THERE USED TO BE, way back in the early 1990s, a really good record cataloguing database program called Sound Librarian. It was designed for classical collections but it could be used for any kind of music collection. It was Windows-only, and this was way back before Windows 95 came out. It came on a bunch of floppy discs and it was a really great cataloguing database because it associated artists (musicians, producers, engineers, etc.) with a particular recording. If I typed in Jimmy Page, for example, the result would contain referencers to not only Led Zeppelin, but also Roy Harper, the Yardbirds, the Black Crowes and everything else he was even marginally associated with. It was a great pre-Internet music cataloguing system.
But it was also a lot of work. And then somewhere along the way I lost the floppy discs and I can't find any trace of the program anywhere. There's something else out now there going by the same name, but it's not the Sound Librarian I knew and loved all those decades ago.
These days I suppose Discogs is the go-to database for record collectors. But what if it just all of a sudden disappears like some other web-based services have done in the past?
Well … there's always Roon, which charges US $12.99 for a monthly subscription (or a lifetime US $699 up-front buy-in). Roon offers a lot, including the streaming of high quality digital versions of the music in your collection. It also has excellent database cross-reference abilities not unlike Sound Librarian. But I don't like subscriptions and I haven't got US $699 to spare. And I'm also not looking for a digital playback solution. I collect records. All I want is a decent cataloguing system.
And - again - it's a web-based solution. It could one day disappear.
There's all kinds of software out there, but I wouldn't call any of them solutions. Even Discogs only does so much. But it is what it is, so right now I'm using Discogs and something called CDPedia, which is a Mac-only program that has an iPhone companion app called PocketPedia that it syncs with. It's handy, but it's bare bones basic, a bit buggy and really only useful as something I can reference when I'm standing in a record store and wondering if I already own the record I'm thinking of buying.
And it's not better than Discogs. In fact, Discogs is the better program. But CDPedia isn't web-based, and I'm only using it as an offline Discogs backup. You know, just in case.
Ya' gotta have something. Pictured below is the CDPedia Mac app, and the companion iPhone app it syncs with.
But it was also a lot of work. And then somewhere along the way I lost the floppy discs and I can't find any trace of the program anywhere. There's something else out now there going by the same name, but it's not the Sound Librarian I knew and loved all those decades ago.
These days I suppose Discogs is the go-to database for record collectors. But what if it just all of a sudden disappears like some other web-based services have done in the past?
Well … there's always Roon, which charges US $12.99 for a monthly subscription (or a lifetime US $699 up-front buy-in). Roon offers a lot, including the streaming of high quality digital versions of the music in your collection. It also has excellent database cross-reference abilities not unlike Sound Librarian. But I don't like subscriptions and I haven't got US $699 to spare. And I'm also not looking for a digital playback solution. I collect records. All I want is a decent cataloguing system.
And - again - it's a web-based solution. It could one day disappear.
There's all kinds of software out there, but I wouldn't call any of them solutions. Even Discogs only does so much. But it is what it is, so right now I'm using Discogs and something called CDPedia, which is a Mac-only program that has an iPhone companion app called PocketPedia that it syncs with. It's handy, but it's bare bones basic, a bit buggy and really only useful as something I can reference when I'm standing in a record store and wondering if I already own the record I'm thinking of buying.
And it's not better than Discogs. In fact, Discogs is the better program. But CDPedia isn't web-based, and I'm only using it as an offline Discogs backup. You know, just in case.
Ya' gotta have something. Pictured below is the CDPedia Mac app, and the companion iPhone app it syncs with.
THERE USED TO BE, way back in the early 1990s, a really good record cataloguing database program called Sound Librarian. It was designed for classical collections but it could be used for any kind of music collection. It was Windows-only, and this was way back before Windows 95 came out. It came on a bunch of floppy discs and it was a really great cataloguing database because it associated artists (musicians, producers, engineers, etc.) with a particular recording. If I typed in Jimmy Page, for example, the result would contain referencers to not only Led Zeppelin, but also Roy Harper, the Yardbirds, the Black Crowes and everything else he was even marginally associated with. It was a great pre-Internet music cataloguing system.
But it was also a lot of work. And then somewhere along the way I lost the floppy discs and I can't find any trace of the program anywhere. There's something else out now there going by the same name, but it's not the Sound Librarian I knew and loved all those decades ago.
These days I suppose Discogs is the go-to database for record collectors. But what if it just all of a sudden disappears like some other web-based services have done in the past?
Well … there's always Roon, which charges US $12.99 for a monthly subscription (or a lifetime US $699 up-front buy-in). Roon offers a lot, including the streaming of high quality digital versions of the music in your collection. It also has excellent database cross-reference abilities not unlike Sound Librarian. But I don't like subscriptions and I haven't got US $699 to spare. And I'm also not looking for a digital playback solution. I collect records. All I want is a decent cataloguing system.
And - again - it's a web-based solution. It could one day disappear.
There's all kinds of software out there, but I wouldn't call any of them solutions. Even Discogs only does so much. But it is what it is, so right now I'm using Discogs and something called CDPedia, which is a Mac-only program that has an iPhone companion app called PocketPedia that it syncs with. It's handy, but it's bare bones basic, a bit buggy and really only useful as something I can reference when I'm standing in a record store and wondering if I already own the record I'm thinking of buying.
And it's not better than Discogs. In fact, Discogs is the better program. But CDPedia isn't web-based, and I'm only using it as an offline Discogs backup. You know, just in case.
But it was also a lot of work. And then somewhere along the way I lost the floppy discs and I can't find any trace of the program anywhere. There's something else out now there going by the same name, but it's not the Sound Librarian I knew and loved all those decades ago.
These days I suppose Discogs is the go-to database for record collectors. But what if it just all of a sudden disappears like some other web-based services have done in the past?
Well … there's always Roon, which charges US $12.99 for a monthly subscription (or a lifetime US $699 up-front buy-in). Roon offers a lot, including the streaming of high quality digital versions of the music in your collection. It also has excellent database cross-reference abilities not unlike Sound Librarian. But I don't like subscriptions and I haven't got US $699 to spare. And I'm also not looking for a digital playback solution. I collect records. All I want is a decent cataloguing system.
And - again - it's a web-based solution. It could one day disappear.
There's all kinds of software out there, but I wouldn't call any of them solutions. Even Discogs only does so much. But it is what it is, so right now I'm using Discogs and something called CDPedia, which is a Mac-only program that has an iPhone companion app called PocketPedia that it syncs with. It's handy, but it's bare bones basic, a bit buggy and really only useful as something I can reference when I'm standing in a record store and wondering if I already own the record I'm thinking of buying.
And it's not better than Discogs. In fact, Discogs is the better program. But CDPedia isn't web-based, and I'm only using it as an offline Discogs backup. You know, just in case.
BONUS TRACK
Life is risky. Accidents happen. That's what insurance is for. But have you insured your record collection? It's not as straight forward as you might think and cataloguing your collection and knowing what you have - and how much it is worth - is the most important step you can take to make sure you're covered in the event of a disaster.
And don't assume your collection is covered under your house insurance. My record collection is automatically insured under a kind of catch-all miscellaneous umbrella on my home insurance policy up to a maximum of $30,000, which I am told is pretty standard. But any more than that would need a special rider.
And record collections can add up in value, especially if you have a lot of rare records.
And don't assume that just because you've made a list of a bunch of records your insurance company is going to believe you actually owned them and cut you a cheque. A detailed inventory is absolutely necessary, but photographs of you collection should also be considered essential in helping you prove your claim. Make sure you take pictures of any particularly expensive and collectible items in your collection, too, and maybe even consider having them covered separately under a rider.
You can also do what I did and invite your insurance agent over for an evening of beer and music.
Remember: even if your collection is insured for loss by a rider attached to your homeowner’s policy, any claim will still be subject to the policy’s coverage limits and deductibles. And - again - you will need proof that the collection actually existed.
That means you will need an inventory of your collection. If you haven't already compiled one, get on Discogs right now and get started. It's free.
NEED MORE INCENTIVE?
Life is risky. Accidents happen. That's what insurance is for. But have you insured your record collection? It's not as straight forward as you might think and cataloguing your collection and knowing what you have - and how much it is worth - is the most important step you can take to make sure you're covered in the event of a disaster.
And don't assume your collection is covered under your house insurance. My record collection is automatically insured under a kind of catch-all miscellaneous umbrella on my home insurance policy up to a maximum of $30,000, which I am told is pretty standard. But any more than that would need a special rider.
And record collections can add up in value, especially if you have a lot of rare records.
And don't assume that just because you've made a list of a bunch of records your insurance company is going to believe you actually owned them and cut you a cheque. A detailed inventory is absolutely necessary, but photographs of you collection should also be considered essential in helping you prove your claim. Make sure you take pictures of any particularly expensive and collectible items in your collection, too, and maybe even consider having them covered separately under a rider.
You can also do what I did and invite your insurance agent over for an evening of beer and music.
Remember: even if your collection is insured for loss by a rider attached to your homeowner’s policy, any claim will still be subject to the policy’s coverage limits and deductibles. And - again - you will need proof that the collection actually existed.
That means you will need an inventory of your collection. If you haven't already compiled one, get on Discogs right now and get started. It's free.
NEED MORE INCENTIVE?
- Record collection worth more than $1,000,000 destroyed in flood
- Fire destroyes redcord collection
- Discogs: insuring your record collection
