There are times when we import photos from our cameras or iDevices, and we dump them in a folder in order to leave them there until we have time to rename them all to something that actually makes sense — you know, instead of a bunch of numbers. Perhaps you just downloaded some music from who knows where and you want to rename those tracks, or maybe you just work with a lot of files throughout the day.
Well, if you are looking for something that’ll take care of that for you with ease, you’ve come to the right place. Better Rename 9 is here to help you with those renaming tasks in a variety of ways. Albeit not free, Better Rename is a great tool to have.
The stuff that matters: Batch Renaming
As a renaming application, batch renaming is perhaps the most paramount function that you want to look out for, and in this department, Better Rename 9 gets the job done with ease. Don’t let that confuse you though, Better Rename 9 can get pretty complex if you want get the most out of it. You have a lot of cool and intricate ways to rename your files depending on a bunch of different factors. From tag-based renaming, to multi-step renaming, you’ll be quite pleased with the renaming power of Better Rename 9.
Multi-Step Renaming
One of the first features to note is the ability to rename files with the multi-step panel. This easy to use multilayer feature lets you add renaming actions on top of each other. So, say you want to rename a few files with the replacing action converting “Sample.mp3″ to “Mymp3.mp3″. Once you’ve done that, simply activate the panel and then add another action to it. If we use the convert to caps action, we can then turn “Mymp3.mp3″ into “MYMP3.mp3″, thus eliminating the need to rename your files over and over again in different instances. You can add as many steps as you wish, so it should be quite helpful.
Tag-Based Renaming
So what happens with those files that contain ID3 or other meta-data tags? Well, Better Rename 9 has your back here, too. You don’t have to get messy with complicated code either. See, when you want to rename an MP3 file from “sample.mp3″ to something like “Artist Name – Song Name.mp3″, all you need to do is change the category to MP3/AAC Music and fill in the fields with simple tags like ” – ” which will render “Artist Name – Song Name.mp3″ for you.
The Looks
While the application doesn’t have an amazingly beautiful UI like some of those sexy applications out there, Better Rename 9 doesn’t quite need it. Sure, it could benefit from it, but it is really to-the-point and there is no harm in that. At least it doesn’t look horrible.
The straight forward nature of the application allows you to rename your files with ease. In the left side you have your actions (and if you open the multi-step panel you’ll have it pop-up in the left as well), while in the right side you will see a list of the files you are about to rename along side a preview of the end result. This gives you the ability to tell exactly what the action you are playing around with will do.
The Cool Extras
Better Rename 9 has a few little extras that can make things even quicker and simpler. These little additions help the overall usability of the product since you can use it with a set-it-and-forget-it mentality.
Presets and droplets are supported in Better Rename 9 and they are amazingly easy to use. If you have a renaming method that you know you will use often, simply save it as a preset and then come back to it later. If you don’t even want to bother with opening the app, you can take care of the renaming silently like a ninja by creating a droplet and using it instead. Simply drag files to that droplet and they will be magically renamed. You can also enable Better Rename service in the Finder so you can rename files with a simple right click.
In order to edit droplets simply close the application then double click the droplet to edit its contents. You can also turn on “silent droplets” in the preferences. That way the app won’t ask you if you are sure about the renaming you’re about to do.
The Verdict
Based on the amount of power, ease of use, flexibility, and the fact that is Mountain Lion ready, it is easy to recommend Better Rename 9 as a great tool for those out there who need to rename a lot of files.
With that said however, the $20 price may scare a few potential buyers away, after all it is only a renaming application. You could easy say that you can change 50 files manually, but think about how long that will take — forget how annoying that could be.
Still, Better Rename 9 is a great and powerful application that those who need to rename a bunch of files in a daily or weekly basis will be glad to spend the money on.