Organizing your CDs
By Bjornsane on Sunday, 9 May 2010, 20:30. Viewed 615 times. 
Every DJ has been there. Your collection of CDs has grown bigger than just the first two pages on your CD wallet/map/casing. What to do next? I know I'd like to remember where that one CD with that specific track is, so I can play it whenever I want.
I'll tell you how I did it, and how I do it nowadays.
How I did it
Oh I can remember the day I first needed to start organizing my CDs. It was when I finally decided to burn these ten CDs. I even know I decided to do that, because I got tired of the four CDs I used to start learning. So, it was a good step forward.
Yet, it forced me to figure out a system. How am I going to find my tracks when my collection keeps growing and growing? I bet most of you have been exactly there. Perhaps, you're there right now—probably the reason you're reading this.
I created my first template, together with a friend of mine. We were both stuck with the same problem. You can see what the result looked like over there.
It contained this information:
- My logo
- CD number (which was also written on the CD itself) and date/year.
- Genre
- Tracks numbers and track info (formatted: Artist - Name (Remix))
Now, I was able to find my CDs with the right track. It worked fine! Until my collection grew with 100+ CDs...
How I do it these days
These days, I work digitally. No, I do not DJ using only my laptop. (Not yet at least. I have to admit that I'm curious to using MIDI, but that's another story). I have written a DJ application for organizing my music. The idea is pretty simple. The system behind it however, is not.
The idea, as I said, is pretty basic. You have the computer remember the following:
- Artists
- Tracks
- CDs
- All relations between artists and tracks, and tracks and CDs.
Now, you let the computer present these in an organized fashion. I can find my music using:
- Tags
- Search
- Playlists
- Ratings
Which makes it easy to find most of the tracks I like. It even enabled me to instantly respond to requests from the audience!
This system has made my DJing life much easier and more efficient. I can more easily:
- Add new tracks & CDs.
- Search and find new (and old!) tracks I like to play.
- Using the tag system, I can more easily find that one track that fit the current track so well.
- Using ratings and playlists, I can keep track of tracks I like, and that the crowds like.
- Using playlists, I can more easily prepare myself for upcoming events.
I'm sure you can think of a whole lot more.
Yet, there are a few downsides to this system: I need my laptop. At all times. Which makes me dependent on: electricity; space and safety. If I have no electricity, my laptop can run for a few hours. But it's not safe. When there's no space to put my laptop, I'm screwed. I simply cannot work without enough space for my laptop. When it's not safe around, like it's crowded around the booth or whatever, I don't feel safe using my laptop.
So, for organizing my music. It's awesome. Which is the bottom line. I would suggest everyone that has some knowledge of programming to build a system that fits your needs. I'm at the moment considering to release my package, yet I'm unsure of its safety for others (it requires some odd programs and hosting it through the internet is bad, since few clubs and venues offer WiFi connection in the DJ booth).
If you'd like to know more about my system, get it for yourself or would like to help me solve some issues (that prevent me from releasing it); please contact me through the Connect page.
Hope I've brightened your mind with some ideas for organizing your music. Let me know through Twitter what you have thought up.