The key to keeping a clean and organized iTunes library lies in the way you use Tags. Here are some practical tips to getting the most out of tags and staying on top of your huge iTunes music collection.
It all starts with the tags, because they cover such a broad selection of your songs that they can update large sections at once, and from here you can use smart playlists to narrow down your organizing even further. When using playlists, always choose the Smart Playlist as this updates as your music collection changes.
Here’s some more tips around tagging and why it is the key to managing and maintaining those ridiculously large itunes libraries of yours, because regardless of whether you paid for your iTunes music or you were savvy enough to get yourself a free iTunes gift cards to get songs for your iPod – there is nothing worse than an unorganized music library.
Use downtime to tag and rate old stuff that gets lost. For example, rate music on your iPod. Also, get Quicksilver or Butler and set up shortcut keys for assigning ratings to your music while it’s playing. You can do this without interrupting the current app you’re using, and it’s a good way of rating stuff fairly transparently.
You can also spend 10 minutes doing some tagging in downtime, this can really help bring your music into line.
Tag everything as it arrives. Set up a Smart Playlist called Recently Added – Date Added is in the last 7 days and My Rating is 0. Once you rate your new stuff it will drop out of the list.
Take those genres that sound and looks very similar and cull those which you don’t use. There is no point having twelve different types of rap and hip hop genres if you do not even listen to that style of music. This just clutters your organizing abilities.
It is more important to impose a system that works and that you stay consistent with than it is how you go about it. Whether is it tags, playlists, genres, or a mix of all three to organize your huge iTunes library the important element is that you find a way to do it that works, and you stick with it.
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