Question: How do you file/organize your physical vinyl/cd/video/other music collection?
I file all my music alphabetically by artist/band A-Z regardless of genre, etc.
And then file each artist/band chronologically by release date. Except for live concerts which are then filed by actual show date.

How do you file?

What is that, a physical music collection?

All genres are mixed together, cause its mostly rock and pop. Though Jazz has its own section.

From there, I do it alphabetically A-Z, then each album by release year. Then within there, solo artists from a band go with the band I know them from. For example, Eddie Vedder solo albums go with Pearl Jam, but after all of Pearl Jam's albums. Not like it would be PJ, Eddie Vedder solo, newer PJ, etc. Its all Pearl Jam by release year, then Eddie solo material. That can get controversial with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash all going along with CSN, but that's how I have it. Neil Young has his own section though due to how prolific his solo career is, so its kinda up to however I want to file.

Live albums I've always included with the band chronology, but the year it came out. So Led Zeppelin How The West Was Won comes at the end because even though its from 1972, it came out in 2002. The Song Remains The Same is in 1976, so its placed between Physical Graffiti and Presence, even though by recording date it should go before Physical and after Houses Of The Holy.

I don't think I have any other weird peculiarities. For awhile I did separate other artists I had large catalogues from, like The Beatles, The Stones, etc, but then I put them all back into the main pot because I couldn't remember who I'd separated out, or where I put the new guys lol. Videos have their own separate section, organized alphabetically then by year. Love my physical collection.

Chronological.

Not chronological, nor autobiographical (though the movie 'High Fidelity' makes a fun case for it).

I do it by favorites. Rolling Stones at the top of the shelf followed by band solo albums. Then organized down from there by association. Faces and Jeff Beck Group next to Stones, etc. Indie sections, classic rock sections, jazz, blues, etc...but not chronological even within the various sections of styles/genres....so all in all perhaps hard for others to find things but it all makes musical sense to me

A bit like "flood" above

Over the years you just get used to where things are .

[That said, a few years ago my other half thought it would be fun to list all my albums .

Took her an age, and when I looked at the inventory she'd compiled, there were numerous exclamations of

"... f%^* me ! ... I never knew I had that ! "

Alphabetically regardless of genre etc, then within each artist chronologically

Since YouTube only 2 or tree CD's in my car.

-----

Quote
jigsaw69

Alphabetically regardless of genre etc

'The Rolling Stones' under 'T' or 'Rolling Stones' under 'R' ?

The Beatles could be under 'T' or under 'B'.

'Various Artists' compilations under 'VA' or under the favourite artist's name ?

Quote
Irix

Quote
jigsaw69

Alphabetically regardless of genre etc

'The Rolling Stones' under 'T' or 'Rolling Stones' under 'R' ?

The Beatles could be under 'T' or under 'B'.

'Various Artists' compilations under 'VA' or under the favourite artist's name ?

Definite and indefinite articles should be excluded from sorting. Thus our band is under R and the fabric four under B

Family names are more significant than forename. Eg David Bowie is filed under b

Captain Corella

Don't talk to me about filing

I've worked for organisations who's only rule seemed to be...

"...file under a letter from the same alphabet"

Stones are in a separate section . Others are alphabetical first, then chronologically .
There are some oddities in the way I've grouped them . The first that comes to mind is Neil Young who is under Y , but within the Neil section sorted by release date are albums by C,S,N (& Young) , Steven Still , David Crosby. I know it doesn't quite make sense but it works for me.><


sc uk

Quote
CaptainCorella

Definite and indefinite articles should be excluded from sorting.

Family names are more significant than forename. Eg David Bowie is filed under b

Artists list: 'The Rolling Stones', 'The Beatles' under 'T' - [Bravado.de] , [Platenzaak.nl] . David Bowie under 'D' in both shops, who belong to Universal Music (world's largest record company).

But 'The Rolling Stones' under 'R' and 'The Beatles' under 'B' at [Universal-Music.co.jp] . I've seen in shops/libraries also listings as 'Rolling Stones, The' or 'Beatles, The'.

Does anyone use an app or a spreadsheet, besides Discgogs, to catalog all your albums? I’m constantly buying new treasures to bring home and finding that I already own the sane album!

Quote
Spud

"...file under a letter from the same alphabet"

Paul McCartney: 'P', 'M' or 'C' .... Ludwig van Beethoven: 'L', 'V' or 'B'.

Quote
Kurt
Does anyone use an app or a spreadsheet, besides Discgogs, to catalog all your albums? I’m constantly buying new treasures to bring home and finding that I already own the sane album!

That's hilarious, I've done that a lot. Sometimes you're at a record fair and you see a great album in awesome condition and don't remember you bought the same one for the same reason 5 years earlier.

I used to catalogue everything on excel and then moved it to google sheets, but now on discogs.

Filed like many above, alphabetically by artist, and then chronological. I have separate sections for The Stones, Jazz music, Christmas music. I intersperse vinyl sections with their corresponding CD's, so for example, A-D will have the artists filed in vinyl and on the same section of shelf CDs filed alphabetically.

Somehow, it works. But gotta say discogs has been a godsend in terms of music management.

I am trying out Discogs, but most of my vinyl don't have bar codes so the process is quite long.

My collection is a mess.

I have a section for recent purchases. All mixed up. It's my go to section. CDs when I drive, vinyl at home, whatever.

A section for digipack cds. Artists in alphabetical order and discs in order according to first release date.

All cds coming from boxed sets are in cd bags. Empty boxes can be anywhere.

All jazz cds in order according to first release date of original LP.

I don't have a specific section for vinyl as I don't have many jazz LPs-

All classical music cds in alphabetical order - composer for opera, director for symphonies, performer for solo or small combos.

Classical music vinyl same criteria.

Party, disco, techno, house etc. cds in cd bags without jewelcase.

All Italian music cds in order according to first release date of original LP

A section is dedicated to Stones cds. Subsections: official releases: in order according to first release date of original LP; from the vault and similia order of concert date; solo releases artists in alphabetical order and discs in order according to first release date; guest appearances artists in alphabetical order and discs in order according to first release date.

Stones vinyl same criteria.

All cds that don't fall in the above sections:

If first release date is earlier than Born in the USA (my first cd), then artists in alphabetical order and discs in order according to first release date.

If after, order according to release date.

Tapes in the bathroom where my old boombox stays.

All CD boots and CD rips I have ripped / kept the files and gave away the discs for space reasons.

C

Most of mine are in storage boxes - except for The Stones - they are on display.
I have Solo stuff, in alphabetical order of artist with each album/single in date order, then miscellaneous stuff (interview discs, promo things), bootlegs, singles, albums. All in chronological order as best as I can - sometimes I have to move them around so that they fit on the shelves.

Even if I converted all physical sources at random to digital using "dBpoweramp" and stored them on a network-attached storage disk, they are automatically in alphabetical order.

These days, I am using "Roon" like a caster walker, though.

Quote
Toru A

they are automatically in alphabetical order

In that case you could prefix a number before the album name, like: 01 - The Rolling Stones (UK), 02 - England's Newest Hit Makers (US) .... 30 - Blue + Lonesome, 31 - Hackney Diamonds.

Or prefix the year of the release before the album name. In case of multiple releases in the same year, you could name it 2025_1, 2025_2 (or similar).

Use different directories for Studio albums, EPs/Singles, Box sets, Live recordings, Bootlegs and so on.

Quote
Irix
In that case you could prefix a number before the album name, like: 01 - The Rolling Stones (UK), 02 - England's Newest Hit Makers (US) .... 30 - Blue + Lonesome, 31 - Hackney Diamonds.

Or prefix the year of the release before the album name. In case of multiple releases in the same year, you could name it 2025_1, 2025_2 (or similar).

Use different directories for Studio albums, EPs/Singles, Box sets, Live recordings, Bootlegs and so on.

No worry. Roon can smooth things over.
For example, if I want to listen to a variety of Jan Akkerman's guitar, I can find and sort all of his songs at once.
Or, I can search for a cover song and compare the differences between different performers, find a profile, lyrics, personnel, or history of artist from the server or Qobuz.

Currently my entire collection is in sterilite totes, but when it was all displayed, and when it is again...........The Stones have their own section, and it is all in chronological order, full band releases first, followed by all solo releases by all members, past/current, in alphabetical order by last name: Jagger, Jones, Richards, Taylor, Watts, Wood, Wyman. Those solo releases are also in chronological order. This includes 7" sized releases. Anything bigger goes in the boxset section.

All the rest of my collection is in alphabetical order by artist, regardless of genre. Then the albums themselves are in alphabetical order. I skip any 'The' 'A' or other such non-important start to a band's name. Various Artist comps are filed under the name of the comp itself. 7" sized released for these artists go in a separate section as well.

Vinyl is stored some place else entirely.

Quote
Toru A

No worry. Roon can smooth things over.

I don't use Roon - but I know the advantages of modern search algorithms, e.g. the integrated Spotlight of Apple macOS, which also finds the content of files. Hence, no need to organise folders - but on the other hand, flipping through structured folders feels like flipping through a well-organised LP/CD collection.

Alphabetical and chronological order.


Over 1000 albums it makes it easier to find the one I am looking for.

Mmm...

I suppose when you spend nearly as much time looking for an album as playing it,

it's time to get just a bit more organised



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-02-14 11:11 by Spud.

By the color of the spine.

Snap me ole ankle-bracelets around me faves .....



ROCKMAN

Quote
Gigbag
By the color of the spine.

Truthfully, my son - who is a very successful University Academic, files his books at home by the colour of the spine of the book.

Freaks me out every time I see it.

Captain Corella

I’m not organized I have totes of all bands mixed together & few boxes, one box small is just Stones bootleg shows & outtakes in jewel cases with artwork.