A scream for help!

[Mario]

This is a genuine question, and one I’ve been trying to resolve for a long time, unsuccessfully so far.

How do you file your music CDs, and what app or programme do you use?

My requirements?

a) To enjoy music at home through my PC or hi-fi system,

b) To listen to music on the move through my iPhone or iPad,

c) To do so effortlessly and simply!

So, to take one CD as an example, BBC Music Magazine CD Vol 20 No 11 (can’t remember the date of the magazine which is not readily to hand), has

Eric Coates – The Three Elizabeths Suite – BBC Concert O – Barry Wordsworth – approx. 20 mins.

Malcolm Arnold – S No 01 Op 22 – BBC C O – Keith Lockhart – approx. 27 mins.

George Enescu – Romanian Rhapsody No 01 – BBC C O – Johannes Wildner – approx. 13 mins., and

J Strauss II – Tritsch-Tratsch Polka – BBC C ) – Johannes Wildner – approx. 3 mins.

What programme do you use and how would you file these, so that they’re all readily available for listening whenever, either

1) By CD – copy the whole lot as an album

2) By composer

3) By the work (symphony, concerto, overture, misc.)

4) By conductor

5) By orchestra?

Is there one app (Windows Media Player, Groove Music, iTunes, Media Monkey, Music Bee, Real Player) that can simply give me what I would like to hear quickly and without any fuss? Not too bothered about Album Art.

I really would be very grateful for any responses.

Thanks,

Mario

[Pulcinella]

Mario

Not an answer to your overall question (I know that others on the forum use systems that they will recommend) but, in case you have lots of BBC MM CDs, you might not know about this site, which lists their contents:

https://www.knowledgewise.co.uk/music/

You can download this list (it gets updated fairly regularly) either as a PDF or as a very useful Excel file, and at the bottom of the Excel file if you click on 'Composer' it orders them that way (composer then work) rather than chronologically.
I have mine all filed chronologically, so that listing is a great help in finding a particular CD.

[Mario]

Mario

Not an answer to your overall question (I know that others on the forum use systems that they will recommend) but, in case you have lots of BBC MM CDs, you might not know about this site, which lists their contents:

https://www.knowledgewise.co.uk/music/

You can download this list (it gets updated fairly regularly) either as a PDF or as a very useful Excel file, and at the bottom of the Excel file if you click on 'Composer' it orders them that way (composer then work) rather than chronologically.
I have mine all filed chronologically, so that listing is a great help in finding a particular CD.

That’s an extremely useful site P! Thanks, as I do have quite a few BBC CDs.

It was an honest question I asked, no harm was intended.

Mario

[Petrushka]

I don't have any fancy computer programme to file my CDs (I wouldn't know how to do one anyway and setting one up now would be too time consuming).

For sorting CDs out on the shelves by far the simplest method is by alphabetical composer order with a sub-division by conductor eg Brahms 1 in composer order then all recordings of that work in alphabetical conductor order. This works very well if you have a large collection. CDs that have collections of several composers get filed at the very end of the alphabetical sequence and in no particular order, though by conductor would be appropriate.

For smaller boxed sets I either use the above method or, if they are part of a series eg the Warner Klemperer, Boult or Karajan boxes, then they go on my shelves in alphabetical conductor order on the grounds that it's not possible to file in any other way except where only one composer is featured (eg Boult in RVW or Elgar).

The huge boxes such as the RCO125, Sony complete Szell, Walter etc have, perforce, to go on the floor as the weight of these monsters will collapse the shelves and possibly bring the wall down!

At the end of the day, it's best to file in whatever way suits you best and makes it easiest for you to locate a specific disc as quickly as possible. The above works very well for me.

[Mario]

I don't have any fancy computer programme to file my CDs (I wouldn't know how to do one anyway and setting one up now would be too time consuming).

For sorting CDs out on the shelves by far the simplest method is by alphabetical composer order with a sub-division by conductor eg Brahms 1 in composer order then all recordings of that work in alphabetical conductor order. This works very well if you have a large collection. CDs that have collections of several composers get filed at the very end of the alphabetical sequence and in no particular order, though by conductor would be appropriate.

For smaller boxed sets I either use the above method or, if they are part of a series eg the Warner Klemperer, Boult or Karajan boxes, then they go on my shelves in alphabetical conductor order on the grounds that it's not possible to file in any other way except where only one composer is featured (eg Boult in RVW or Elgar).

The huge boxes such as the RCO125, Sony complete Szell, Walter etc have, perforce, to go on the floor as the weight of these monsters will collapse the shelves and possibly bring the wall down!

At the end of the day, it's best to file in whatever way suits you best and makes it easiest for you to locate a specific disc as quickly as possible. The above works very well for me.

That just about sums up EXACTLY what I do with the actual CDs themselves. I’ve read before that some members here have 30k / 40k’s worth of CDs! Mine’s under 2k (I came to classical music late).

I was however referring to digital filing, i.e. to listen on my headphones while I’m out. I cannot be for too long without music I’m afraid.

On your PC, do you not use Windows Media Player or Groove Music (if you’re a Windows man of course) to save taking the CDs out every time? You could also, if you wish, make playlists of every description, e.g., favourite pieces, or allocate a composer day, say Hovhaness day (!!!), or a particular mood, etc.

Mario

[Petrushka]

I was however referring to digital filing

Mario

I knew you were, really. I look at it this way. I've got thousands of CDs on shelving in two rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs and I can lay my hands on whatever CD I want in a matter of seconds. Anything else is much too time consuming and I don't listen to music away from home, unless it's a live performance of which there are none right now.

[Pulcinella]

I knew you were, really. I look at it this way. I've got thousands of CDs on shelving in two rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs and I can lay my hands on whatever CD I want in a matter of seconds. Anything else is much too time consuming and I don't listen to music away from home, unless it's a live performance of which there are none right now.

I usually can, but there is the thorny problem of couplings. I wanted to listen to Heifetz playing Prokofiev's Vln con 2 yesterday, and it took a while to remember where it was filed. Answer: under S for Sibelius, the first concerto on the disc.
In the meantime, I'd chosen Kyung Wha Chung's recording instead (and ended up listening to the first Prokofiev and the Stravinsky too: no great hardship!).

[BBMmk2]

I usually, where possible, do compel first, then with that composer, eg Beethoven, I sub-section them, like Gramophone Magazine does. If, however, there is a coupling of another composer, I usually go for the conductor or artist, depending. However, if the recording is a multi artist recording, I just put it under various.

[LMcD]

I usually can, but there is the thorny problem of couplings. I wanted to listen to Heifetz playing Prokofiev's Vln con 2 yesterday, and it took a while to remember where it was filed. Answer: under S for Sibelius, the first concerto on the disc.
In the meantime, I'd chosen Kyung Wha Chung's recording instead (and ended up listening to the first Prokofiev and the Stravinsky too: no great hardship!).

For classical CDs, I've compiled a list of composers, some of whose works appear on CDs featuring works by other composers, the location of these recordings on my shelves being dictated strictly by the order in which their names appear on the spine of the CD case or box. Thus I know that I can find Tchaikowsky's Piano Trio in my Barenboim/Zukerman/Du Pre box set of Beethoven sonatas. Recital CDs are to be found under the name of the artiste or first-named artiste. Where I have many CDs of works by a particular composer, they're arranged by the number of performers involved, starting with e.g. piano sonatas and ending with orchestral and choral works. All my non-classical CDs are to be found under the artiste or first-named artiste, except for compilations, which can can look after themselves!

[Mario]

I’m really grateful for all contributions here, which broadly mirror my own regarding filing CDs.

But I was really after some advice on how to file digitised music, i.e. after ripping the CD and uploading to your PC or phone or tablet or laptop.

It’s a simple question really – do you just file the CD in your ____ (fill in the blank for iTunes, Real Player, Groove, etc) on your PC in a style different to your CD?

Thanks again,

Mario