Hi Guys!
So it’s about time that I completely tear apart and reorganize my top 40, trap/twerk, and bigroom(EDM) Sections of my library. My chill Deep House top40 remixes section could also use a good dusting. Just wondering how you guys organize this stuff? Right now I have a separate crate for the genres listed above and I’m not really sure what the best way is to make them usable again. Recently I’ve reorganized my Hip Hop Section with great success. Here is a pic of that section of my library. Imgur: The magic of the Internet Not sure this will work with the genres i’m trying to reorganize here tho. Let me know what you guys think!
Thanks
There are TONS of articles and forum posts on this topic. A quick search will bring back LOADS of reading for you.
But, basically, the key to organising your music, is getting a tagging system down that works for your style of play, then making sure you tag ALL of the tunes you play, and all future tunes, to allow you to search on those tags. You need to create a system for yourself (or copy an existing one), and use it while tagging your tunes.
If you wanna get advanced (and you really should) you could also use iTunes to create SmartPlaylists based on your tags.
First I put my music into iTunes.
I rate and tag them. I use my very own genres and at least two genres to specy the song and make it more searchable.
Common genre tag:
“Electro|Experimental|Noise”
or
“Guitars|Punk|UK”
__
Then I use Mixed in Key to find the key of each track. I use the comment field in iTunes for the keys.
I mainly use the open key notation. In case of DJing with others, I write the “normal” key name AND the camelot notation into the comments, too.
Looks like this:
“10M - Cm - 05A”
Then I close iTunes to make it save the changes to its library and open traktor.
There, I open the iTunes node and import and analyze the new tracks.
I go through all tracks to see if iTunes got the new tags right and set CuePoints to the tracks (load, drops, ..)
Finally, I am arranging the new tracks into my playlists. And make Traktor save the collection.
I play from lest than 300 tracks at a time. Depending on where I am and what I am doing. I don’t find it useful to have every single track I own in my main library. (I will add some folders if I am playing a non club party or just plug in the external HD to have access to all my rap,rock,disco, funk)
I am always buying new music and pushing older less played stuff out. It forces me to rethink tracks and combinations of tracks often. I like to keep it fresh. I am big time digger and buy alot of different types of house music.
Because I keep it small I remember alot of tracks and don’t tag anything. I also don’t use itunes. I use the folder system and am ruthless about moving tracks off the main path.
Anyone recommend deleting tracks? I have about 500 tracks that have me thinking I was possessed whenever they came into my collection. I just don’t have the heart to part with them.
All the time. Life is too short for music you dont LOVE. Ive gone online and dug for 12 hours, then bought 50 or so tracks. A couple of days later I realised 3 or 4 werent really any good, and I wouldnt have bought them if I wasnt fatigued and had burnt out on so many tracks.
This is also a good argument to separate your DJ library and music collection.
My music collection has nearly 15,000 tracks, all collected from a lifetime of diggin and buying both physically and digitally.
My DJ library is only about 1500 for all genres, and I try to keep it around that size.
Unless you have to play top40, the DJ library is your own personal music personality, too many people feel they need to have “all the songs”
I have heaps of dumb songs that i still kinda like for some reason in my music library, but they wouldnt make it to the DJ library.
yup yup! good tagging system is the way to go… crates, folders, all get outdated, your tags won’t though.
i’ll have up to 5 or more tags depending on the song genre elements, makes it handy for transitions, and i use also energy tags which come in handy on the fly.
What i’ve found is the more prep you do before you put your music into serato/traktor the much better off you are in the long run - dont rush it, do it properly, and i’ll serve you well in the long run.
good luck man.
L
