, use a predefined grouping mode, or contain stale cached information. Add the same track to a new playlist. If the new list is correct, reset the affected playlist to default formatting or refresh its entries after creating a backup.

9.5 Are Unexpected Stars Caused by the Title Template?

Usually not. Stars can come from rating columns, calculated-rating options, music library data, or the skin. Review rating display settings and compare the result with the default skin before editing title macros.

9.6 Should I Reinstall AIMP to Fix Playlist Formatting?

Not initially. Test a minimal template, new playlist, default skin, and one known-good file first. If necessary, use a backed-up temporary clean profile. Reinstalling may not help when the problematic template or playlist state remains in the user profile.