Do you catalog your vinyl collection? There's an app for that...

I was curious how many people catalog their vinyl collection? I just started because a couple times recently, Ive purchased an album I already own. (Is this a sign of a problem??)

Anyway, it's also been a fun project. I am using an app called Sortly. It's free on the iTunes Store. It's not specific to vinyl, just am organization al app. You can categorize and take however many photos you want for each item. I included the matrix numbers and other details in the notes. Seems like it may be a useful tool when out digging. You literally have photos and notes for every album in your collection right on your phone.

Just thought I would share for anyone who might wanna give it a try!

 

I've got the CLZ Music App that comes with the Collectorz music indexing program. I also have one for comics, though I don't collect those much anymore.

 

Discogs.com on computer and Discographic app on my phone work well for me.

 

No app.. I've got it all on an Excel spreadsheet that I periodically print out. I'm a big nerd and I carry it all in a binder when ever I know I'm in going to a record store.

Thrift stores / garage sales.. I don't.. I take a gamble for a $1 if I have it already.

I'm a nut for matrix numbers. I often have trouble with Discogs on matrix numbers.

 

I use this. It's nice - I can scan the barcodes with it and it automatically loads up the data, which i can then edit as I like. If it doesn't find the album or the album (or CD) doesn't have a barcode, I can manually search for the album. If that fails, I can manually enter the info and search the web for the album art from within the app. I can also access my data anywhere through the sort-it website. It also lets me keep track of albums I've loaned out (not that that ever happens), personal ratings and how much I paid for an album. Works for CDs as well as vinyl. I've got all my vinyl in it and am working on the CDs. It looks good and will (hopefully!) prevent me from buying duplicates.

 

Barcode Library - Scan and Catalog by Vision Smarts
https://appsto.re/gb/Pi5lI.i

This is nice one too.

 

Yeah, an excel sheet. found it works the best.
Otherwise I forget what I have...

 

What about pre barcode LPs?

JG

 

You'd have to put those in manually.

 

iCollect Music HD by Runner Apps
https://appsto.re/gb/orWux.i

This was the best music collecting app I ever had. Lots of different categories including one for the last time you played the title! Sadly, it's no longer supported and half of it doesn't work anymore. Every time IOS updates, a little more of it dies.

It's still for sale, oddly. Don't buy it! It really should be taken down.

 

I purchased Clz music app but soon found that the search feature left much to be desired. Barcode reader didn't have entries for a lot of my CDs. Searching by title left you with tons of results that showed little information without clicking on every entry. I thought it would be more scan and done. It left a lot to be desired.

I now have a discogs account that I use for vinyl. Maybe one day they will have a designated app.

 

Interestingly that seems to be made by the same company as the one I recommended - Runner Apps. Same developer as well, but the one I'm using has been updated recently - July 2015.

 

I bet the I Collect Music one hasn't be updated in 2 years... You can't put artwork on it anymore and the scanner no longer works. A real shame, as it was a great app.

 

I had all my LPs written into a diary, so a couple of years ago, I decided to transfer the list into an Excel file. So now all I have to do is to add any LP when I buy them. It was a hard slog at the time, but well worth it.

JG

 

For classical LP collectors, there is Maestro Manager, which I used to have. Excellent for entering complex classical album info. They also have pre made entries for the complete RCA, EMI, Decca labels to make things easier for those that focus on audiophile favorites or the golden age of early stereo.

 

I use Discogs but I admit it's imperfect. Basically an estimate, as far as really specific pressing info. OTOH I know what I have more or less using their system. I don't think I've ever double purchased a record by mistake.

 

I use Collectorz Music and it works fine. I think ir's great!

 

I have my own spreadsheets. I also use the notes field at Rate Your Music. Discogs often doesn't have my exact issue, and I can't be bothered adding it.

 

Many, many years ago when my collection was still growing substantially I manually wrote as much info about an album as I could on a loose-leaf sheet of paper that I kept in a binder. It had all of the basic information, plus all of the artists, what they played, who the songs were written by, where and when it was recorded, etc., etc. My ex thought I was insane. Unfortunately I have no idea whatever happened to those binders. Now I've started an Excel file, but I'm not really diligent about adding everything I have.

 

Yep. That's my issue. But, I'm more likely to find an entry that's very close to correct and add it on my phone right after I buy the album. I would never ever ever be disciplined enough to keep a spreadsheet, for example.

 

I always used to write down where I got my LPs and CDs from and where. Also how much they cost. It was a big job for me transferring them to the apps I have. Fun in a sad sort of way, though.

 

I've got that one. Nice and easy to use. Even better since they updated it recently.

 

Done it more times than I can remember, but only once since I got the Collectorz App. I could have sworn I only had Fleetwood Mac's Mirage on a poor sounding reel to reel, so I grabbed it on record. The record looked mint, but was noisy as hell, so I was glad to find that I already had a copy, despite being out $10.00.

 

I have been using VinylWall. It has come in handy when crate digging.

 

- I heard that Discographic removed the ability to view the Discogs discography listings, and a lot of users are upset about that? But if it still pulls images, etc. from that site (or where ever else it might be getting them from) and uses it to build your database, I suppose that's great. All the examples on their site seem to be 70's-today albums. (Which I realize is probably their customer base.) But I wonder if it works just as well on older albums. Most of my collection is Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, etc. etc...

The app looks great. I'd just hate to waste $3.