Music Geek Question of the Week: Spreadsheets

Chuck D · **Posted:** Sat Oct 30, 2004 8:45 pm

So, fiends and nay-boors, I have my collection organized in an excel spreadsheet . . . or rather, I did, but it seems like I failed to back it up during a computer crisis last year, so I am starting from scratch. this will take me a while, but i think that it will help me when i am file trading with you folks - drop you the spreadsheet in an email, and you can scroll through and laugh at my terrible taste, and then ask for an album or two.

so - I was thinking just artist, title, year, and if i have it ripped yet.

What do you guys (the few who are so OCD as to do this) include in yr spreadsheets?

Radcliffe · **Posted:** Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:00 pm

I'm a card-carrying member of this particular OCD club. My spreadsheet holds minimal info - just band name, album title, year of release, and whether it's on CD or vinyl.
:gir:

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

Mine has the fields Number, Artist, Album, Year Released, Year Recorded, & Genre. I'm usually only fill out the artist and album fields though.

Z · **Joined:** Sat Oct 23, 2004 1:38 pm **Posts:** 7979

band, album title, record label, format, release date, date of purchase, store/city purchased from.

i also have listings for any compilation of who all is on it. and there's a slew of other information, like vinyl colors, limited editions, re-releases, etc. for whenever that pertains.

aerodynamics · **Posted:** Sat Oct 30, 2004 10:54 pm

Artist, Title, Form, Purchase Location

actually, I would kinda think that almost everyone here catalogues in some way... but I could be wrong.

Chuck D · **Posted:** Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:22 pm

you folks make me happy.

KPH · **Posted:** Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:46 pm

aerodynamics Wrote:

Artist, Title, Form, Purchase Location

actually, I would kinda think that almost everyone here catalogues in some way... but I could be wrong.

randomly ordered stacks of cds hidden in drawers.

MP3s by decade/year <--- that's as organized as i'll get.

i never saw the point in the spreadsheet thing. a friend of mine tried to get me doing this back in the early 90s, but i just never had the patience for it.

KPH

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

wom. i sriously need more computer time.

HideousLump · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:46 am

Date of purchase
Artist
Title
Label
Year
Format
Store bought at
Notes - This is basically a loose genre list; I don't break out all my rock/pop into individual genres, but I do note Live, Comedy, Single Artist Compilation, Bootleg, Tribute (yes, I have enough to make it worth counting), Girl Group ('60s girl pop, which I have a large collection of), and Other (which covers Classical, Jazz, World, Ambient, and any other odd thing that doesn't fit anywhere else)

I started keeping a list on paper of when and where I bought my records back in 1978. That whole list got transcribed into my first computer about 15 years later. I've also been slowly putting together a track listing spreadsheet for all of my compilations.

I have mental problems and need to be smacked hard and often.

duckyboy · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:58 am

I do artist, album, year recorded (or if its a comp, the year that was released), label, and then a column for "special" notation requried if it is an EP or comp or something like that. I wish I had listed where I obtained them, but it's too late for that now.

Z · **Joined:** Sat Oct 23, 2004 1:38 pm **Posts:** 7979

duckyboy Wrote:

I wish I had listed where I obtained them, but it's too late for that now.

i didn't start compiling purchase dates or locations until two years ago. i'd thought of it maybe two years before then, but kept putting it off because i figured it was too late. and one day, i was just like, "i must do this!" so i went through every piece of music i owned and tried to think back to where i bought it. i think i did alright. there are still a lot of holes in that database, but i feel really good about what i did manage to think of. and now, it's the first thing i enter when i get new music. (the furthest back i could remember a date for was seven years. though, i had some help because i bought the cd at a show and i had that show on file too.)

south pacific · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:16 am

You guys are all nuts.

When I'm looking for a particular cd I break out my miner's hat and wade into the closet with a shovel.

(whistles) Well lookie here, Circus Of Power's debut self-titled album. I forgot I even had that!

aerodynamics · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:14 am

Z Wrote:

duckyboy Wrote:

I wish I had listed where I obtained them, but it's too late for that now.

i didn't start compiling purchase dates or locations until two years ago. i'd thought of it maybe two years before then, but kept putting it off because i figured it was too late. and one day, i was just like, "i must do this!" so i went through every piece of music i owned and tried to think back to where i bought it. i think i did alright. there are still a lot of holes in that database, but i feel really good about what i did manage to think of. and now, it's the first thing i enter when i get new music. (the furthest back i could remember a date for was seven years. though, i had some help because i bought the cd at a show and i had that show on file too.)

whoa...ditto that. I started putting location acquired late this summer, and I remembered about 80% of them. yeah, I was impressed.

Evil Dr. K · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:51 am **Posts:** 6327

I had to restart my spreadsheet from scratch but I got fed up by the time I got to about 'G' and I haven't touched it for ages. I've haven't even been filing my cd's away recently just because I can't be bothered (it is an backbreaking,good 2 or 3 hour task.) But luckily I haven't bought much since I don't have any money.

It's weird how many of the CD's you can remember the details of. I don't think I could remember 80% of them but I can remember what shops I bought stuff from in the 1980's! You can remember whole tracts of your life you'd forgotten about just by thinking "Now, where did I buy this CD/tape/record?"

Billzebub · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 10:26 pm **Posts:** 6459

[whispering soliloquy] Wrote:

(whistles) Well lookie here, Circus Of Power's debut self-titled album. I forgot I even had that!

A most excellent record.

I have yet to undertake such an endeavor, and I'm way too hungover to start today.

Stone red's dark sunshine · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 2:17 pm **Posts:** 1096

Artist, Title, and Comment (such as EP, multiple CDs, import version, etc.). Some day I want to add in year of release and label, but that'll be a serious time killer. Oh, and I have one for my CDs, and one for my CD-Rs. Then next project is to do the vinyl.

timmyjoe42 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:08 pm

I use a program called Visitrax which uses freeDB to get the info ands stores it in a searchable, sortable file.

gauchebag · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:34 pm

i havne't undertaken something like this...but i suppose i will when time permits more

jagged · **Posted:** Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:47 pm

I haven't done anything like this either, but it's definitely gonna happen...maybe when I get a laptop so I can bring the computer to the CDs, as opposed to the other way around

Music Geek Question of the Week: Spreadsheets

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