Backing up your music files
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  1. #1

    Default Backing up your music files

    Hello all.

    I'm new to these forums and getting back to dj'ing after an 8 year break (life gets in the way sometimes). So although I'm a vet when it comes to spinning, last time I did I gig I had to carry turntables, and crates of vinyl with me.

    In other words I'm a digital newb.

    My questions is, what do you think is the best way to store/back up your digital music? I have a macbook pro and up until recently I had been using its hard drive to store all my music, but I dont want to fill up the entire HD with just music. Yesterday I bought a small portable 250 Gig HD.

    What do you all recommend I do to either use the portable drive as the only place I store my music files or a way that I can not fill up the laptop's HD?


    Thanks in advance and happy new year!. If there is a thread about this that I have missed please direct me there and feel free to lock this.

  2. #2
    Retired DJTT Moderator DvlsAdvct's Avatar
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    I think you should have two external drives. This is how I want to have it set up when I have all my stuff together.

    Your internal drive will be for the music you are spinning actively. This drive will not always have the same tunes on it. Sometimes you will move things off as they leave your playlists.

    You have an external drive in your apartment with all of your music. This is so when you decide to move files off of your internal drive you will still have access to them.

    You have another external drive you use for regular (weekly/monthly) backups. This is kept somewhere outside of your home (safe deposit box/parent's house/friend's house, etc.) in case of some sort of emergency (fire/theft/damage/etc.). I'd recommend the two externals leaving you lots of headroom in space because, well, those things fill up fast. :-)
    It's the FAQ. Read it.

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  3. #3
    Tech Mentor Krilikz's Avatar
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    Something to keep note off as well. If your useing a backup program (and not just copying and pasteing) Watch out when you rename your files...because you might end up with double the amount of songs if the backup program dosnt delete the old filenames
    Dj Krilikz‡ -

  4. #4

    Default

    Thank you both for the info. very helpful. I'm only running the mac backup system which backs up absolutely everything on it.

    As Krilikz mentioned I did try creating a folder named "Music" on the portable drive, and when I dragged one song to it, It created a double file. Is that normal? If not how should I handle it? Am I supposed to drag the file(s), then delete the original? in the laptop's HDD?

  5. #5
    Tech Mentor Krilikz's Avatar
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    Well heres the thing

    If you change the file name e.g.( Daft Punk - One more time.mp3) to (Daft Punk-One More Time.mp3) you will get two diffrent files. (Not there is no space on the hypens.

    Personally i am still in the workings of correcting all my files names/mp3 tags. If you looking for a program use http://www.download.com/Mp3tag/3000-...-10313616.html


    They way i do it is i focus on one genre a day (considering my collection to organized by Music>Genre>SubGenre(or Year if pop) So after im done working with the POP folder i delete from my external harddrive and copy and paste it back on from my desktop harddrive/
    Dj Krilikz‡ -

  6. #6

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    Do you mean I can use the portable drive the same way I would use a memory card? I cant just click and drag files back and forth?

    I obviously feel and probably sound like a total newb. I dont really understand why I would need to change the file names.

    Another thing. I use Traktor Scratch Pro, if I "move" a song to the portable drive and delete it on the macbook, would I also "lose" the file settings on TSP whenever I bring it back? (I mean things like hotcues, loops, etc)

  7. #7
    Tech Mentor Krilikz's Avatar
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    Yes a flash drive(Memory Card) is basically the same thing as a External Harddrive

    You dont need to change the file names, However if you ever want to manage your songs outside of your software it might get confusing. One thing you do need though is the id3tags to be correct inside the mp3 file. I fix them all up at the same time

    No you will not loose the settings. Traktor writes these settings to the id3tag so it will permanently be stored to that file.
    Dj Krilikz‡ -

  8. #8

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    Ok, so here is what I gather from your comments.

    Can I

    -Have my music on the macbook
    -Drag the files to the portable drive
    -Delete the files on the macbook

    At that point, should I need to access the files, is the best way to access them by moving them back to the laptop? or should I plug in the HDD and retreive them that way?

    Should I have a file stored in BOTH drives at the same time or in just one?

    How do you guys do it?

  9. #9
    Tech Mentor Krilikz's Avatar
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    Both drives...else you wont be backing up.

    What im trying to say is if you update your file names you will need to delete the music folder on the back up drive and just copy and paste a new one(else you will have 2 of every song you renamed).

    You want to keep your Internal Harddrive as your primary source of playing music. Its more reliable.

    Sorry if im confusing
    Dj Krilikz‡ -

  10. #10
    Retired DJTT Moderator DvlsAdvct's Avatar
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    Okay, for backing up... when working with two hard drives you should have your complete collection on each drive, organized in whatever way you see fit. When backing up onto your external drive it might be easiest just to delete the entire collection out of your external drive and back up from scratch.

    That way you will have all of your updated tags and everything.

    My example was with 3 hard drives. My complete collection would be on the two externals and a modified one on my internal drive that I use for live use. :-)

    With two drive, though, you would want two totally identical copies of your collection, backed up at scheduled times
    It's the FAQ. Read it.

    My Mixes, Mashups and Rants

    Divided we stand
    United we fall

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