# How do you organize your digital music files?



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Today I have too many digital music files LOL... so I decided to break it up now.

Purchased iTunes files stays within iTunes
and
Purchased Amazon mp3 files stays within Windows Media Player

this is on my Toshiba laptop with 2 TB hard drive

Ripped iTunes tracks are on my HP laptop with 750 GB hard drive separately.

How do you guys organize your massive library of digital files.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Mine is all in itunes


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

I'm to OCD to let any software organize my files!

Classical and genres bordering on classical is organized as following:

Continent > Nation > Surname + First name > First work on CD
(Collections sorted: Continent > Nation > Major Instrument / Artist / Genre

Popular music is sorted in genres > alphabetically on surname or group.

j.river media center picks this up what ever mp3tags I have OCD' in the correct field when I rip or post edit the files!

/ptr


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

All in iTunes. I have several iTunes libraries though... broken out as styles of music... jazz, classical, opera, country, etc


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## rspader (May 14, 2014)

All in iTunes using Playlists as the main organization scheme sorted by composer then type of piece (symphonies, concertos, sonatas, etc.). It makes it easy to find things on the iPod when sorted by playlist and removes the problem of multiple composers on one disc (when sorted by album - which iTunes already does).


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## jtbell (Oct 4, 2012)

All my stuff is in iTunes. I "repurpose" the Genre field so it identifies the CD (or set) the music comes from: label, catalog number, and a few words of description. The Album field identifies individual works, whether multiple-track/movement works like symphonies or single-track/movement works like tone poems. The Artist field usually identifies the composer. I tack a key performer name on the end of the Album field, to distinguish between different versions of the same work. Example:

Genre: Sony 63151 Dvorak symphonies
Artist: Dvorak, Antonin
Album: Symphony No. 7, Op. 70 (1885) [Szell]
(Track) Name: 1. Allegro maestoso


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Also the best thing about my Toshiba laptop is that I can keep my amazon mp3 and itunes purchases in separate players and then load all those tracks together onto my Android phone music player which combines all albums together .


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## Piwikiwi (Apr 1, 2011)

I don't organize is. Long live the Itunes/spotify search function!


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## Tero (Jun 2, 2012)

Sometimes I send some on an SD card to a frined in Finland. There are two folders on hard drive: sent, received. Backed up to external drive. If I like his CDs, I burn a disc.

Rest are on iTUNES. I don't understand the Windows media thing. I play movies in it.


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## pianississimo (Nov 24, 2014)

I use iTunes and organise loosely by artist. I have folders in iTunes with the artist's name and within that each folder is an album. iTunes keeps trying to lump most ripped CDs in 'various' but I fight back. I then have smart playlists of composers and of artists in iTunes so I can find things more easily.


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## Lord Lance (Nov 4, 2013)

*Renaming/Organzing/Sorting*

Being an organization freak, I spend a lot of time organizing my files.

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File Naming:*​
In a very simple and straight-forward manner.

Standard compositions [Having an Opus/Post. Opus Number]:

<Type> <Key>, <Opus Number> <Title, if any> - <Movement Number; always in Roman numerals>

[Example: Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106 (Große Sonate für das Hammerklavier) - I.Allegro]

If a catalog of the composer's works exists:

<Type> <Key>, <Catalogue Number> - <Movement Number; always in Roman numerals>
[Example: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, D. 944 - III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace]

If a catalog number and opus number exist:

<Type> <Key>, <Catalogue Number>, <Opus Number> - <Movement Number; always in Roman numerals>
[Example: Symphony No. 7 in D minor, B. 141, Op. 70 - IV. Finale. Allegro]

If the catalog has been updated with changed numberings:

<Type> <Key>, <Lastest Catalogue Number> (<Previous Catalog Number>) - <Movement Number; always in Roman numerals>
[Example: Piano Sonata No. 15 in F major, K. 533 (K.494) - I. Allegro]
Notes:

1. For Mozart, I always write K. 555 never K555 or K.555
2. For Schubert I use D. 675 never D675.
3. For Bach - BWV 1075 not BWV1075.
3. Spaces are very important. If I've written "Symphony No.3 in D major (Eroica),Op.55 - Ludwig van Beethoven" I will correct it to "Symphony No. 3 in D major (Eroica), Op. 55 - Ludwig van Beethoven"
4. Only official titles are used. So, titles like Apocalyptic or The Great or The Last are abandoned.
5. Capitals are important. All capitals except preposition or keys [flat, minor & major].
6. Pick up my movement names from Wikipedia/IMSLP
7. For keys with flats, I write it as "B-flat" not "B flat"/"B-Flat"/"B-flat"

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Folder Organization:*​
My Folder (Warlock) > Compositions [Not to be confused with my songs folder.] > Composer > Genre > Conductor & Orchestra > Year (If multiple recordings exist with the same orchestra] and Orchestra [If multiple recordings exist with different orchestra] > File [As described above]

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Final Product:*​
Multiple recordings with multiple orchestras:

Warlock > Compositions > Ludwig van Beethoven > Piano Concertos > Daniel Barenboim > The English Concert > Piano Concerto in D major, Op.61a

Multiple recordings with multiple conductors:

Warlock > Compositions > Ludwig van Beethoven > Piano Concertos > Daniel Barenboim > Otto Klemperer > Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19 - II. Adagio

Multiple recordings by the same conductor with the same orchestra:
Warlock > Compositions > Ludwig van Beethoven > Symphonic Works > Herbert von Karajan > 1983-5 - Berliner Philharmoniker > Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60 - III. Menuetto; Allegro vivace


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Ludwig van Beethoven said:


> Being an organization freak, I spend a lot of time organizing my files.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *
> ...


Wow I am rather impressive? On average how long does it take you to do all of this for each album. I assume that you don't have too many ripped CD's because each one takes effort?


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## Lord Lance (Nov 4, 2013)

Naive one, I haven't spend a dime for my collection. Go figure. The only purchase I made was an impulsive one of Krip's Beethoven's Symphonies' cycle. The interpretations aren't all that bad. Range from good to excellent.

You might find the structure complex but you can always "Ctrl+V" remember? Wikipedia is invaluable at times because of the work's name and movement name. Accuracy is of vital importance. I've added templates to my mind as I've encountered them. The first one was a recent discovery. When I was read the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61's Wikipedia page I read about the transcription and immediately heard it after finishing Beethoven's Violin Concerto. I only have to finish hearing Klemperer/Rubinstein/London Philharmonic Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 before I've listened to all of Barenboim's take on Beethoven's Five Piano Concertos. [For the record, his most recent interpretation was the best one.]

Plus, I'm a moderate typer. Not a fast typer but neither a slow one. In days of my organizing youth [Read: Two years ago] my typing/renaming/organizing pace was laggardly but it improved over time. I'm much more efficacious at it now.

*How far have you reached ripping Richter's discs?*


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Ludwig van Beethoven said:


> Naive one, I haven't spend a dime for my collection. Go figure. The only purchase I made was an impulsive one of Krip's Beethoven's Symphonies' cycle. The interpretations aren't all that bad. Range from good to excellent.
> 
> You might find the structure complex but you can always "Ctrl+V" remember? Wikipedia is invaluable at times because of the work's name and movement name. Accuracy is of vital importance. I've added templates to my mind as I've encountered them. The first one was a recent discovery. When I was read the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61's Wikipedia page I read about the transcription and immediately heard it after finishing Beethoven's Violin Concerto. I only have to finish hearing Klemperer/Rubinstein/London Philharmonic Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 before I've listened to all of Barenboim's take on Beethoven's Five Piano Concertos. [For the record, his most recent interpretation was the best one.]
> 
> ...


I am almost done with ripping the Richter discs in fact. Should have them completed this weekend .


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## Lord Lance (Nov 4, 2013)

albertfallickwang said:


> I am almost done with ripping the Richter discs in fact. Should have them completed this weekend .


*Anxiously* await the uploads, _good friend!_


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