Audio File Organization [Obsessive Strut]

highscheme

You buy a new CD and want to put it on your computer to use with your eyePod/s.erato. How meticulous are you? Any organizing suggestions?Here's my steez...I currently rip with iTunes using 320 kbps MP3 encoding. I use this for good quality/compatability. If it is something really special that I don't personally own, I sometimes use AIFF encoding.Ok so the files are on my computer. Now it's time for the tagging. I use the actual notes rather than the CDDB database because I like to keep my formatting standard, and there are often mistakes in the database. 1.) Keep the artist title formated the same as other files by the same artist i.e. "Jay-Z is always Jay-Z (not JayZ or Jay Z)2.) Song Version goes in brackets after the song title for example "Bacherlorette [RZA Remix]", "One More Chance [Acapella]", "Owari [highscheme Edit]"3.) Featured rappers/vocalists are put in parentheses after the song title & song version. i.e. "Is That Yo Bitch [Remix] (ft. Twista ?? Missy Elliot)"I like to use the central dot (??) to seperate multiple featured artists because it is never used anywhere else & looks cleaner.4.) Genres are hard but the main thing is to stay consistent. So if you are using "Hip-Hop" then don't have some tracks labeled "Hiphop" or "Hip Hop/Rap". You can obviously get as creative with genres as you want, in order to have your collection tailored to your own specifications (hahaha)5.) For albums with multiple discs I use brackets after the album title. i.e. "Wu-Tang Forever [Disc 2]"6.) Accurately fill in the year/track #'s/BPM (if needed)7.) For Hip-Hop I always fill in the Producer under the "Composed By" section. This is great because I have smart playlists in iTunes of my favorite producers so it automatically keeps a playlist of a producer's work when I add new files.8.) Sometimes under notes I will add a little tag that helps create another playlist for extended crews. For example, I have a "Dungeon Family" smart playlist so all related files have that written under notes.Anyway that is my system. I am always struggling to keep it really organized with random downloads & other BS always wrecking havoc, but I keep it pretty clean. If only I kept my records this organized...

Unherd

ZEN2

holy shit dude.. I couldn't ever spend that much time. I've got like 60 gigs of MP3s. Shit is rediculous really.

highscheme

I have about 40 gigs.

Anyway it doesn't take long if you do it from the get go. I started doing it this way after my laptop HD crashed and I had to rerip all of my CDs. I would say it takes like 5 minutes per CD, and I usually do it when I first listen to the album.

peace

PrimeCutsLtd

I got rid of the genre category on my itunes...that is all

Cosmo

You buy a new CD and want to put it on your computer to use with your eyePod/s.erato.

How meticulous are you? Any organizing suggestions?

Here's my steez...

I currently rip with iTunes using 320 kbps MP3 encoding. I use this for good quality/compatability. If it is something really special that I don't personally own, I sometimes use AIFF encoding.

Ok so the files are on my computer. Now it's time for the tagging. I use the actual notes rather than the CDDB database because I like to keep my formatting standard, and there are often mistakes in the database.

1.) Keep the artist title formated the same as other files by the same artist i.e. "Jay-Z is always Jay-Z (not JayZ or Jay Z)

2.) Song Version goes in brackets after the song title for example "Bacherlorette [RZA Remix]",
"One More Chance [Acapella]", "Owari [highscheme Edit]"

3.) Featured rappers/vocalists are put in parentheses after the song title & song version. i.e. "Is That Yo Bitch [Remix] (ft. Twista ?? Missy Elliot)"

I like to use the central dot (??) to seperate multiple featured artists because it is never used anywhere else & looks cleaner.

4.) Genres are hard but the main thing is to stay consistent. So if you are using "Hip-Hop" then don't have some tracks labeled "Hiphop" or "Hip Hop/Rap". You can obviously get as creative with genres as you want, in order to have your collection tailored to your own specifications (hahaha)

5.) For albums with multiple discs I use brackets after the album title. i.e. "Wu-Tang Forever [Disc 2]"

6.) Accurately fill in the year/track #'s/BPM (if needed)

7.) For Hip-Hop I always fill in the Producer under the "Composed By" section. This is great because I have smart playlists in iTunes of my favorite producers so it automatically keeps a playlist of a producer's work when I add new files.

8.) Sometimes under notes I will add a little tag that helps create another playlist for extended crews. For example, I have a "Dungeon Family" smart playlist so all related files have that written under notes.


Anyway that is my system. I am always struggling to keep it really organized with random downloads & other BS always wrecking havoc, but I keep it pretty clean. If only I kept my records this organized...

Yes I do all of this as well - IT'S ALL ABOUT THE UNIFORMITY.

For the "notes" (like you say "Dungeon Family") I have that in "GROUPING."

I don't use brackets I use parentheses (and I'll change brackets to parentheses.) Also, no dots between artists in song field (it looks nice though) but I use commas.

My dancehall has the Riddim included in the song title, for example: Ruffest & Tuffest (Diwali Riddim)

I don't use "RMX" I use "Remix." I also have "INSTRUMENTAL" and "ACAPELLA" (always capitalized) in the song title field in parentheses.

www.cosmobaker.com in the comment field.

Get the artwork as much as possible.

Rearrange albums if I have a copy of a song that is better quality.

There's more, but it's an everyday struggle.

highscheme

nice...I would use grouping but that didn't exist in itunes in the past...looks like I might have to make some changes

Cosmo

The Genres is a HUGE thing to me too. I like keep that shit as simple as possible and then sort it out afterwards in playlists.

highscheme

Another thing I do....I make playlists for blogs and websites I hit up on the regular

I got a Cocaine Blunts [peace noz], Stretch Armstrong etc.....download, drag & drop

PrimeCutsLtd

well I don't use my files professionally so I can be a little more lax. I do like to add the album art though. It helps my remember In case I see one of the albums when digging....

highscheme

while we are on the subject though tag information is kind of weak...wish I could design my own standard that includes a lot more info (Label, Remixer, Scratches By, Sample Sources, etc.)

You could even have it so it is automated in that you design a template for how you want the text to be formated and then just fill in all the information and it automatically generates the it for you