When you have a compilation, and you
check "compilation"
leave album artist blank (because it's a compilation)
iTunes won't offer up the artist as an artist. Sure, they are findable by search, but there not displayed in "artists".
Is this a "sorting" issue?
Is there a fix?
"Compilations" is not an "artist" (see image)
MacBook Pro, iOS 11.2.1, + iTunes + Apple TV
The behaviour of iTunes with respect to which artists are listed can be dependent on the settings of View > Column Browser > Group Compilations and View > Column Browser > Use Album Artists. The settings can only be altered while in the Songs or other list based views, but may affect other modes of display. You may need to close iTunes and reopen for the full effect of the change to manifest. iTunes may also behave inconsistently from one build to the next. That said an artist will usually show in the Artists list if there is at least one non-compilation track by them. See also Grouping tracks into albums.
tt2
iTunes not recognising and sorting artists when they're not "album artist"
