Storing and organizing your CD's, CDRs, tapes, vinyls (2023)

[K2000]

No, this is not a ghost bump of a topic from 2005...

I currently have CDs filed in my bookshelves. It's not great for browsing because: they are not all at eye level, many CD's don't have information on their spines, lighting from ceiling lights is not great, and what do you do about filing CDRs in plastic sleeves (etc).

Would it be dumb to look around for (or build) a horizontal CD bin like a music store would have? Is this putting time/effort/money into a dying format? I could probably find the plastic dividers to subdivide alphabetically (maybe by artist, too).

Should I just import all CDs into iTunes and ditch the hard copies? (Maybe keep them in storage). The problem with iTunes is that I really hate their filing system, so I hate browsing for music in iTunes. But I could probably learn to like it more. But I do like hard copies too, for the usual reasons (artwork etc).

It's not a massive number of CDs, I'd guess around 600-800? I'm not sure.

Bonus questions:
What do you do about releases with no identifying info on the outside, or unreadable info (black type on black paper, etc). I was thinking about putting a little sticker on those, like a record store used to do.
Do you file based on an individual's first name, or last name?
What do you do about people who release under multiple names? Keep them grouped together, or file alphabetically? Maybe a "See also: ___" sticker?

Just curious what other people do...

[qersty]

I have my cd's in cardboard boxes far from ideal. I like your idea of having the bins. i am getting really into collecting cds because i feel like it is the most safe way to keep an archive of material in high quality so i think the idea is worth putting time into

[Blackened Soul]

I’m not a mass collector so I don’t need a library system…
CDs/DVDs are all in big books/binders, I hate jewel cases and I don’t listen to them often enough too have them out..

Tapes.. I don’t have a lot of tapes anymore..

Vinyl: currently in the process of reorganizing… currently using a wide bookcase but the whole setup has to move due to getting a huge bright orange 1x21” subwoofer so the stereo and records are going to have to go vertical.. I got parts for a ladder style bookcase from ikea.. it’s real wood and is like 17”x 7’6”

[morange]

Just checking in to say to be careful of long term storage on CD-R because of disk rot. I've seen this happen to some of mine after only a few years. On mine, it looked like spots of oxidization on the disks, which caused them to be unreadable. I have yet to see this happen to any of my normal CDs though.

I don't have a ton of stuff stored. I think if I had a lot of important stuff to archive I would put it on magnetic hard drives and back those up with additional separate magnetic hard drives or some kind of cloud backup. You can get a lot of magnetic space for cheap. I've used EAC in the past to make backup copies of CDs.

[dubkitty]

yeah, if you collect stuff on CD-Rs disk failure can be a thing. i've had several that developed pinholes in the backing, making them impossible to play or fix. if the originals aren't easily available it's wise to store SHN/FLAC files on a HD or make a second safety copy. i think i have three different discs of Neil Young's Time Fades Away i acquired when it was still unreleased because i figured it was never coming out since Neil was so dissatisfied with the music and the original mixes which were done direct to computer in the recording truck at the time of the show which was a fledgling technology in 1973.

anyone know of a good source for CD shelving units that use correct-sized shelving that fits maximum CDs in the space rather than leaving room for DVD cases? back in the 00s i used to get wooden shelves at Rasputin Records in San Jose, but you never see them any more. i'm fine with Ikea-type units, which Ikea doesn't seem to sell any more.