Looking for some Honest Help please

K Guys/ Gals

I am in some dire need of help I just started getting back into DJing after being out for so many years and when I used to DJ it was crates of records house club techno rap slow jams etc.

Now there are so many different Genres at times it’s hard to keep track something listed as pop that’s actually dance or hip hop or a combo of hip hip/ rap lol

Now one of my problems is I look too deep into things and make them more difficult than what they are.
Here is my issue and I would like some suggestions or advise.

I have a load of music and yes I already read the DJ Tech tools organizing article and this kind of helps. And I some people say they delete music after a while.

But here is my thing. I don’t want to delete anything I am the type who likes to have it just in case. And I feel so over whelmed trying to organize all my music. I am keeping track properly of what I started purchasing the last several months

Does anyone think I am looking into the organizing way too much and organizing to much or do you think I am doing it right I know it’s up to me and what works for me. I just feel as if I am missing something and at times when DJing it’s hard to find things any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

BTW… I DJ for many types, weddings churches fundraisers and recently had the opportunity to get into the clubs and that’s actually taking over and it’s been great actually part of where I want to be.

Here is a small example of how I have things organized

EDM (Main folder)
EDM’s Sub Folders listed below
Electro
House
Club
Latin House/ Freestyle

Pop (Main folder) this folder is undergoing a overhaul since usher lil john and many others like to get into dance music now and its becoming mess I have mass confusion going on here
Sub Folders listed below
Pop
Pop-Dance

Any suggestions to help me better organize would be great at times it’s hard to distinguish what genre it is one day you put it one place the next time you’re at a gig your like what the heck was I thinking

I just purchased an External Hard Drive and would just like to have everything done properly before I transfer all my music off my laptop onto there. I am organizing in iTunes and have a Traktor S4 if that helps

I keep it a lot simpler, I have a folder for House, Dubstep, Trance, DnB, and Acapellas, no sub categories.

In traktor, i rate all my tracks based upon their energy level, so most of my pure house/deep house/and melodic prog house are 1 stars, so 1 star are tracks that are purely for warm up/to get the crowd bobbing their heads while they order their drink, tracks that caress you and feel you up

3 star are tracks that are hitters, not bangers. So most electro house would fit into this category, tracks that have a pure dance/rave energy vibe to it. To make people jump, put their hands in the air, etc.

5 star are just bangers. Tracks that are just simply hard hitters, bass in your face, just the vicious, malicious, dangerous tracks that can stop your heart beat in a second.


It's all up to what works best for you in terms of efficiency and easy track notifications, also helps to analyze the crowd better, when you see people jumping up and down to your tunes, then maybe mixing in a 3 star track into a 5 star track is the right way to proceed.

I think you did well with te maps, drag them all in Itunes, use the star rating and your done IMO