organizing your cd collection or Vinyl

[dova]

Hello: I recently organized my Blue Note cds by themselves in alphabetic order and it worked out rather nice. I'm contemplating doing this with the remainder of my collection by label. I have several thousand cds and the only problem is an artist like art blakey who is on over a half dozen labels will be spread out as opposed to all together like I have it now. Any thoughts on this as additional ideas are appreciated. p.s. I organized my Blue Note vinyl the same way as the cds.

Dova

[Jazz Kat]

I organize mine in years that they came out. But I play my cd's and records so often, it never lasts for long. By the end of the week, they'll be 1000 cd's all over the place, and I have to take the time to do it all over again.

Edited January 18, 2005 by Jazz Kat

[Alexander]

Alphabetical by artist, then chronological by recording date. Everything stays in its place, and I never have any problems.

[scottb]

I separated my Blue Notes a while back but now they are back in the mix. For me I usually do creative filing to fit in my rather disconnected storage space. When I decided to kick rock / pop out of my main shelves, I was able to move Blue Note back in.

In one way, it makes sense for me to keep Blue Notes separate, as its the only label I "collect" but I didn't like Blakey all over the place either.

The solution is simple, multiple copies of disc so there can be a MOANIN' in with the other Art Blakeys as well as in the Blue Note section! Just double your CD budget and that should solve the problem

[mikeweil]

The best way would be sorting after label and number, but then you need a database with an artist index. I consider that, but only when I find the time to type it all down.

Right now my jazz is alphabetical after leader's or group name, with anthologies at the end. Brazilian, Cuban, other Latin, Blues, Soul & Funk, US or GB Pop, German CDs are in separate departments.

My calssical CDs are sorted chronologically after composer's year of birth, with mixed programs slided in at the appropriate time periods. As there are many of the latter, a database would be great ....

[tjobbe]

randomised sorting ... B-) , thats the easiest way to sort, but the hardest to find...

But honestly, I pre-sort by label and style but I normally have a stack of CD's in my listening, room, some in the car, ....etc

Cheers, Tjobbe

[MartyJazz]

Alphabetical by artist, then chronological by recording date. Everything stays in its place, and I never have any problems.

Ditto. That's the easiest way, although when you place Albert Ayler next to Louis Armstrong, it can be a little disconcerting to the jazz knowledgable visitor looking over your collection.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

A good memory will get you quite far in the label/number scheme (which is what I use for jazz). I also file by original issue number - so my Blue Note CDs, for example start with the 10" only stuff, then the 1500 series, then the 4000 series, then the LT, etc. and end with the 1985 and later new issues. It's my belief that filing this way teaches you more about the context of the album - what it's next to is what came out around the same time. You also start to learn the issue numbers somewhat - so I know that 4195 is Maiden Voyage, which follows immediately after Speak No Evil. 4175 is Empyrean Isles.

I admit I do have a database - I try to use it to ensure that I don't re-buy things.

Mike

[AllenLowe]

I sort by eye color - within that, by SAT scores -

Edited January 18, 2005 by AllenLowe

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Allen -

Are you going by actual SAT score received, or have you adjusted earlier scores to align with the recent recalibration that they did on the test? Do you take highest score for multiple attempts or do you average them?

Mike

[AllenLowe]

well, I do account for cultural bias -

[Jazz Kat]

Well I don't have to worry about sorting different musical styles. All I got is jazz albums. But anyway, unless you're a DJ or someone that needs their cd's real quick, what's the point. So when your friends come over , they can say, "wow, u took the time to alphabetize all your cds?" Or you're hoping to be on Jazz Pads, and when you show, to the camera your cd collection, you want them to look neat?

[Claude]

By artist and then the artists by musical style or origin. Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard are next to Art Blakey. Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong not far from each other.

But due to the increasing size of my collection, or my age I have more and more problems to find CDs fast, so I may switch to alphabetical organization soon.

Edited January 18, 2005 by Claude

[Chuck Nessa]

i sort all my recordings (78, 45, 33, cassettes, reel to reel, cds, master tapes) by dominant color - starting with the pastels.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Dominant color of the spine or the front cover? (I assume you have spines facing out.) Or do you mean color of the actual media (Fantasy red vinyl)? In which case, do you eventually refile those defective CDs which are becoming brown? Or is it the dominant color of what you see with closed eyes when you listen...........

Mike

[Chuck Nessa]

Dominant color of the spine or the front cover? (I assume you have spines facing out.) Or do you mean color of the actual media (Fantasy red vinyl)? In which case, do you eventually refile those defective CDs which are becoming brown? Or is it the dominant color of what you see with closed eyes when you listen...........

Mike

Front cover, man, the cover! Get with it! That sets the mood for the music. That's the important stuff. You can absorb the "little shit" later, like the thin orange stripes on Benson's Breezin'!

[BruceH]

Alphabetical by artist, then chronological by recording date. Everything stays in its place, and I never have any problems.

Same here.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Thin orange stripes? I thought it was more thin white lines........

[Brad]

I organize it alphabetically and also keep an alpha list of everything I buy. I think that's important so you what you have.

[Ron S]

i sort all my recordings (78, 45, 33, cassettes, reel to reel, cds, master tapes) by dominant color - starting with the pastels.

Any collector worth his salt SHOULD know that primary colors ALWAYS go BEFORE the pastels.

[Chuck Nessa]

i sort all my recordings (78, 45, 33, cassettes, reel to reel, cds, master tapes) by dominant color - starting with the pastels.

Any collector worth his salt SHOULD know that primary colors ALWAYS go BEFORE the pastels.

Ya' gotta build to those suckers pal.

You another Republican?

[Ron S]

You another Republican?

Are you kidding??? I'm in the Bluest city in a Blue State--and glad to be here!

[wolff]

A good memory will get you quite far in the label/number scheme (which is what I use for jazz). I also file by original issue number - so my Blue Note CDs, for example start with the 10" only stuff, then the 1500 series, then the 4000 series, then the LT, etc. and end with the 1985 and later new issues. It's my belief that filing this way teaches you more about the context of the album - what it's next to is what came out around the same time. You also start to learn the issue numbers somewhat - so I know that 4195 is Maiden Voyage, which follows immediately after Speak No Evil. 4175 is Empyrean Isles.

I admit I do have a database - I try to use it to ensure that I don't re-buy things.

Mike

This precisely how I do it.

[MartyJazz]

I admit I do have a database - I try to use it to ensure that I don't re-buy things.

Mike

I have a database too. But how does that help you when you're out and about and you see a CD that you may want to buy? Do you carry a printout with you?

[Michael Fitzgerald]

No - as the two duplicate LPs from my last shopping trip sitting here next to me prove. The system works better for online shopping.

Mike