I want to be organized, really I do

[effervescible]

Okay, this question goes out to my people, the ones who have oodles and oodles of CDs. Just how the hell do you keep them organized? I tried the alphabetical thing but then everything gets all farked up when you buy a new CD that doesn't start with Z. So any suggestions? I'm tired of not knowing where my CDs are. For the record, I've got 3 CD notebooks. A CD tree for cases or something is not an option.

Comments

[arafel.livejournal.com]

I'm not a good person to ask, since you will shortly see that I have them stacked all over the place. ^_^;

[greyvorfeed.livejournal.com]

I have around 1000 CDs. I keep mine in alphabetical order, in their cases on shelves. It's easy to shift them if they're in the case, so I don't have problems keeping them in order.

If you're gonna keep them outside of the case, though, I would still alphabetize, but leave one or two empty sleeves at the end of each letter. Then you can add new ones and shift the old ones without too much trouble.

Or you could digitize them, and listen to them that way. It's the ultimate in easy organization, though it does take a lot of work up-front. ^__^

[bejiin.livejournal.com]

I'm a big fan of burning all cd's to one of my hard drives... but that's because I tend to scratch actual cd's and the only way I keep my music protected is on an mp3 (then again I only have about 300 cd's so they all fit happily on one drive). My cello teacher, who has close to 40,000 cd's (he works for centuar records) organizes his collection by the date he got them. Then again he also has a card catalogue and a number system that is alphabetical so he can locate his cds.

[qkellie.livejournal.com]

I have around 1000 CDs. I keep mine in alphabetical order, in their cases on shelves. It's easy to shift them if they're in the case, so I don't have problems keeping them in order.

That's exactly what I do, too, and what I was going to suggest.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*dies*

I have an excellent memory. Nothing else works. I should take pictures of the four racks and two shelves of CDs we have. I've tried the notebooks. I've gone back to putting the discs back in the jewel cases and storing those.

Even so, the little buggers get put *everywhere.*

I routinely find more, open the cases and find CDs from other cases inside them (*bonks Jim HARD*) because when he loads the CD changer in the car, that's what he does with the ones he takes out.

I have done better with the DVDs. There are fewer of them. Alphabetize by title (CDs will likely work better by artist, then title) and leave room on the shelves for additions and shufflings.

I hope to find software and a hand scanner so that I can load everything into a database by scanning the UPC code. No kidding. I can't hand-key them all in. I just can't.

*splutters*

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*grovels*

I'm not worthy!!!

[offscreen.livejournal.com]

I rip everything to iTunes. I haven't used one of my hardcopy CDs in months.

[drcristin.livejournal.com]

I have CD notebooks too, and I alpbabetize them, then leave about 4 blanks after every few letters. That way I only have to shift part of them if I get a new CD. Plus I have separate CD notebooks by theme (e.g. one for my Beatles collection, and one for mixed CDs, which I just organize in the order they were released/created).

Those organizers that hold 100 loose CDs and grab the right one when you dial for it are awesome too... I want a couple.

[irenak.livejournal.com]

Um, like everyone else said, I alphabetize.

You could also try splitting by genre. Rock in one case, classical in another, soundtracks in another, etc. And sub categorize further if you're like me and have a fairly hefty rock collection.

Yes, I'm a dork. :)

[musicwench.livejournal.com]

High Fidelity gives one all sorts of organizing ideas: Chronologically in autobiographical order....uh....well, i forget, but perhaps it would be simple to just have them *in order of when you bought them.* Then you have some system for remembering what goes where without having to fix it all the time.

[backfromspace.livejournal.com]

I go by genre. I have a section for soundtracks, a section for homemade mixes, a section for female singers, and a section for male singers. Then one for everything that doesn't fit.

But then, I only have about forty CDs.

[sarcasticval.livejournal.com]

A big pile. Hey, *I* know where they are, doesn't mean anyone else needs to navigate the system. When I do feel like being neat about it I do it by genre and then alphabetical choice. I also keep like sections together. Anime/Japanese is between other foreign albums (like celtic) and soundtracks, punk is next to rock, etc.

[(Anonymous)]

I haven't actually tried this yet, but I'm thinking about it:

If you can, count all your CDs. Then divide them up pretty much even into groups. However many rooms you have in your house, put them in that many groups. Then, have a bunch in every room!

(Of course, just counting them should take like a whole Saturday. . . . And you might not want any in the bathroom.)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

How do I keep mine organized?... interesting question.

Well, my purchased CDs I keep in one large pack (though at any one time several might be out floating around my room, in original cases, or in a player). I have around 45, and I sort of gave up on alphabetical order.

I keep my burned mixes in another equally large pack, in roughly number order as all my burned CDs go from approximately #1-38.

In a smaller pack that's only one-CD high instead of two, I keep all the mixes that I've gotten from other people, plus anime mixes.

In another small pack, I keep all the CDs that contain MP3s only (I have 12 now.)

Four packs, separated by how pirated they are. That's my system.

[jmcgarry.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I lost count of mine somewhere around 600 (there's more since then, plus about 200 cassettes and maybe 300-400 lps. There is no organization that will survive my scattered brain. I've put them in alphabetical order, in order by genre etc., the lps still are for the most part, but with the cds, I pick a few out, then I'm too rushed to put them back right... then I get more and I've only got halfway through listening to them and then I stuff those in. I think if I had enough shelving for all of them, plus about 20% they would be more organized. I have to have the cases with the CDs, since I always read (and re-read) the liner notes. Cassettes are the worst, since they aren't as stackable as CDs. Its awful.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/xenex_dot_org/

[(Anonymous)]

I go for chaos theory. Whatever CD I happen to find is exactly what I most need to listen to at that moment. Unfortunately, most of my CDs are in the wrong cases and some are just burned CDs, so it is really a crap shoot.

[frozen-foil.livejournal.com]

uuuumm, you like cowboy bebop so i asume you are very cool. can I be one of your million friends? ::widening smile::
>natalie

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Nah. But thanks.