Digital Music Management

[tontano]

Hi all, I’m a very old school DJ, who started out back in the 80s using Technic1200.
I have been away from the game, but being brought back into it.
The question I have is how do you keep your tracks organized.
I’m currently analyzing my tracks from an external drive (over 40k of songs) into MIK, which, I then import into iTunes to make playlists. I them import them into Rekordbox.
The problem is if I tag the files in ITunes or delete from library, does it actually update the tags on the tracks from the external. And will it delete it from that drive.
I currently have all sett8ngs in ITunes unchecked.
Please advise if there are better solutions.
I am using iTunes so I can synch my iOS devices.
Thanks

[KLH]

Welcome to DJF, tontano!

I’m currently analyzing my tracks from an external drive (over 40k of songs) into MIK, which, I then import into iTunes to make playlists. I them import them into Rekordbox. The problem is if I tag the files in ITunes or delete from library, does it actually update the tags on the tracks from the external. And will it delete it from that drive.

So you go from MIK (key info) -> iTunes (ID3 info) -> Rekordbox (DJ app).

I use Traktor, so my staging is iTunes <-> MixMeister's BPM analyzer (to fill missing BPM info in iTunes) -> Traktor

When I import tracks, iTunes copies tracks into it's own separate library (that it manages). That way I just treat the iTunes folder as a blackbox, knowing that it has all of my tracks. When I want a track to be copied from iTunes, I just drag and drop it from iTunes to the desktop (or wherever else).

Traktor has its own database that points to the files that are managed by iTunes. When I import to Traktor, whatever info is in iTunes will be put into Traktor's database. When I analyze, if the BPM isn't known, then Traktor will update the ID3 tags to have the BPM. When I go back to iTunes and play that track, the BPM will update.

If I change something in iTunes after having imported the track's info into Traktor, Traktor won't know about it unless I import the track again - which will make a new track entry in Traktor's database. I should delete the original track from Traktor so that only the new on exists... but I don't. I annually check my Traktor database for such orphaned tracks and delete them all at once.

Answering your question, if you set up iTunes to manage it's own music repository, it will create, update, and delete tracks as necessary. If iTunes does NOT manage its repository, then it won't. It will just manage a database that links to the repository and you will have to manage what is updated and deleted.

[djnotapplicable]

I use Platinum Notes -> Mixed In Key -> Advanced Renamer -> mp3Tag -> iTunes -> Serato

I am working on eliminating iTunes and just creating a custom system. I vacillate between keeping my iTunes in the process or not. I do find it cumbersome if I want to change something. I would rather just deal with a folder. I have all my tracks backed up on several hard drives - I lost a lot of music with my last hard drive crash and will not be caught off-guard again. Also my iTunes tracks are stored in the consolidate tracks in iTunes.

I am looking into media monkey as an alternative to iTunes - it is reportedly very good for DJ library management.

[Waterbeat]

I import new tracks to the Traktor library and use Keyfinder to find keys when they aren't already in the track or if I think the key in the track may not be right. In Traktor I change or add to the genre if necessary and add comments about the nature of the track and sometimes add cue points. I use Traktor to develop and test playlists and mixes at home.

To prep for a gig using Pioneer CDJ's, I drag playlists from Traktor to Recordbox and export to USB's. Because cue points are lost when dragging tracks from Traktor to Recordbox, I'll add cue points in Recordbox if needed. This is a bit tedious and if there were a good Windows app to export/convert from Traktor to Recordbox, I'd sure use it.

Overall, this works pretty well. I don't use Itunes at all.

[light-o-matic]

Even tho I've had RB-compatible decks for around 5 years, I've just started using RB for-real to export all my music to play on those decks. The reason I haven't been more into it is precisely this problem of RB not storing its data in the ID3 tags of the tracks (I use AIFF format). It DOES write some changes you make in RB back out to the tags, but not all of them. So yea while RB can import data from other systems, it sucks at writing it back out again. The end result is that if you want your data to match in all systems, you have to maintain your music in other systems.. then import it to RB and export it to the flash drive or play it with a RB controller.. but don't make tons of changes or do analysis in RB and expect to be able to use that data on a non-pioneer software or deck because you mostly can't. They don't want you to.

I don't use itunes because I don't have an ipod anymore (ditched it because I was sick of itunes and sick of the lack of flac support) or an iphone. But if you do use it, my understanding is that it's the only thing RB even remotely plays nice with.

I use Foobar2000 and MIK to manage my tracks then once they are all organized in folders I import those to RB and then export to the flash drive to play them. I don't do shit in RB if I can help it.

[tontano]

Hi all;
Thanks for your valuable tips. I really shouldn’t be using iTunes, but the sole reason I would use it is for synching iOS devices.
I now preordered the Prime 4 and wondering what I should be doing.
My workflow is a bit different now with the following.

2T ext hdd containing thousands of tracks already. Let’s call it “DJ Music”
Note that these tracks were processed first with Platinum Notes > Mixed In Ken then moved there.
So now all new tracks (BPM Supreme, Promo Only, Beatport”, etc) get processed the same (PN > MIK) and then moved to the external drive.

So now, how should I be using ITunes and with Denon Prime 4, now comes Engine Prime.

Any tips
Thanks again

[djnotapplicable]

I have switched to an all folder system with PN > MIK > Folders > Mediamonkey > Serato

It is much easier to make changes with mediamonkeyor even just the tracks in the folder.