I am now in charge of a huge music file collection, and I want to use MusicBrainz to arrange them more effectively. Because of the size of my collection, I am curious about the best ways to tag and keep up a big library.
I am checking this:
How to deal with variations of the same release or multiple entries.
Recommended techniques for dividing and combining releases as needed.
Anything that helps with batch editing or organizing, including programs and tools.
Some random waffle from me… but we all have our different methods as we all need different results from our music collections.
The main thing you need is patience. The more time you take the better the results.
What format is the collection in? And how are you accessing the library?
Are you physically organising Vinyl and CDs on a shelf? Or converting these to FLAC to access on a digital media system?
If you are organising a digital library, number one is backup. Go buy a new external drive and make an archived backup before you start. Do this in case of mistakes. Stick the backup in a drawer and leave it there safe before you start.
If we are talking digital files, what state are they in now? i.e. are these all hand ripped from CDs? Or sourced from chaotic random locations?
This is easier if you know the original CDs. Picard can tag with the MusicBrainz IDs of that specific release. This can help keep a Deluxe Edition away from a Standard Edition. Scripts can help adjust folder names and locations.
This is all going to depend on what your original sources are. CD rips are easy, old downloads from Limewire less certain. You will have slightly different techniques for different quality sources.
Picard and patience. Picard can have various scripts added to help tweak how you name your albums. It can also move folders around. But you as a human will want to double check the results. Don’t make the mistake of assuming Picard is perfect. Often you will need to adjust matches it has made.
Start small and work up. Start with small batches of albums which are easier to check as you learn the tools.
Did I say “BACKUP”? Important in case you realise mistakes in techniques.
Personally most of my collection is hand ripped from CDs using EAC, tagged in Picard, then organised via KODI for playback. I also have some albums from “friends” where I may not know an exact source which I use Picard to do a “best guess” type match. And then there in a huge selection of bootlegs that I often have to add to the database before they can be tagged.
When working on your collection some of your music will be easier to tag and ID than others. So you’ll want to separate your working practice for slightly different methods for each type of music source.
Look at your music collection and split it up into how easy it will be to tag. The easiest are those where you still own the CDs so you can refer to the versions. The hardest are those random tracks that sit in that large messy folder of MP3s from dubious sources.
A system I use is to have set of locations I work from. Unprocessed music split into categories: CD folders, other folders, bootlegs. A working folder in the middle when I work with Picard, and a completed collection on a different location as I migrate my completed and tagged music into it.
You also want to think carefully as to what your final aim is. Some of us can get really over the top with exact details of versions. Others just want a title added to the ripped files.
Also take a look at beets (https://beets.io/) if you are more into command line usage and full automatization. I’m not an expert on beets, though, and can’t help with the setup.
I try to use the disambiguation comment to have separate folder names for the different releases and otherwise use players that can separate releases based on the MB release ID stored in the tags.
I used to have a Picard script that I would manually invoke which would set a custom tag with a custom release title which would then be used in the file naming as the folder name. I would need to lookup the details, though, I think I wrote about it here in the forums once.
But as I personally only have very few releases which I have duplicates for (2 or 3) I actually just have them in a separate folder I manually renamed right now.
