Okay. So I'm admitting to serious music nerd-dom here but, you probably already know that, given that I posted here.

Anyway...

Anyone else keep a database of their music collection?

I've had one in Excel for at least 5 years now, maybe longer.
It's pretty nerdy, but practical too.

I update it every now and then, basically with every couple batches of purchases.

You?

Of course. Same thing, a database in Excel. With columns for Artist, Album Title, and year.

That used to be it but, starting with my latest project, I looked up every album on AllMusic or Wikipedia and now have the release month and day listed as well.

And I update every time I buy a new cd.

8)

I have artist, title, and format (CD, LP, etc.). I've thought about going back and adding year and maybe label, but that's annoying.

I try to update whenever I buy anything new.

i've been keeping an excel database of my music, shows i've seen, songs i've played on the radio, and dvds since at least 1998.

it got a bump in 2002 when i added release dates, date of purchase, and where i got it, noting either the shops or who gave it to me. of course, i didn't remember dates for most everything before then (furthest back i remembered was a CD in 1995), but everything since has been noted. it's pretty detailed with notes on re-releases, imports, colored vinyl, etc.

i update it after every trip to a record store or whenever i get a package in the mail. i probably wouldn't know what i own nearly as well without it.

I do artist, title, label, year, and "other" (to note if it is an EP, compilation, etc)

I've been keeping a running list of my CDs since 1992. I update it frequently due to a lot of buying/selling.

I scrupulously maintain an idv3 tag database. unless idv3 tags don't capture all of the info you want, or you don't rip all of your CDs, I don't really understand why you'd bother duplicating the work.

I use Visitrax. It is the best software I ever purchased. It uses cddb to get all the cd information, artist, album, year, tracks, etc. and puts them all in a sortable database for me.

Yeah, I started to do this and then it just fell apart. I need one of those barcode scanners and some fun software.

The inital data entry can be a pain in the ass, but after that it's pretty wasy to maintain.

My fields:

Artist
Title
Format
Catalog #
Label
Original release date (for reissues)
Release date
Year bought
Style
Notes
Lent to (heh heh, to keep track of my naughty friends who forget to return things)

Wow. I concede to your super nerddom.

When I hit 200 albums in 1978, I started keeping a list on paper with Artist, Title, Date Purchased and Store. That eventually got hand-entered and expanded in Excel in the late '90s. Here's my fields:

DATE
ARTIST
TITLE
LABEL
YEAR
FORMAT
STORE
GENRE

The GENRE field isn't really a genre field, it just calls out a few things worth separating from the general mass of Popular Music:

Comedy
Compilation (single artist)
Girl Groups ('60s girl pop--I have so many it made sense to segregate them)
Live
Other (classical, jazz, world, experimental, etc.)
Sound (spoken word, sound effects)
Soundtrack
Tribute Albums (I have way too many. It's very sad.)

I also keep a Compilation Tracks list--Artist and Song on every Various Artist collection I have.

Though you'd be justified in suspecting so, I do not, in fact, keep a running tally of my bowel movements.

Um, like, me neither.

*awkwardly leaves the room*

<--- actually super messy in the non-computer world.

Started it back in 1994.

It's in HTML form with album covers for each entries.

I gotta say my system of "I bought that, I think, in '96, and I know it's around here somewhere" really pales in comparison to you people.

This would be very daunting for me to begin now. Although I would probably try.

Of course! I also have an Excel spreadsheet that I update in "batch" fashing every few months, or so. In the interim, I keep a list of my new music in a notebook. In addition to the obvious fields, I also have given some of the albums a rating of 0 to 5 stars. That usually only applies to the really good and bad ones, lest I forget.

I use discogs.com It's not a complete list because they don't have everything I have.

I also use dvdaficionado.com for my DVD's

I would never do this. What's the point?

i dont, but then i dont really need to since i have everything i own ripped to mp3s.

I do it so I can quickly view my collection by year or album title or whatever.

Wow. You guys really are lame. I mean, all I do is alphabetize my catalog.

insurance.

This way is the best. Because you can get drunk, and buy an album you forgot you owned
(Not that I have done this twice with Car Wheels on a Gravel Road...)

heh heh, that's why I originally started doing this.

of course I haven't had insurrance in years.