Finally, we arrive at the topic I most want to discuss.
I consider myself to be an ultimate data hoarder. For instance, I create several databases to store information about various anime, novels, comics, etc., that I have watched or read, simply because the existing online databases do not meet my data management needs.
For example, if I want to search for the top five light novel works I rated highest between 2018 and 2022, no platforms like Bangumi, AniDB, or MAL can do that. Some even require a lot of effort just to conveniently view my historical ratings.
Another example is the visual novel database VNDb, or the music database Discogs; their functionalities in this regard are also unsatisfactory.
And this is just regarding ratings. If I want to receive timely updates on the manga I’m following and download the resources to my computer while being able to access them simultaneously on my iPad and phone, this is also something that existing services struggle to achieve (you can't even rely on just one service to get these updates).
There are also things like my ledger, ensuring I don’t forget to buy toothpaste when I go grocery shopping, not being able to find good articles or literature I want to reference later, and having useful spell materials readily available for reuse without having to search for a long time... and so on.
Of course, some people might say, why not just remember these things? The key is that my memory isn’t very good; aside from holding grudges, I’m a complete mess when it comes to remembering other things.
So I need a solution to address these issues, and it needs to be as simple as possible, without overly complex maintenance and configuration, and the management rules need to align with my own logic.
Thus, I plan to share some methods I use to manage all these things, partly to inspire others with similar needs, and partly to exchange ideas and learn about other people's methods.
The first article on this topic is about a recent commission I received for an offline DJ Live, which prompted me to streamline and optimize my DJ Music Library management.
Some who are not familiar with DJing might wonder why the management of music for DJs needs to be discussed separately.
Because for regular music, you might just need to listen and then archive it for future recommendations. However, for DJs, the use of music leans more towards practicality; you need to know the general structure of a song so that you can quickly find the tracks you need during an impromptu set or when arranging a set.
These two usage scenarios have some similarities, but they are mostly different, and the music library you need should be as streamlined as possible to fit your usage environment, avoiding situations where you scroll through a thousand songs without finding the one you want.
During an impromptu performance, if you can find the tracks you want more efficiently, you will have more time to consider transitions and mixing. Keeping your DJ Library updated through organized management will also help you better understand the music you use. If all the music you need is in one place, you can easily transfer your database to other computers and devices (I’ve known friends who encountered this issue when switching computers).
Of course, there are also backup considerations and other aspects; in short, it’s very important. If you have not been exposed to or are not interested in DJing, you can still gain some useful insights from this article, such as music resource searching and tag management (probably!).
Discovering New Music#
Finding new tracks to add to your set is very exciting. For me, I mainly acquire new tracks through the following four methods.
- Listening to Other DJs' Sets & Radio Shows
On platforms like YouTube, Soundcloud, Mixcloud, and various domestic and international radio stations and events, if I hear a track I like, I will note it down. If the uploader provides a tracklist, that’s the best; if not, you can try asking them in the comments or through private messages. Usually, as long as the track isn’t too old, you can get a response. If that fails, you might have to seek help from a friend familiar with that style.
- Streaming Services like Spotify and NetEase Cloud
Typically, when you subscribe to your favorite producers, you will receive notifications about their latest tracks. Of course, for those who are not keen on streaming services, you can only rely on their social media or even blogs to get their latest tracks.
You can also find interesting new tracks by checking out other people's playlists, which is especially useful on Spotify, as you can find many recommendations from foreign producers or DJs, or playlists related to certain styles.
Of course, I also occasionally update my own playlists on Spotify, and I’m planning to redo them all recently, so feel free to check them out if you’re interested.
What? You say NetEase Cloud? Can you even rely on the quality of most playlists there?
- Obtaining from the DJ & Producer Community
When you join communities of DJs and producers, they will share their new tracks or IDs. Usually, if you find something interesting, you can ask them if you can use it in your own set.
You must ask; of course, if they’ve already released it, it’s not an issue.
- Digging Yourself
Exploring areas you haven’t discovered yet is very interesting, and it’s also the most important point. I might write a separate piece on digging techniques in the future.
Acquiring New Music#
The most important part is, of course, finding places to acquire the tracks you need. For DJs, who need to continuously iterate their music reserves to provide fresh content to their audience, finding new or obscure tracks is crucial.
Of course, this area is quite deep; for some diggers, finding the songs they want might take months or even years. Besides the methods mentioned above, there are dedicated websites for DJs to acquire music, such as Beatport, Record Pools, Juno Download, and so on.
For tracks I want to buy, I will first record them in my database and purchase them when I have the funds or when I have time to organize.
You can also acquire music from audio distribution platforms like Dizzylab and Bandcamp. For doujin music, you can refer to the doujin music guide I wrote earlier.
- Preface: Given the increasing number of questions about how to hear a certain song, I wrote this doujin music guide about why it’s difficult to hear doujin works. The reasons are varied; Japan's CD-centric distribution model limits the spread of doujin music overseas, various copyright issues faced in production and distribution, the limitations of digital media (since August 1, 2019, artists are no longer allowed to digitally release their works without going through specific distributors), and high commission rates (Booth's commission is 3.6%, while Bandcamp can be as high as 15%) deter many. Or, they might not even know that there is a group of people overseas quietly following their works, as an event might only have a dozen attendees.
I previously saw a more comprehensive version planned and written by WindraiteLesd, but at the time of writing this article, it was still in editing. I’ll recommend it to everyone once it’s completed.
Transcoding#
For an introduction to various audio formats, you can check out my favorite TechQuickie video:
Due to my limited hard drive space, I only keep 320kbps MP3s on my computer or USB drive. On one hand, its compatibility is sufficiently high; on the other hand, compared to lossless formats like WAV or FLAC, the size is already small enough, and it can also retain metadata for easier organization and management of music later.
If you come across an MP3 file labeled as 320kbps but sounds terrible, you might need to check the frequency spectrum to confirm whether these files were converted from low-bitrate files to 320kbps. A 320kbps MP3 will be cut off at 20kHz, which you can use to verify whether most files are "truly" 320kbps (I’ve encountered files that genuinely added white noise up to 18kHz, but such cases are very rare).
Folder Structure#
Once you have new tracks, the first step is, of course, to put them on your computer, and the first step to putting them on your computer is to create a new folder.
First, I will create a dedicated folder for DJ use, usually located at the root of my external hard drive, so that I can import them into different DJ software more quickly when accessing from other devices.
Then, I will create a Temp folder to store tracks that I haven’t categorized or tagged yet. When I have time to categorize and tag these tracks, I will move them into my main folder.
The structure of the main folder can vary from person to person. Some people name folders based on the date they acquired the music, like
2022.02.12, but this method can lead to hundreds of different categories. Others name folders based on the community or label, but this method can also generate a large number of categories unless you only use tracks from a few fixed labels.
Of course, the most common method is to name folders based on genre, but this approach has its own issues. For example, hardcore music from 2000 and hardcore music today are completely different in both production and listening experience. Roughly grouping the two together is usually not a good choice.
Personally, I prefer to name folders based on my own preferences, adding other tags to distinguish different tracks, especially for styles that have significant temporal and regional differences, such as y2k trance, finrg, etc. Of course, there will definitely be genre police to comment on this, but that’s okay; as long as I can understand it myself, it’s fine.
The classification itself isn’t the most important thing; as long as it remains clear and understandable, the rest of the work can be handled in the following steps.
Metadata, Before#
Metadata refers to the information stored in your MP3 files about track names, artists, albums, and so on.
To edit the metadata in MP3s, I generally use MP3Tag.
Of course, you can also edit it in DJ software or music players like Foobar2000, but MP3Tag not only allows batch updates of metadata but can even rename files based on this data. It can also directly connect to databases or Discogs to write data in with one click. There are so many useful features in this software that I won’t go into detail about all of them.
DJ software can automatically analyze your tracks and add BPM and key-related data, but some data can only be stored in the internal database of the DJ software. When you move tracks to other software, other data might not be retained.
The tempo and key analyzed by DJ software may also be inaccurate, so it’s best to check them yourself.
I also want to recommend two more software tools, although they are not mandatory, they are quite useful.
Mixed In Key is a DJ assistant software that can automatically analyze tracks, mark cue points, and clean up metadata. Although its energy rating is often inaccurate, it can still be useful, and being able to share databases across different DJ software is quite helpful.
Platinum Notes has many features, but the most important one for me is batch normalizing audio and balancing loudness, which is a great help when dealing with various masters from the 00s and even the last century that have no standard.
Editing Metadata!#
Next comes the formal editing of metadata. I have my own set of standards for editing metadata, which can help manage your DJ library more effectively.
Title:
This is the name of the track. Sometimes the title may include the artist's name, which needs to be trimmed down because there are often subtitles and remixes appearing simultaneously. So I will rename the track in this format:
“Main Title (Subtitle) [xxx Remix]”
Artist:
The artist's name usually doesn’t have major issues. Sometimes the track's featured artists are included in the title; I will move them to the artist field to make it easier to find the track when searching by artist. The format is roughly like this:
“Artist 1, Artist 2, Feat. Singer”
You can look up the differences between Feat, Cover, and other terms yourself.
Album:
Here, you fill in the album or compilation name, ensuring to distinguish between different versions. If it’s a single release, you can write either the single's name or the label's name.
Genre:
Sometimes when you download a track, the metadata may include certain genres. You can modify them to something that makes sense to you. You can add multiple styles as long as they are meaningful to you. You might also encounter genres you are not very familiar with; you can initially categorize them into a broad category and then further edit them once you become familiar with that style.
BPM:
Just ensure that the speed analyzed by the DJ software is correct.
Date/Year:
As mentioned earlier, you don’t necessarily have to categorize tracks by naming folders; as long as the information left in the metadata is accurate enough, it’s fine. It’s also possible that the version you have is a re-release, while the original version is older, so you need to look up the original release date.
Cover:
Many people can recall a track just by seeing its cover; this is a more effective memory method than the track name. If you use MP3Tag, you can batch add covers or sync data from Discogs to the file. If you can’t find one, you can try a Google search or skip this step.
Track Number:
This is not important for DJs, but if you want to listen to the song, keeping the track number correct will help you better enjoy an album.
Key:
The key of the track; unless you are sure it’s wrong, there’s no need to change it.
Rating:
You can use ratings based on your practical perspective. For example, I rate tracks based on their usability: I give 1 to 2 stars for tracks I rarely use and 5 stars for those I frequently use. Adjust according to personal preference.
Comments:
This tag can be seen in most DJ software and can be used to store other information not mentioned above, such as points to note about the structure or simple comments. Generally, I will write down structural notes, such as "Intro only has 6 bars" or "There are two fake drops before the drop."
Once the metadata that can be seen in most DJ software is edited, if there are some areas you don’t need for now, you can leave them for later. Also, be sure to keep the file name and metadata consistent; in this regard, MP3Tag is quite useful for batch updating file names based on metadata.
In addition to metadata, DJ software usually has other editing options. For example, Traktor allows you to mark tracks with colors, which can further annotate the tracks. However, most software’s marking methods may not be compatible, so I prefer those that can directly record data in the MP3 files.
Managing with Playlists#
Previously, I preferred using playlists within DJ software to manage my music library. The advantage is that you can easily place a track into different playlists and conveniently find other tracks in the same playlist. However, the downside is that you cannot have multi-level nesting (at least not in Traktor), and it’s not very easy to transfer between different software. So whether to use folders or playlists depends on your usage scenario.
Conclusion#
Previously, I directly linked my personal music library for listening to serve as my DJ music library. The advantage was convenience, with a large number of tracks waiting for me to use or filter. However, the downside was that it became too bloated, and many tracks I would never use in the future. This made me realize the importance of keeping my music library tidy. Regularly cleaning up my DJ Library and moving unused tracks to less frequently used folders is essential for maintaining a quick and accurate workflow.
Since I adopted a standardized process for managing tracks, both discovering new tracks and editing metadata have become enjoyable for me. So, maintaining good habits is key to managing everything.
That's all.