Important topic, not so pleasant but important. I like the way you organize your collection, I try to do it the same way and I think it works very well. You focused on other points that I think are important. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
I inherited a collection of Jazz and Big Band from an old friend. Truth is I rescued them from his damp basement. He started collecting in 1962 and switched to cd’s about 1990. His health was starting to fail. I have organized them Alphabetically by category. Jazz, Blues, Funk, Rock. I have cataloged everything on CLZ and now I am cataloging everything on Discogs. I have continued to collect mostly Jazz thru AP. Current count is 2302.
Regarding your disaster recovery plan….. one simple solution is to photograph each cube area. With high resolution pic you should be able to read each spine by zooming in. Maybe not as detailed as a good database but a quick way to chronicle your inventory in case of damage. Great video as usual….keep them coming.
Does anyone else also separate albums they purchased new from the albums they purchased used to keep their new albums from smelling like their older ones? Of course, what do you do when you get a used one that looks almost new? On the general topic of curation, one thing I've been doing over the past 7 or 8 years to keep my collection from becoming too large is to separate albums I rarely listen to that don't have a special significance and place them in boxes to the side. If after several months I still have no real desire to play them, to eBay or discogs they go.
First off I have over 16,000 records, I also don't limit my music to reissue labels. I have two main libraries, old records around pre 1990, and then the newer variety till today. They are alphabetical with the exception of big artist who have a large catalog. They are in their own grouping and still separated for new and old records. My main genres is classic rock, blues, R&B/soul, Early Rock/Pop, much more but these are separated as well. What I also do is have an alphabetical section for mostly newer records I call Pure Audiophile, this section is for no holds bar on sound quality and production of records. This is where I'll find DCC, MFSL, AP and many titles/labels you would never think would be there but the record warrants it. So if I want to listen to Bob Marley, I have at least 4 sections depending on age of the record and quality of it to find him. I could have the same title but a different copy in all 4 sections. For me they are all reference points, all records are different, having multiples of the same title lets you hear the differences.
Interesting topic for those of us that have collections like yours and mine. One thing I have noticed is that you ideally want a organizing system to inspire you to play your record and where you are still being able to find what you want. The other thing I have introduced to my record shelf system is a Heavy Rotation section for records I know I want to listen to (new records for example) - I then review that section every once and a while and put some of those records in their proper section. With regards to the wills thing and the work that is needed - I think a solution would be have a post-it note with price, date and conditioning listed on or in the record to give our loved ones some kind of information to start with. I'm not suggesting in a crass (look how much this record is worth) but tactful and understated. I also got in the habit of having my own personal rating system on the sticky note with two numbers out of 10 - audiophile rating and music rating. Lastly, it also might help you and I when pulling out a record that is worth X number of dollars that we don't like or haven't listened to in years consider selling after reviewing all your needed information to make an informed decision - thinning out and\or streamlining our collections.
I have sections like Mofi, Blue Note, Impulse, IMPEX, Acoustic Sounds, VMP and a section, as you do, for recently listened to heavy rotation LPs in case I want to quickly pull them out again. My older LPs are all alphabetical by a broad genre classification; ROCK, JAZZ, FOLK, CLASSICAL.
I'm an A-Z & oldest-to-newest guy, although I do keep jazz, classical, spoken word and various artists separate from the main collection. My collection isn't all that large (2500 LPs), but I would start losing track of records if I sorted by labels, and it's not like I walk up to my collection thinking "What MoFi album do I want to hear next?" I'm getting to an age (late 60's) where I need to use minimal-option sorting methods. I do keep my Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who and Hendrix albums in an overflow Kallax unit. Beatles albums are also sorted by country of origin.
I'm going through this right now. I just rearranged my shelves yesterday. Sometimes finding a record you forgot you had because you put it in the wrong section can be such a great surprise.
A fantastic video, thank you. It has certainly given me food for thought. I’m not sure there is an ideal solution but I arrange my vinyl to suit my listening habits. I only own about 100 records but they get arranged not alphabetically or by artist but by how often I listen to them. For example, every-time I finish with a record it gets placed to the left hand side of the shelf. This means that over probably a long period of time, my favourites are on the left and my least played on the right. One of the downsides is it would be difficult if I wanted to find a specific record. But it does however mean that I can view which records I should play more often rather than the same ones each time. Cheers
While I can’t help you find the missing Paul Simon record, I do have a simple solution going forward. Make a gatefold using two vinyl storage solution sealable sleeves and put each Paul Simon cover in each side. Both covers are thin enough for it to work. I do this for all mofi one steps. Just make sure lp sleeve one and sleeve two are In the right order (it says LP one/two on the spine).
Ever since I started watching your channel I loved the look of your Impulse and MoFi's all together so I went thru and sorted all the labels together then sort the rest by genre. As far as VMP, I keep all the obis on and store like the impulse, blue note, ect.. with them all together. Then I put their store exclusives in with the genres.
Librarians have found pretty good solutions for most of these problems. Some sort of searchable catalogue and then sections based on genre with alphabetised artists. I suspect they’d place a Blue Note or Impulse! collection into a “Special Collections” section.
Great video! Sorting a record collection for me is not only about finding an individual record fast, but also about when they where acquired. I keep a separate section for my indie records bought in the 80s and 90s. They are a collection in itself and don’t get mixed up with newer records. That way when I feel nostalgic, I can go to that shelf and get back. Also I keep Maxi-Singles separate, to quickly find them for parties and keep boxes in a separate section. The rest is the usual, genres alphabetically ordered.
Michael. During the day I work for the Smithsonian African Art museum as their web designer. You strike me as someone who would like visuals to be a part of how you organize. Since we both cover our sleeves using Mike’s product why not consider a color strip, all sized the same way. Each color represents whatever you define and they get affixed to the same part of the spine for consistency. It would at least speed up quick discoveries. Just an idea off the top of my head. Good luck!
Collecting for 35 years Michael. I have 4000+ records and I think I just have sold a further 2000 in some moments of madness that I regret. I have around 2000 audiophile releases all stored by label (I am very close to 500 AP titles alone). The box sets are all stored separately although I like your idea of taking the records out - maybe if I had more space. The non audiophile stuff is alphabetical except my 60s British Jazz, ECM and current British Jazz titles which are all stored in those sections together. I have very little room left and a partner who keeps saying one in one out!
Hi Michael, you are touching an important subject in how to organize one's vinyl collection, and I guess we all have gone thru reorganizing our collections a couple of times with the hope to find the best and final solution. My take is: There is never a final solution :-) and the best solution is always a more momentary one and very individual depending on one's musical taste and collection focuses. For example: My genre focus is mostly Jazz and Female Jazz Vocalist, and a cross-section variety of Pop, Rock, Blues, World, OST etx. My record label/reissue label focus is mostly Blue Note, Music Matters & Tone Poet, and a cross-section variety of Blue Note, Impulse, ECM, ACT, Chasing The Dragon, A.T. Music, AudioNautes, Fone, Sam Records, Lost Recordings, Pure Audiophile Records, Groove Note, ORG, MoFi, AP, Classic Records, Speakers Corner, Alto Analogue, etx. What works best for me is to categorize by Female Jazz Vocal, Jazz, Rock/Pop/Blues, World, OST and within these go A-Z. However, I break out into a few special groupings. E.g. I put all my MM and Tone Poets (due to their cover quality similarity), and Jazz re-issues from AP together (all Blue Notes), because I have so many and I regard them top notch audiophile Jazz. The very few Blue Note Classic Reissue Series LPs, however, I put under my general Jazz A-Z. Upto now this works fine for me. I can still easily find the records I am looking for. (My wife cannot .-) As my musical and label preferences, and collecting focus may change, my record organisation will be adapted.
The majority of my 3,000lp collection is split into 4 sections a little randomly in parts, in geographical order 1. UK pre 1990 and 2. UK New after '90 3. US pre 1990 and 2. US after '90 ... all with a little but of genre grouping incl. Small Australian, Irish and european scandy sections Can find anything with a quick flip through. I do love the visibility of the box sets.👍
Maybe to make Excel document with section names and file differ LP's under differ sections? This way you doenst have to think about anything and place your vinyl on shelf as you wish, just put the section names on shelf and when you need the record, you look at your file by selecting that name and it shows you the section where that record sits, done. Great topic , thx Michael. Cheers!
Not having such a large collection, about 800, mines quite simple. I don't have enough of any one label to really give them their own section, so I have two main sections, Jazz and Rock/Pop. With a small Classical one. In these I simply file them alphabetically, my problem comes with duets, such as my copy of Duke Ellington & John Coltrane, does it go with my Coltrane's or with Dukes other records? Similar to your Paul Simon problem, I did lose my copy of Wish You Were Here for months, I must have been very tired or slightly the worse for wear when putting it away as I eventually found it under the "F's" for Floyd rather than the "P" for Pink.
i do by genre... jazz (1/2 by label blue note impulse etc/ 1/2 by artist) country, blues, pop/rock, world etc.. the only other label i have separated is Leon's Shelter label... solo albums go with the bands catalog.... john lennon with the Beatles... Levon Helm with the Band .... Jerry Garcia with the Grateful Dead etc etc... Robert Plant with Zep except the Allison Kraus collaborations go in Country... everyone will have a personalized filing system.
I have been buying vinyl for 55 years, sadly I now need to measure not by number of records but in tonnes so structure by Genre so world, ambient/electronica, jazz, classic pop & rock, then split by new and found crate digging. Most sub sections are alphabetic by artist except NEW jazz which is by label. Thank you for raising this it is critical if you want to listen to your records. I keep all invoices and having a terminal illness my wife insisted that everything is on discogs with notes re issues and quality. I was a specialist database software developer specialising in fund management and stockbroking. I find that investment software is very good for vinyl as each record can be treated as a "stock" or "unit"
Not boring at all Michael. It can make you crazy thinking of ways to do it. While my collection isn’t to big 500-600. You really can get frustrated looking for that misplaced record. I’ve found the tried and true way of doing it alphabetically works best for me.. Thanks
Great video Michael and very important to those of us who have a large collection. For me it is audiophile releases by label (alphabetically) then Artists alphabetically. Outside of that it’s just Artist alphabetically from 0-10, A to Z.
Interesting topic Michael. My method after decades of collecting is…. Firstly I organise them by label (MOFI, Blue Note, Impulse, VMP etc). Then I put the artists I collect there whole discography together (Zappa, Miles, Young etc). Then I organise the rest of my collection I organise by decade regardless of genre (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s etc). I find that organise them by decade is the best way for me to rediscover my collection and share my collection with family and friends. Also I’m a graphic designer and the artwork is as important to me as the music so having my albums organised by decade is visually more appealing to see the album cover art evolve from decade to decade.
Perhaps we can agree on a methodology that can be tailored to each collector. The atomic level is alphabetical by artist - because anybody looking at your collection can find an album (does anybody else have friends and family sitting in front of their shelves scanning for that one album that they are excited to listen to after waking up to how good vinyl sounds?!). Next, add new arrivals. I find it's important to get familiar with a new album, to see it a bunch of times even if you don't play it, to help remember that you have it before you file it. Next, create an outgoing slot to terrywho22's point. These are the misfit albums for any number of reasons - for me it's mostly bad recordings or noisy albums - I would never put a good version of an album in this outgoing slot due to taste or preference since someone, someday will ask me to play that album. Next, create your specialty categories. For 45 RPM Audiophile its by label. For me its genre - I pull out Jazz, classical, heavy metal, electronica and rap. It's important that these categories are robust, meaning that I have a significant number of albums in the category and that it will make it easer to scan.
I like the idea of the new arrivals and specialty grouping. Since I'm new to collecting 45s, the few I have are separated and sit with my new arrivals in my equipment rack. I will also have 6 or 8 (to steal Michael's term) "Turntable favorites" of the month right there as well.
So far I have 3 separate parts of my collection. I have the one that is separated by genre, another that is Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin, and the other one that is only beach boys lol, plus box sets obviously have their own thing as well.
Good show, I love to know how people organise things. I have a fraction of the records you have, but some experience and same problems with books. I try to have everything alphabetically… when some genre starts to get a respectable quantity, I pull that records and start a section, also alphabetically. So what do I have… the main with rock, pop, indie and everything in between. I started sections of Jazz, Classic (including contemporary), electronic and Blues, Soul, R&R… and I think that's it. In my books I also pull sections by author if there's someone prolific and very important to me - didn't happen so far with vinyl/music. I get your thing with labels thought. I had that with publishers/collections and in the end I did split the collections by author. I lost the sexy look on the shelf, but they look great anyway, or at least I like it. Regarding your MIA dilemma, for me that's MIA, I don't care if it "essential" or otherwise (you reached the same conclusion). And I almost forgot: the boxes I insert also alphabetically and they work as big flags or labels… let's say I have a lot of records on the main section, then I see a Cocteau Twins box, I now I'm in the C, a Smiths box, that's the S around and so on. The boxes help a lot in my scheme.
By genre. Alphabetically. That way I can find records for the mood I’m in. It also helps when friends come over who have no knowledge of labels and no interest in certain genres. They can just look through my “rock.” Soundtracks go with soundtracks, unless for instance if a soundtrack is made by a single artist. For example Purple Rain by Prince or Quake by Nine Inch Nails/Trent. Holiday stuff goes with holiday stuff, that way when it’s XMas time, I don’t have to seeeeeaaaarrrrccchhh for holiday music and try to remember what I have. It’s all together. Genre has a few hang ups. For instance Bowie. But he’s generally Rock, so all of his stuff is together, in the B’s of “Rock.” Gorillaz in another artist that is difficult to classify, so I just have them in hip hop. Though, that doesn’t exactly fit. One day, I’ll have a “Post-Genre” section for Gorillaz and Poppy and Bowie and St. Vincent etc…
I’m fully onboard with this discussion. I posed this question to friends last week and only received a few suggestions. I organized my books y spine colour two years ago and it was maddening to find any specific title. Box sets drive me mental, going alphabetical does not serve my collection well (E.g. Tom Waits should have a more prominent place on my shelves rather than at the bottom of the last shelf), and genrefication causes many an internal debate.
Mine is easy. I decided I wanted a record collection again in 2016 so I bought a Kallax cube with the goal of filling the bottom left corner with about 50 records. Now I use it as a room divider so I can access both sides. The top 2 quarters one side is all my pop/rock CD's from A-Z. 64 jewel boxes and on the back side is the same with non-jewel box CD's. The bottom 2 cubes are for records the left is full and the right still has 4 CD box sets as placeholders. So the last quarter has the rest of my pop/rock LP's (T-rex to Neil Young) then my placeholders then my small Jazz/Misc section: Lee Morgan, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Sinatra, etc. and those all have white spines for some reason so they all go together. When I fill out my remaining placeholders I'm done.
I try to keep it fairly simple. Three basic categories: reggae, jazz, everything else (all rock genres, pop, blues, soul, country,etc). If I had classical it would be a separate genre. I also have very small sections for soundtracks and holiday music. Each section is sorted alphabetically and then by date of original release. My biggest mistake has been sorting by last name because it’s inconsistent with the way Discogs sorts by name. I only have about 1,000 records, but resorting them by first name will be a pain.
my problem is having jazz artists which have rel;eases on many labels, now I have to remember which album is on which label, haha but seriously I have my records (3,000) into genres and alphabetical order. rock, woman, soundtracks, punk, soul, world etc. Then the jazz records are tone poet, impulse, west coast east coast, swing, big band etc. it works for me. good vid Michael
A-Z has always worked for me when it comes to organizing my record collection. Although the idea of organizing it according to genre has appeal even though the lines sometimes get blurry when deciding in such a way.
I have a box set or a ‘boxed lp’ at the start and finish of each section to give support to the single/double lps, otherwise just simply alphabetical order. But going on the comments on here and other forums my collection is tiny so alpha works well for me.
I guess not all of us are lucky enough to have the same problems as you do Michael!? My collection is quite considerably sized, so I have been keeping it shelved according to genre, followed by artist. Krautrock records on one shelf. Art Rock and Prog together, Punk/Post Punk/New Wave..... together., Electronica together, Female artist together, German artists from 80's onwards together, Jazz together, U2, Simple Minds, Big Country, etc. together, Classic Rock together, American 90's alternative rock & Grunge... You get the picture 😉 The only variation is the genre commonly known as 'Bowie', which has its own shelf. This system works for my brain 🧠
@@Michael45RPM Nope, it doesnt look as clean on the shelf but its easy to keep track. I lost a King Crimson record once, confused I looked all over but couldnt find it. It must be with the others as I keep them together so I pulled every Crimson out and sure enough it had just been pushed back much further or got inbetween a gatefold cover if I recall. I wonder if maybe your Paul Simon has been pushed back inbetween two other records that obscure it as well.
I put popular recordings in one section. Jazz, classical, soundtracks, etc in another. Both are done in alphabetical order. I do my CDs the same way. It works for me.
AP, MoFi, etc. get their own section. (But after watching this, I’m now giving BlueNote its own section, too.) Then genre, artist, release date chronology. However, this still presents challenges. Does “Purple Rain” go with Prince or with Soundtracks? Does Ella Fitzgerald’s “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas” go with the other Ella or with Holiday? And so on. Still, a great topic I’ll probably borrow advice from! (And “Loveless” is a killer album.)
I would put "Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas" with the rest of the acoustic sounds series, because (as far as I know) they all share the same gatefold size.
I do mine by genre and release date as well (keeping artist's discographies clumped together of course). It may not be the most intuitive for some people, but I really like the way you can see a progression of a given genre in the shelves. You can trace the metal lineage in my metal section from Sabbath + Deep Purple/Rainbow, to Judas Priest + Iron Maiden, to Metallica + Megadeth, into more modern stuff like Baroness and Power Trip. Or see a snapshot of the evolution of jazz in the past 60-70 years with Dizzy > Miles > Trane > Herbie > Weather Report > Kamasi Washington, etc...
Hello Michael I have not watched all of your new video just yet but I thought I would jump in right now anyway to give you my two pence worth (old English expression). Firstly, I was very flattered with the half a century remark as it made me feel young again :-) I have been collecting and storing records for just a bit longer than 50 years. Ahem. Some years ago I got myself in a bit of a mess with my thousands of records which have travelled around Europe with me. And then suddenly in a moment of blinding clarity having watched a very good film and then also learned something extremely interesting from a major company I figured out a way to store my LPs which is infinitely expandable. I did try to explain my system earlier in the year on your TH-cam Channel but my comment was deleted; but, hey I'l try again...shall I continue...?
Box Sets have their own section the rest, Live Albums have their own section put in chronological order, Studio releases/Compilations ABC order by artist name and within there the releases are organized chronologically
I do it by genre first -- "Blues & R&B" (and jazz) without regard to year, alphabetical by artist. But then I have sections "1950s" and "1960s," alphabetical by artist. My books library is easier -- but I keep "Music" separate; and under "Poetry" I include poet's prose writings.
I like organizing by influence. Of course there is an influence explosion for some bands. Then I sub-organize by genre, e.g., grunge, physc, punk, jazz etc. So I basically have a grouping of 90s rock albums with a bunch of Neil Young and The Who mixed with Pearl Jam, since I ready somewhere PJ was influenced by them; same for Black Sabbath to Nirvana. And even then kind of by where band members changed bands, kind of following the person. Probably I am the only person who understands it... but I guess it makes sense to me :)
Really enjoy your channel. Thanks! I always wonder about your hifi system.Any chance of a rundown? ... from cartridge through to speakers...cabling as well!!! cheers!
I’ve always organized in alphabetical order and by year of release. Once you get a large collection, I don’t see how else you’d be able to fine anything!
the shelves here are a bit of a mess but i do a mix of visual clustering (same series or label) and genre, and that by artist or country depending on the section, eg. kraut/70s stuff is in rough chronological order with clustering by collectives/offshoots (cluster, harmonia, roedelius etc), while avantgarde/electroacoustic/concrete is by country/composer and within that series or labels (eg. soave, recollection grm) and so on. the now playing or close to the turntable section is one row old stuff (ocoras, japanese reissues etc.), another row recent experimental/ambient (by listening order and labels) and a third more beat based recent work in no particular order. ultimately it's a mix of aesthetic and practical that makes sense to me.
I dislike looking at lp spines, so they are in small boxes of about 70 lps then I can flip through them that fit into book shelves.. Then I can group albums by box. I live a few miles from south boundary of Dixie Fire in northern California. My many thousands of lps would have been a huge blob of vinyl. Sigh.
By the label, great idea, if only I could remember what label a record is on when looking for it! I favour the random method, latest are filed from the left with the exception of my 30+ Bob Dylan records. It’s a useless method but it works for me, sometimes 😂
Genre/Category --> Artist --> Chronology, in general. Categories include: 1. Rock/pop/R & B/country... AKA "Pop" 2. Jazz & blues 3. Hip Hop 4. Soundtracks Plus... MoFi records stay together. VMP (whether record of month or individual purchases,) also together. The movie High Fidelity w/ John Cusack has fun scenes discussing how to rearrange/organize records. 🎸
This is one of saddest video I have seen. The pain in soul.😂 Organization is a pain. I have just started with vinyl collection. This video is very helpful. Thanks
Hello Michael, as always, I enjoy your channel very much. This last one made me reflect about proper insurance for my own collection. Do you have any advice? Is your collection insured as part of your home insurance or separately? Love your channel.
Sorting records is and has always been one of my favourite topics. However I have never seemed to be able to work it out. Ideally one should have a lot of extra unoccupied shelf space so that anytime you get anything new you can slide in the new record. However i did classify at one point some of my favourite bands and genres But ran out of space as Soon as i got some new records. So basically They are classified by date of purchase now. And with time i kind of know where They are. However There are always a few records that I simply cannot find anymore. So well… Maybe one day i Will find the perfect way. I have over the years tended to sort on the one hand by genres and some by labels or even alphavetically: i did separate all the new wave stuff with also subdivisions for the punk/post-punk and electronic stuff But Then When i moved a few years ago this became completely disorganized and I never Really got it back in order. So mainly buying order prevails now (with one or Two exceptions like my Who stuff🙈🙈🙈), But it seems to be a lifelong Journey, At least for me. But thanks for the great video!
What I like: 1) categorize by music genre with labelled dividers (e.g. Oldies/Rockabilly, Classic Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop-Rock/Indie Rock, R&B/Soul, Hip-Hop, Disco, Jazz/Big Band/Swing, Electronic, Ambient/New Age, Folk, Classic Country/Outlaw, Modern Country, Classical, Broadway/Musicals/Show-tunes, Soundtracks, Easy listening/Popular Vocal/American Songbook.... and so on), then 2) alphabetical order within genres. Just like the public libraries had it before they began removing a lot of the CD's. A complete stranger walking up to my collection should be able to understand where to go. If a person listens to only one or two types of music category, no need for this and simply alphabetical order. If you have a large classical collection, I would divide that category up in music periods (e.g. Early, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century Modern, Contemporary, etc...). I think this is ideal for those who listen to a variety of music and many record collectors do have many genres of music in collections.
I don't think of labels when I have a yearning to listen to something..I go to artist, or genre..sometimes I have a 'surprise' find in my collection and I have to play it.
I bury my “audiophile” labels with the artist Except a small area with go to records - A Love Supreme, London Calling, etc And the complete Music Matter catalog I use outer sleeves, ultrasonically clean the lp then put it in a nice QRP intersleeve. I place the intersleeves in the outer plastic sleeve outside of the album cover. No screwing with trying to force a record back in. Well worth the price to keep things nice.
Back in the old days a guy I knew ranked his albums into 7 categories. The ranking was based on how much Fuzz-Tone guitar each one had. Blue Cheer was a seven. Beethoven a one. Easy!
My collection is generally sorted by genre, then alphabetically, boxed sets separately. But now I'm moving to a hybrid model: genre alphabetically for non-audiophile releases, then the same for audiophile releases. I'll make an exception for non-series audiophile stuff (e.g., the occasional Japanese or Nimbus pressing), which will still live with the other records. So: Dire Straits in pop/rock and my Japanese pressing of Love Over Gold lives there, but my MoFi versions of their albums go in the MoFi section. But here's a question for Michael and others: do you store sequenced series albums by number or by artists/title? For example, do your store your Analogue Productions UHQRs as Davis/Hendrix/Hendrix/Jethro Tull, or UHQR-001, UHQR-002, UHQR-003-45, and UHQR-004? My OCD dislikes the disparity between numerical and alphabetical order!
Michael thank you for this important video. My major concern is insuring my collection. I have 2000+ LPs and about 1000 CDs and my insurance company won't insure it. Not sure what companies will insure a record collection that continues to grow and how does one keep current with the value of each record when prices are so fluid in the current marketplace? Maybe like a piece of art one over insures it to be protected. What do others on your channel do?
🙋♂️ alphabetical organizer here. It's just easy and I don't want to have to think about it. That said, I'm less of a "collector." Of course I am aware of and have come to like certain labels, but it's all about the music for me, so alphabetical by artist just reflects my priorities: music and ease/simplicity
I don't care what pressing. For example, I keep all my Wayne Shorter records together, Blue Note, Tone Poet, Vee Jay, Columbia, next to Weather Report. I keep all related artists side by side.
Great video Michael, @45 RPM AUDIOPHILE I would be interested to know how you and other viewers store their box sets to best look after them? Do you keep the records in the box or keep the box separately? I am always concerned about damaging the jackets when removing them from the box. Also, how do people keep their boxes from getting worn or grubby?
Albums in two different sections divided by the timeline of when I decide what is old music - and what is new music. I decided that all albums that predate the first Cream album are in my first section. The Yardbirds/Cream timespan of 1965/66. The Yardbirds in section 1. Cream in section 2. If an artist's first album is before '66 all their releases are in section 1. Dylan/The Beatles/Beach Boys/Stones/Kinks/Who - all their albums are in section 1. I call section 1 'The Originals and The Pioneers.' Section Two - The Sustainers and The Pathfinders. Both sections are alphabetized.
Michael, one problem I have is how to sort various different runs from the same label and/or audiophile represses. For instance, should my AP versions of Miles Davis Columbia releases be stored first in AP area and then under a Columbia section with Davis/Brubeck/Ellington etc? Or something else? Also should all my AP records be then grouped into the label run series (impulse, verve, prestige etc)? That makes sense but where should new represses of original impulse or verve titles go? In the audiophile area of the original label area? What about one offs from AP such as Emarcy Label Clifford Brown, or what about AP rock albums? In a separate AP rock area or with artists alphabetically like steely dan or cat stevens? Help! I’m going crazy!!!
Michael. Any updates on this topic, any regrets with how you organized? I like the idea of going by labels such Blue Note, Impulse etc, but what about Analouge Productions? Since Analogue productions does lots of genres how do you tackle that one? Do you separate the the genre within Analgoue Productions? Thanks!
I'm also organizing by label, i have about 1,000 albums and my collection has evolved over the last 10 years (been collecting since a kid in the 70s) to the point where I only collect certain labels. I feel no need to just buy a record that isn't something i collect. Obviously back before streaming, you had to own something if you wanted to hear it (probably on CD). Now there is no such reason to actually own something unless it fits into your personal collecting criteria. For me it's certain Jazz labels, and classics like Columbia, Island, Elektra/Asylum, and a few contemporary labels and artists.
I arrange my LPs radically by alphabet (i.e. composers/artists) and within the individual artist chronologically. I think, once there is a collection of several thousands of LPs this is the most efficient and practical method to quickly find something. And it avoids the problem of thinking about genres and what fits into them. Of course, the optical appearance is more attractive if one sorts by labels, but then one has to remember what artist is on what label. But I separated regular LPs/double albums from A-Z and box sets from A-Z because a mixture of single LPs and box sets in the shelf really does not look good.
A funny incident I remember: Many years ago I visited someone with a huge LP collection, and there obviously was no ordering principle applied to it at all. I asked him how he could find a specific LP in this chaos. He replied: I never do, I just take a record from the shelves, they are all good. :D
Autobiographically like Rob in High Fidelity… 😉😂 Actually, I’m an alphabetical man, by artists’ first names / band name but I have separate sections for soundtracks and classical and I’m going to separate out jazz soon. My hip hop collection is zero so there’s a separate section for that (in the shops… they can stay there!).
Similar to you I guess. All my Jazz records are organised by label. . Everything else is organised by genre. Very happy with this system. Oh, although I've been buying records for decades, I don't see myself as a collector....and I refer to the body of records as a library of music not a collection
I have a bit of a mix of era/genre/label/artist. I'm just under 1000 LPs so I can still keep track of it in my head, just about. One addition is keeping certain artists at arms length from each other, so I separate Bill Callahan from Cat Power and Joanna Newsom, and James Taylor from Carly Simon - I don't want any of them getting upset :-). I'm guessing that nobody else does this?!
I was thinking about your missing Paul Simon ..consider looking back at the video where you reviewed it and see what else you had out for that video ..maybe you put it away with one of the other records from that video..
incredible video Michael. VERY important. i have a question about Germany, do you have a large vinyl community there? Do YOU have fellow collectors that you are great friends with? i ask, because i collect mainly sports cards and am fortunate enough to have a good amount of close friends that would know what to do, if something were to happen to me. we (collecots) dont want to see our loved ones have to deal with our collections to the point they just give it away.throw it out. i hope that was not too personal, and makes sense. as for the other Paul Simon record? it was probably misfiled in another albums jacket. You should find out what other albums you showed during that video, and then check those jackets.
Besides structuring the records I still have the question: what kind of outer sleeves are you using? The japanese sleeves? Regards and greets from Gelsenkirchen
Do you know what's sexy? Having Miles Davis between Dick Dale and De La Soul. Or finding Beethoven between Beck and The Bellamy Brothers. I know it may not sound sexy or exciting, but I prefer to put my records, regardless of genre, in alphabetical order. Blues, Jazz, Classical, Country, Rock, Soundtracks, whatever, they're all mixed in together (alphabetized) like one big happy family.
I can think of no less "sexy" a way of organising a record collection than yours. You give primacy to labels over artists, for God's sake! I love the way a strictly alphabetical organisation (by artist) juxtaposes very diverse artists . A random example from my collection would be (Mark) Stewart, Stooges, Stormzy, (Richard) Strauss, Stravinsky, (L.) Subramanian, Suede, (Donna) Summer. More importantly, alphabetical organisation by artist and then by chronology makes it easier than any other system for the collector or visitor to locate particular items. Organisation by genre is pretty hopeless, as there are so many instances of artists straddling more than one genre.
Important topic, not so pleasant but important. I like the way you organize your collection, I try to do it the same way and I think it works very well. You focused on other points that I think are important. Great video.
Thanks for sharing.
I inherited a collection of Jazz and Big Band from an old friend. Truth is I rescued them from his damp basement. He started collecting in 1962 and switched to cd’s about 1990. His health was starting to fail.
I have organized them Alphabetically by category. Jazz, Blues, Funk, Rock.
I have cataloged everything on CLZ and now I am cataloging everything on Discogs. I have continued to collect mostly Jazz thru AP.
Current count is 2302.
Regarding your disaster recovery plan….. one simple solution is to photograph each cube area. With high resolution pic you should be able to read each spine by zooming in. Maybe not as detailed as a good database but a quick way to chronicle your inventory in case of damage. Great video as usual….keep them coming.
Does anyone else also separate albums they purchased new from the albums they purchased used to keep their new albums from smelling like their older ones? Of course, what do you do when you get a used one that looks almost new?
On the general topic of curation, one thing I've been doing over the past 7 or 8 years to keep my collection from becoming too large is to separate albums I rarely listen to that don't have a special significance and place them in boxes to the side. If after several months I still have no real desire to play them, to eBay or discogs they go.
First off I have over 16,000 records, I also don't limit my music to reissue labels. I have two main libraries, old records around pre 1990, and then the newer variety till today. They are alphabetical with the exception of big artist who have a large catalog. They are in their own grouping and still separated for new and old records. My main genres is classic rock, blues, R&B/soul, Early Rock/Pop, much more but these are separated as well.
What I also do is have an alphabetical section for mostly newer records I call Pure Audiophile, this section is for no holds bar on sound quality and production of records. This is where I'll find DCC, MFSL, AP and many titles/labels you would never think would be there but the record warrants it. So if I want to listen to Bob Marley, I have at least 4 sections depending on age of the record and quality of it to find him. I could have the same title but a different copy in all 4 sections. For me they are all reference points, all records are different, having multiples of the same title lets you hear the differences.
Interesting topic for those of us that have collections like yours and mine. One thing I have noticed is that you ideally want a organizing system to inspire you to play your record and where you are still being able to find what you want. The other thing I have introduced to my record shelf system is a Heavy Rotation section for records I know I want to listen to (new records for example) - I then review that section every once and a while and put some of those records in their proper section.
With regards to the wills thing and the work that is needed - I think a solution would be have a post-it note with price, date and conditioning listed on or in the record to give our loved ones some kind of information to start with. I'm not suggesting in a crass (look how much this record is worth) but tactful and understated. I also got in the habit of having my own personal rating system on the sticky note with two numbers out of 10 - audiophile rating and music rating. Lastly, it also might help you and I when pulling out a record that is worth X number of dollars that we don't like or haven't listened to in years consider selling after reviewing all your needed information to make an informed decision - thinning out and\or streamlining our collections.
I have sections like Mofi, Blue Note, Impulse, IMPEX, Acoustic Sounds, VMP and a section, as you do, for recently listened to heavy rotation LPs in case I want to quickly pull them out again. My older LPs are all alphabetical by a broad genre classification; ROCK, JAZZ, FOLK, CLASSICAL.
I'm an A-Z & oldest-to-newest guy, although I do keep jazz, classical, spoken word and various artists separate from the main collection. My collection isn't all that large (2500 LPs), but I would start losing track of records if I sorted by labels, and it's not like I walk up to my collection thinking "What MoFi album do I want to hear next?" I'm getting to an age (late 60's) where I need to use minimal-option sorting methods.
I do keep my Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who and Hendrix albums in an overflow Kallax unit. Beatles albums are also sorted by country of origin.
I'm going through this right now. I just rearranged my shelves yesterday. Sometimes finding a record you forgot you had because you put it in the wrong section can be such a great surprise.
The Good the Bad and the Ugly :-)
@@Michael45RPM funny you said that because mine was A Fistful Of Dollars. Such a great recording.
A fantastic video, thank you. It has certainly given me food for thought.
I’m not sure there is an ideal solution but I arrange my vinyl to suit my listening habits. I only own about 100 records but they get arranged not alphabetically or by artist but by how often I listen to them. For example, every-time I finish with a record it gets placed to the left hand side of the shelf. This means that over probably a long period of time, my favourites are on the left and my least played on the right. One of the downsides is it would be difficult if I wanted to find a specific record. But it does however mean that I can view which records I should play more often rather than the same ones each time.
Cheers
While I can’t help you find the missing Paul Simon record, I do have a simple solution going forward. Make a gatefold using two vinyl storage solution sealable sleeves and put each Paul Simon cover in each side. Both covers are thin enough for it to work. I do this for all mofi one steps. Just make sure lp sleeve one and sleeve two are In the right order (it says LP one/two on the spine).
Ever since I started watching your channel I loved the look of your Impulse and MoFi's all together so I went thru and sorted all the labels together then sort the rest by genre. As far as VMP, I keep all the obis on and store like the impulse, blue note, ect.. with them all together. Then I put their store exclusives in with the genres.
I do the samething
Librarians have found pretty good solutions for most of these problems. Some sort of searchable catalogue and then sections based on genre with alphabetised artists. I suspect they’d place a Blue Note or Impulse! collection into a “Special Collections” section.
Great video! Sorting a record collection for me is not only about finding an individual record fast, but also about when they where acquired. I keep a separate section for my indie records bought in the 80s and 90s. They are a collection in itself and don’t get mixed up with newer records. That way when I feel nostalgic, I can go to that shelf and get back. Also I keep Maxi-Singles separate, to quickly find them for parties and keep boxes in a separate section. The rest is the usual, genres alphabetically ordered.
Michael. During the day I work for the Smithsonian African Art museum as their web designer. You strike me as someone who would like visuals to be a part of how you organize. Since we both cover our sleeves using Mike’s product why not consider a color strip, all sized the same way. Each color represents whatever you define and they get affixed to the same part of the spine for consistency. It would at least speed up quick discoveries. Just an idea off the top of my head. Good luck!
Collecting for 35 years Michael. I have 4000+ records and I think I just have sold a further 2000 in some moments of madness that I regret. I have around 2000 audiophile releases all stored by label (I am very close to 500 AP titles alone). The box sets are all stored separately although I like your idea of taking the records out - maybe if I had
more space. The non audiophile stuff is alphabetical except my 60s British Jazz, ECM and current British Jazz titles which are all stored in those sections together. I have very little room left and a partner who keeps saying one in one out!
You have an incredible collection, and a dream system. Love your IG
Sounds to me like you need a new partner! Or a new house... 🙂
@@RichTeer A new house might be easier!
Hi Michael,
you are touching an important subject in how to organize one's vinyl collection, and I guess we all have gone thru reorganizing our collections a couple of times with the hope to find the best and final solution.
My take is: There is never a final solution :-) and the best solution is always a more momentary one and very individual depending on one's musical taste and collection focuses. For example: My genre focus is mostly Jazz and Female Jazz Vocalist, and a cross-section variety of Pop, Rock, Blues, World, OST etx. My record label/reissue label focus is mostly Blue Note, Music Matters & Tone Poet, and a cross-section variety of Blue Note, Impulse, ECM, ACT, Chasing The Dragon, A.T. Music, AudioNautes, Fone, Sam Records, Lost Recordings, Pure Audiophile Records, Groove Note, ORG, MoFi, AP, Classic Records, Speakers Corner, Alto Analogue, etx. What works best for me is to categorize by Female Jazz Vocal, Jazz, Rock/Pop/Blues, World, OST and within these go A-Z. However, I break out into a few special groupings. E.g. I put all my MM and Tone Poets (due to their cover quality similarity), and Jazz re-issues from AP together (all Blue Notes), because I have so many and I regard them top notch audiophile Jazz. The very few Blue Note Classic Reissue Series LPs, however, I put under my general Jazz A-Z. Upto now this works fine for me. I can still easily find the records I am looking for. (My wife cannot .-) As my musical and label preferences, and collecting focus may change, my record organisation will be adapted.
"How to prepare for worst cases" Love it Michael! 🤭
My collection is organised chaos, but it works for me, another great topic & video
I would put ABBA in the bucket.
Lol 😆 aren't you joining in on the hype G?
@@johnnyocvinylrecords1079 no ian pish then and pish now. Clogging up vinyl.
The majority of my 3,000lp collection is split into 4 sections a little randomly in parts, in geographical order
1. UK pre 1990 and 2. UK New after '90
3. US pre 1990 and 2. US after '90 ... all with a little but of genre grouping incl. Small Australian, Irish and european scandy sections
Can find anything with a quick flip through. I do love the visibility of the box sets.👍
Maybe to make Excel document with section names and file differ LP's under differ sections? This way you doenst have to think about anything and place your vinyl on shelf as you wish, just put the section names on shelf and when you need the record, you look at your file by selecting that name and it shows you the section where that record sits, done. Great topic , thx Michael. Cheers!
I had the same issue once. I put a Black Flag LP in the wrong jacket and searched for it nearly a year. I even considered buying a new copy.
Not having such a large collection, about 800, mines quite simple. I don't have enough of any one label to really give them their own section, so I have two main sections, Jazz and Rock/Pop. With a small Classical one. In these I simply file them alphabetically, my problem comes with duets, such as my copy of Duke Ellington & John Coltrane, does it go with my Coltrane's or with Dukes other records? Similar to your Paul Simon problem, I did lose my copy of Wish You Were Here for months, I must have been very tired or slightly the worse for wear when putting it away as I eventually found it under the "F's" for Floyd rather than the "P" for Pink.
i do by genre... jazz (1/2 by label blue note impulse etc/ 1/2 by artist) country, blues, pop/rock, world etc.. the only other label i have separated is Leon's Shelter label... solo albums go with the bands catalog.... john lennon with the Beatles... Levon Helm with the Band .... Jerry Garcia with the Grateful Dead etc etc... Robert Plant with Zep except the Allison Kraus collaborations go in Country... everyone will have a personalized filing system.
I have been buying vinyl for 55 years, sadly I now need to measure not by number of records but in tonnes so structure by Genre so world, ambient/electronica, jazz, classic pop & rock, then split by new and found crate digging. Most sub sections are alphabetic by artist except NEW jazz which is by label. Thank you for raising this it is critical if you want to listen to your records. I keep all invoices and having a terminal illness my wife insisted that everything is on discogs with notes re issues and quality. I was a specialist database software developer specialising in fund management and stockbroking. I find that investment software is very good for vinyl as each record can be treated as a "stock" or "unit"
Not boring at all Michael. It can make you crazy thinking of ways to do it. While my collection isn’t to big 500-600. You really can get frustrated looking for that misplaced record. I’ve found the tried and true way of doing it alphabetically works best for me..
Thanks
Great video Michael and very important to those of us who have a large collection. For me it is audiophile releases by label (alphabetically) then Artists alphabetically. Outside of that it’s just Artist alphabetically from 0-10, A to Z.
Interesting topic Michael. My method after decades of collecting is…. Firstly I organise them by label (MOFI, Blue Note, Impulse, VMP etc). Then I put the artists I collect there whole discography together (Zappa, Miles, Young etc). Then I organise the rest of my collection I organise by decade regardless of genre (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s etc). I find that organise them by decade is the best way for me to rediscover my collection and share my collection with family and friends. Also I’m a graphic designer and the artwork is as important to me as the music so having my albums organised by decade is visually more appealing to see the album cover art evolve from decade to decade.
Perhaps we can agree on a methodology that can be tailored to each collector. The atomic level is alphabetical by artist - because anybody looking at your collection can find an album (does anybody else have friends and family sitting in front of their shelves scanning for that one album that they are excited to listen to after waking up to how good vinyl sounds?!). Next, add new arrivals. I find it's important to get familiar with a new album, to see it a bunch of times even if you don't play it, to help remember that you have it before you file it. Next, create an outgoing slot to terrywho22's point. These are the misfit albums for any number of reasons - for me it's mostly bad recordings or noisy albums - I would never put a good version of an album in this outgoing slot due to taste or preference since someone, someday will ask me to play that album. Next, create your specialty categories. For 45 RPM Audiophile its by label. For me its genre - I pull out Jazz, classical, heavy metal, electronica and rap. It's important that these categories are robust, meaning that I have a significant number of albums in the category and that it will make it easer to scan.
I like the idea of the new arrivals and specialty grouping. Since I'm new to collecting 45s, the few I have are separated and sit with my new arrivals in my equipment rack. I will also have 6 or 8 (to steal Michael's term) "Turntable favorites" of the month right there as well.
I go by labels as well, MoFi looks amazing in the shelf. Tone Poets look elegant, and impulse, music matters leave a great impression
So far I have 3 separate parts of my collection. I have the one that is separated by genre, another that is Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin, and the other one that is only beach boys lol, plus box sets obviously have their own thing as well.
Good show, I love to know how people organise things. I have a fraction of the records you have, but some experience and same problems with books. I try to have everything alphabetically… when some genre starts to get a respectable quantity, I pull that records and start a section, also alphabetically. So what do I have… the main with rock, pop, indie and everything in between. I started sections of Jazz, Classic (including contemporary), electronic and Blues, Soul, R&R… and I think that's it. In my books I also pull sections by author if there's someone prolific and very important to me - didn't happen so far with vinyl/music.
I get your thing with labels thought. I had that with publishers/collections and in the end I did split the collections by author. I lost the sexy look on the shelf, but they look great anyway, or at least I like it. Regarding your MIA dilemma, for me that's MIA, I don't care if it "essential" or otherwise (you reached the same conclusion).
And I almost forgot: the boxes I insert also alphabetically and they work as big flags or labels… let's say I have a lot of records on the main section, then I see a Cocteau Twins box, I now I'm in the C, a Smiths box, that's the S around and so on. The boxes help a lot in my scheme.
By genre. Alphabetically. That way I can find records for the mood I’m in.
It also helps when friends come over who have no knowledge of labels and no interest in certain genres. They can just look through my “rock.”
Soundtracks go with soundtracks, unless for instance if a soundtrack is made by a single artist. For example Purple Rain by Prince or Quake by Nine Inch Nails/Trent.
Holiday stuff goes with holiday stuff, that way when it’s XMas time, I don’t have to seeeeeaaaarrrrccchhh for holiday music and try to remember what I have. It’s all together.
Genre has a few hang ups. For instance Bowie. But he’s generally Rock, so all of his stuff is together, in the B’s of “Rock.” Gorillaz in another artist that is difficult to classify, so I just have them in hip hop. Though, that doesn’t exactly fit. One day, I’ll have a “Post-Genre” section for Gorillaz and Poppy and Bowie and St. Vincent etc…
I organize on label (Blue Note, Pelagic, Van Records) , alphabet, favorite artists (Zeppelin, Coltrane, Soundgarden, Opeth, Davis). A real mixed bag!
I’m fully onboard with this discussion. I posed this question to friends last week and only received a few suggestions. I organized my books y spine colour two years ago and it was maddening to find any specific title. Box sets drive me mental, going alphabetical does not serve my collection well (E.g. Tom Waits should have a more prominent place on my shelves rather than at the bottom of the last shelf), and genrefication causes many an internal debate.
Mine is easy. I decided I wanted a record collection again in 2016 so I bought a Kallax cube with the goal of filling the bottom left corner with about 50 records. Now I use it as a room divider so I can access both sides. The top 2 quarters one side is all my pop/rock CD's from A-Z. 64 jewel boxes and on the back side is the same with non-jewel box CD's. The bottom 2 cubes are for records the left is full and the right still has 4 CD box sets as placeholders. So the last quarter has the rest of my pop/rock LP's (T-rex to Neil Young) then my placeholders then my small Jazz/Misc section: Lee Morgan, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Sinatra, etc. and those all have white spines for some reason so they all go together. When I fill out my remaining placeholders I'm done.
I try to keep it fairly simple. Three basic categories: reggae, jazz, everything else (all rock genres, pop, blues, soul, country,etc). If I had classical it would be a separate genre. I also have very small sections for soundtracks and holiday music. Each section is sorted alphabetically and then by date of original release. My biggest mistake has been sorting by last name because it’s inconsistent with the way Discogs sorts by name. I only have about 1,000 records, but resorting them by first name will be a pain.
Very Helpfull info
my problem is having jazz artists which have rel;eases on many labels, now I have to remember which album is on which label, haha but seriously I have my records (3,000) into genres and alphabetical order. rock, woman, soundtracks, punk, soul, world etc. Then the jazz records are tone poet, impulse, west coast east coast, swing, big band etc. it works for me. good vid Michael
A-Z has always worked for me when it comes to organizing my record collection. Although the idea of organizing it according to genre has appeal even though the lines sometimes get blurry when deciding in such a way.
I have a box set or a ‘boxed lp’ at the start and finish of each section to give support to the single/double lps, otherwise just simply alphabetical order. But going on the comments on here and other forums my collection is tiny so alpha works well for me.
I guess not all of us are lucky enough to have the same problems as you do Michael!?
My collection is quite considerably sized, so I have been keeping it shelved according to genre, followed by artist.
Krautrock records on one shelf.
Art Rock and Prog together,
Punk/Post Punk/New Wave..... together.,
Electronica together,
Female artist together,
German artists from 80's onwards together,
Jazz together,
U2, Simple Minds, Big Country, etc. together,
Classic Rock together,
American 90's alternative rock & Grunge...
You get the picture 😉
The only variation is the genre commonly known as 'Bowie', which has its own shelf.
This system works for my brain 🧠
Genre > Artist > Chronology
Not by Label at all?
@@Michael45RPM Nope, it doesnt look as clean on the shelf but its easy to keep track. I lost a King Crimson record once, confused I looked all over but couldnt find it. It must be with the others as I keep them together so I pulled every Crimson out and sure enough it had just been pushed back much further or got inbetween a gatefold cover if I recall. I wonder if maybe your Paul Simon has been pushed back inbetween two other records that obscure it as well.
OMG did not think of this Gatefold thing ... damn lets hope that this is not the case
@@Michael45RPM Yes that can take a while to find if its inbetween something you dont play often.
The only way to do it.
I sort after the original release year for the LP by the same artist or band ! But sometimes by label , Blue Note for example 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪
I put popular recordings in one section. Jazz, classical, soundtracks, etc in another. Both are done in alphabetical order. I do my CDs the same way. It works for me.
AP, MoFi, etc. get their own section. (But after watching this, I’m now giving BlueNote its own section, too.)
Then genre, artist, release date chronology. However, this still presents challenges. Does “Purple Rain” go with Prince or with Soundtracks? Does Ella Fitzgerald’s “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas” go with the other Ella or with Holiday? And so on.
Still, a great topic I’ll probably borrow advice from! (And “Loveless” is a killer album.)
Problems over Problems Alex :-) thx for sharing!
I would put "Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas" with the rest of the acoustic sounds series, because (as far as I know) they all share the same gatefold size.
I do mine by genre and release date as well (keeping artist's discographies clumped together of course). It may not be the most intuitive for some people, but I really like the way you can see a progression of a given genre in the shelves. You can trace the metal lineage in my metal section from Sabbath + Deep Purple/Rainbow, to Judas Priest + Iron Maiden, to Metallica + Megadeth, into more modern stuff like Baroness and Power Trip. Or see a snapshot of the evolution of jazz in the past 60-70 years with Dizzy > Miles > Trane > Herbie > Weather Report > Kamasi Washington, etc...
Hello Michael
I have not watched all of your new video just yet but I thought I would jump in right now anyway to give you my two pence worth (old English expression).
Firstly, I was very flattered with the half a century remark as it made me feel young again :-) I have been collecting and storing records for just a bit longer than 50 years. Ahem.
Some years ago I got myself in a bit of a mess with my thousands of records which have travelled around Europe with me. And then suddenly in a moment of blinding clarity having watched a very good film and then also learned something extremely interesting from a major company I figured out a way to store my LPs which is infinitely expandable. I did try to explain my system earlier in the year on your TH-cam Channel but my comment was deleted; but, hey I'l try again...shall I continue...?
Box Sets have their own section the rest, Live Albums have their own section put in chronological order, Studio releases/Compilations ABC order by artist name and within there the releases are organized chronologically
I do it by genre first -- "Blues & R&B" (and jazz) without regard to year, alphabetical by artist. But then I have sections "1950s" and "1960s," alphabetical by artist.
My books library is easier -- but I keep "Music" separate; and under "Poetry" I include poet's prose writings.
I do it like most record shops, sorted by music style. Although I'm not consistent as my CDs are just alphabetical 😜
I like organizing by influence. Of course there is an influence explosion for some bands. Then I sub-organize by genre, e.g., grunge, physc, punk, jazz etc. So I basically have a grouping of 90s rock albums with a bunch of Neil Young and The Who mixed with Pearl Jam, since I ready somewhere PJ was influenced by them; same for Black Sabbath to Nirvana. And even then kind of by where band members changed bands, kind of following the person.
Probably I am the only person who understands it... but I guess it makes sense to me :)
I sort my vinyls first by genres ex jazz, country, rock, blues, punk etc, and then alpabetic order
Really enjoy your channel. Thanks! I always wonder about your hifi system.Any chance of a rundown? ... from cartridge through to speakers...cabling as well!!! cheers!
@@DaleRC75 cheers!
I’ve always organized in alphabetical order and by year of release. Once you get a large collection, I don’t see how else you’d be able to fine anything!
I've been collectimg vinyl records since 2006. I organize my collection by both artist and genre, most of my collection is boxed.
Me too, my jazz takes a huge chunk, female artists, electronica, 90's,..basically I know where to go!
the shelves here are a bit of a mess but i do a mix of visual clustering (same series or label) and genre, and that by artist or country depending on the section, eg. kraut/70s stuff is in rough chronological order with clustering by collectives/offshoots (cluster, harmonia, roedelius etc), while avantgarde/electroacoustic/concrete is by country/composer and within that series or labels (eg. soave, recollection grm) and so on. the now playing or close to the turntable section is one row old stuff (ocoras, japanese reissues etc.), another row recent experimental/ambient (by listening order and labels) and a third more beat based recent work in no particular order. ultimately it's a mix of aesthetic and practical that makes sense to me.
I dislike looking at lp spines, so they are in small boxes of about 70 lps then I can flip through them that fit into book shelves.. Then I can group albums by box. I live a few miles from south boundary of Dixie Fire in northern California. My many thousands of lps would have been a huge blob of vinyl. Sigh.
By the label, great idea, if only I could remember what label a record is on when looking for it! I favour the random method, latest are filed from the left with the exception of my 30+ Bob Dylan records. It’s a useless method but it works for me, sometimes 😂
Genre/Category --> Artist --> Chronology, in general.
Categories include:
1. Rock/pop/R & B/country... AKA "Pop"
2. Jazz & blues
3. Hip Hop
4. Soundtracks
Plus...
MoFi records stay together.
VMP (whether record of month or individual purchases,) also together.
The movie High Fidelity w/ John Cusack has fun scenes discussing how to rearrange/organize records. 🎸
This is one of saddest video I have seen. The pain in soul.😂 Organization is a pain. I have just started with vinyl collection. This video is very helpful. Thanks
:-) thx Rohit
Hello Michael, as always, I enjoy your channel very much. This last one made me reflect about proper insurance for my own collection. Do you have any advice? Is your collection insured as part of your home insurance or separately? Love your channel.
As a Part of my House Insurance Michael
Sorting records is and has always been one of my favourite topics. However I have never seemed to be able to work it out. Ideally one should have a lot of extra unoccupied shelf space so that anytime you get anything new you can slide in the new record. However i did classify at one point some of my favourite bands and genres But ran out of space as Soon as i got some new records. So basically They are classified by date of purchase now. And with time i kind of know where They are. However There are always a few records that I simply cannot find anymore. So well… Maybe one day i Will find the perfect way. I have over the years tended to sort on the one hand by genres and some by labels or even alphavetically: i did separate all the new wave stuff with also subdivisions for the punk/post-punk and electronic stuff But Then When i moved a few years ago this became completely disorganized and I never Really got it back in order. So mainly buying order prevails now (with one or Two exceptions like my Who stuff🙈🙈🙈), But it seems to be a lifelong Journey, At least for me. But thanks for the great video!
What I like: 1) categorize by music genre with labelled dividers (e.g. Oldies/Rockabilly, Classic Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop-Rock/Indie Rock, R&B/Soul, Hip-Hop, Disco, Jazz/Big Band/Swing, Electronic, Ambient/New Age, Folk, Classic Country/Outlaw, Modern Country, Classical, Broadway/Musicals/Show-tunes, Soundtracks, Easy listening/Popular Vocal/American Songbook.... and so on), then 2) alphabetical order within genres. Just like the public libraries had it before they began removing a lot of the CD's. A complete stranger walking up to my collection should be able to understand where to go. If a person listens to only one or two types of music category, no need for this and simply alphabetical order. If you have a large classical collection, I would divide that category up in music periods (e.g. Early, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century Modern, Contemporary, etc...). I think this is ideal for those who listen to a variety of music and many record collectors do have many genres of music in collections.
right Stephen, very intuitive system
12:43 I'm making a list, I'm checking it twice. Going to find out whose fraudulent or not, insurance man is coming to town
I don't think of labels when I have a yearning to listen to something..I go to artist, or genre..sometimes I have a 'surprise' find in my collection and I have to play it.
Regular Lp's
Each genres separately and alphabetical for it's own section
Rock/Pop Section - Alphabetical
Jazz/Blues Section- Alphabetical
Classic Section - Alphabetical
Soundtrack section -Alphabetical
Others Section- (World-Local) Alphabetical
additional Sections for the Audiophile Labels seperately
MOFI Section (Dylan, Davis...One Steps)
AP Section, AP and Verve Acoustics
Blue Note Section (MMJ-Tone Poets-Classics)
Speakers Corner section
Pure Pleasure - ORG- Impex Section
That sounds quite good Bulent like it!
I bury my “audiophile” labels with the artist
Except a small area with go to records - A Love Supreme, London Calling, etc
And the complete Music Matter catalog
I use outer sleeves, ultrasonically clean the lp then put it in a nice QRP intersleeve.
I place the intersleeves in the outer plastic sleeve outside of the album cover. No screwing with trying to force a record back in.
Well worth the price to keep things nice.
Back in the old days a guy I knew ranked his albums into 7 categories. The ranking was based on how much Fuzz-Tone guitar each one had. Blue Cheer was a seven. Beethoven a one. Easy!
My collection is generally sorted by genre, then alphabetically, boxed sets separately. But now I'm moving to a hybrid model: genre alphabetically for non-audiophile releases, then the same for audiophile releases. I'll make an exception for non-series audiophile stuff (e.g., the occasional Japanese or Nimbus pressing), which will still live with the other records. So: Dire Straits in pop/rock and my Japanese pressing of Love Over Gold lives there, but my MoFi versions of their albums go in the MoFi section.
But here's a question for Michael and others: do you store sequenced series albums by number or by artists/title? For example, do your store your Analogue Productions UHQRs as Davis/Hendrix/Hendrix/Jethro Tull, or UHQR-001, UHQR-002, UHQR-003-45, and UHQR-004? My OCD dislikes the disparity between numerical and alphabetical order!
Michael thank you for this important video. My major concern is insuring my collection. I have 2000+ LPs and about 1000 CDs and my insurance company won't insure it. Not sure what companies will insure a record collection that continues to grow and how does one keep current with the value of each record when prices are so fluid in the current marketplace? Maybe like a piece of art one over insures it to be protected. What do others on your channel do?
🙋♂️ alphabetical organizer here. It's just easy and I don't want to have to think about it. That said, I'm less of a "collector." Of course I am aware of and have come to like certain labels, but it's all about the music for me, so alphabetical by artist just reflects my priorities: music and ease/simplicity
I don't care what pressing. For example, I keep all my Wayne Shorter records together, Blue Note, Tone Poet, Vee Jay, Columbia, next to Weather Report. I keep all related artists side by side.
Great video Michael, @45 RPM AUDIOPHILE I would be interested to know how you and other viewers store their box sets to best look after them?
Do you keep the records in the box or keep the box separately? I am always concerned about damaging the jackets when removing them from the box.
Also, how do people keep their boxes from getting worn or grubby?
Albums in two different sections divided by the timeline of when I decide what is old music - and what is new music. I decided that all albums that predate the first Cream album are in my first section. The Yardbirds/Cream timespan of 1965/66. The Yardbirds in section 1. Cream in section 2. If an artist's first album is before '66 all their releases are in section 1. Dylan/The Beatles/Beach Boys/Stones/Kinks/Who - all their albums are in section 1. I call section 1 'The Originals and The Pioneers.' Section Two - The Sustainers and The Pathfinders. Both sections are alphabetized.
Michael, one problem I have is how to sort various different runs from the same label and/or audiophile represses. For instance, should my AP versions of Miles Davis Columbia releases be stored first in AP area and then under a Columbia section with Davis/Brubeck/Ellington etc? Or something else? Also should all my AP records be then grouped into the label run series (impulse, verve, prestige etc)? That makes sense but where should new represses of original impulse or verve titles go? In the audiophile area of the original label area? What about one offs from AP such as Emarcy Label Clifford Brown, or what about AP rock albums? In a separate AP rock area or with artists alphabetically like steely dan or cat stevens? Help! I’m going crazy!!!
Michael. Any updates on this topic, any regrets with how you organized? I like the idea of going by labels such Blue Note, Impulse etc, but what about Analouge Productions? Since Analogue productions does lots of genres how do you tackle that one? Do you separate the the genre within Analgoue Productions? Thanks!
I'm also organizing by label, i have about 1,000 albums and my collection has evolved over the last 10 years (been collecting since a kid in the 70s) to the point where I only collect certain labels. I feel no need to just buy a record that isn't something i collect. Obviously back before streaming, you had to own something if you wanted to hear it (probably on CD). Now there is no such reason to actually own something unless it fits into your personal collecting criteria. For me it's certain Jazz labels, and classics like Columbia, Island, Elektra/Asylum, and a few contemporary labels and artists.
Your Paul Simon problem is similar to pairs of socks from the wash. It is lost in another dimension
Parrallel Universe ... i know....
@@Michael45RPM did you check the other records you reviewed at the same time as this one?
I arrange my LPs radically by alphabet (i.e. composers/artists) and within the individual artist chronologically. I think, once there is a collection of several thousands of LPs this is the most efficient and practical method to quickly find something. And it avoids the problem of thinking about genres and what fits into them. Of course, the optical appearance is more attractive if one sorts by labels, but then one has to remember what artist is on what label. But I separated regular LPs/double albums from A-Z and box sets from A-Z because a mixture of single LPs and box sets in the shelf really does not look good.
A funny incident I remember: Many years ago I visited someone with a huge LP collection, and there obviously was no ordering principle applied to it at all. I asked him how he could find a specific LP in this chaos. He replied: I never do, I just take a record from the shelves, they are all good. :D
Paul Simon record check what video you showed it on and it will be with one of those records.
The crossroads I'm at would be "World Music".
Nice, and a little scary video. Did you search the Paul Simon vinyl inside other boxes instead of shelves?
Yes did that already thx for the tip Black :-)
Autobiographically like Rob in High Fidelity… 😉😂
Actually, I’m an alphabetical man, by artists’ first names / band name but I have separate sections for soundtracks and classical and I’m going to separate out jazz soon. My hip hop collection is zero so there’s a separate section for that (in the shops… they can stay there!).
Similar to you I guess. All my Jazz records are organised by label. . Everything else is organised by genre. Very happy with this system. Oh, although I've been buying records for decades, I don't see myself as a collector....and I refer to the body of records as a library of music not a collection
I file my artist A to Z but file compilations and Christmas records separately.
I have a bit of a mix of era/genre/label/artist. I'm just under 1000 LPs so I can still keep track of it in my head, just about. One addition is keeping certain artists at arms length from each other, so I separate Bill Callahan from Cat Power and Joanna Newsom, and James Taylor from Carly Simon - I don't want any of them getting upset :-). I'm guessing that nobody else does this?!
Hi Michael! Can you recommend sleeves for the 1 step mofi boxes?
No sorry i am looking too for a good solution!
sleeves for One step boxes , i found a gernan company specialiing in sleeves for vinyl an more. called Protected, situated in Holm Germany
I was thinking about your missing Paul Simon ..consider looking back at the video where you reviewed it and see what else you had out for that video ..maybe you put it away with one of the other records from that video..
Thx John.. did that already :-)
👌🏼👌
incredible video Michael. VERY important. i have a question about Germany, do you have a large vinyl community there? Do YOU have fellow collectors that you are great friends with?
i ask, because i collect mainly sports cards and am fortunate enough to have a good amount of close friends that would know what to do, if something were to happen to me. we (collecots) dont want to see our loved ones have to deal with our collections to the point they just give it away.throw it out. i hope that was not too personal, and makes sense.
as for the other Paul Simon record? it was probably misfiled in another albums jacket. You should find out what other albums you showed during that video, and then check those jackets.
Besides structuring the records I still have the question: what kind of outer sleeves are you using? The japanese sleeves?
Regards and greets from Gelsenkirchen
They are from the Record Storage Solution
@@Michael45RPM so you ordered them from Canada or where do you order it?
Yes i order directly from the Online-Shop
Chronological by artist.
Do you know what's sexy? Having Miles Davis between Dick Dale and De La Soul. Or finding Beethoven between Beck and The Bellamy Brothers. I know it may not sound sexy or exciting, but I prefer to put my records, regardless of genre, in alphabetical order. Blues, Jazz, Classical, Country, Rock, Soundtracks, whatever, they're all mixed in together (alphabetized) like one big happy family.
Firstly by labels, then by artist
American Ex US Soldier born in Kitzingen near Wurzburg . I'm 70 and Mine are in Alphabetical Order regardless of Record Company. Guten Tag. . 😂
I know where to put abba, out on the curb! 😂
A-Z myself !
….. and at what point do you need to get your floor strengthened? 😱
90% organized 10% organized chaos. Especially when we buy often. Usually the "new" go in the empty bins, and stay until.....
I can think of no less "sexy" a way of organising a record collection than yours. You give primacy to labels over artists, for God's sake! I love the way a strictly alphabetical organisation (by artist) juxtaposes very diverse artists . A random example from my collection would be (Mark) Stewart, Stooges, Stormzy, (Richard) Strauss, Stravinsky, (L.) Subramanian, Suede, (Donna) Summer. More importantly, alphabetical organisation by artist and then by chronology makes it easier than any other system for the collector or visitor to locate particular items. Organisation by genre is pretty hopeless, as there are so many instances of artists straddling more than one genre.