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rekordbox

Improving My Workflow

Hi everyone!

My name is Bilal, from Canada.

I am a organization freak and spend hours organizing my music library in both my computer AND rekordbox.

I'm looking for ideas from the community to improve and optimize my workflow so that I don't spend so much time organizing my tracks.

At the moment, I have a DJ folder (on my PC Windows), with subfolders (techno, house, etc) with subfolders for said subfolders (hard techno, dark techno,etc). on Windows explorer (this is how I started organizing my music) and then I re-created the exact way I had my music organized but did it on rekordbox.

Techno, house, etc are considered folders on rekordbox and subfolders (dark techno, hard techno, etc). of those are considered playlists.

At the moment, here is what I do:

Download tracks from the web and place them in my library located in a Windows Explorer folder.
Analyze newly downloaded tracks in Mixed In Key
Listen to newly downloaded songs and move them where they belong (I have genre folders (techno, house, etc and sub folders (hard techno, dark techno, etc).
Once moved, I drag updated sub-folders (let's say, hard techno) to rekordbox, rekordbox prompts me to skip duplicated and bam, new tracks are added to newly updated playlists.
Once that is done, I color code new tracks (I color code them based on energy level).
Once that is done, I use sync manager to sync my USB with the newly updated playlists.

I recorded a short loom video to explain this very process for visuals - Link

Additionally, I:

Backup my Windows folder and Rekordbox library once a week to both the cloud and an external drive.

The annoying part about this process is that every time I have to drag every single folder I have updated into rekordbox and sometimes I forget where I moved the tracks around. Syncing using iTunes is great because rekordbox can find where you moved the tracks, but I don't like iTunes, it's another place I don't trust with my music organization.

So basically I organize my tracks based on:

Genre (Folders)
Mood/Vibe (Playlists)
Energy Level (Color Coded)

Both on my PC AND Rekordbox.

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I have thought of improving my process by doing this:

Download tracks from the web and place them in a brand new windows folder based on months of the year. (2020 -> may, april, etc).
Analyze newly downloaded tracks in Mixed In Key
Add said tracks in my collection on Rekordbox
Filter Rekordbox by newly added tracks and look for those that have no "MyTags".
Tag newly added tracks based on where they feel they belong

From there, I would have to:

Backup my Windows folder and Rekordbox library once a week to both the cloud and an external drive.
In case I get a new computer or whatever, I import the backup library and select the year/months folder to auto-locate tracks.

So basically in this new process, I will organize my tracks only using tags:

Genre (Tag)
Mood/Vibe (Tag)
Energy Level (Tag)
Elements, could be percussion, vocals, etc (Tag)

That would mean that my tracks are un-organized in my computer/windows folders BUT organized in rekordbox. To see them in an organized manner, I just have to import rekordbox's library back up and auto-locate the tracks from my Windows folder.

The beauty of this process as well is that I can create Intellegent playlists, meaning that I can re-create my "old" way of organizing my library but create intellegent playlists and selecting tag criteria.

For example a playlist with these tags: (Funky House x High Energy x Peak Time x Percussive) whereas before I would have had to go in: Funky House folder -> High Energy playlist -> Red color (color code).

The only reason I use Mixed In Key is because I can't seem to see alphanumerical values directly on my XDJ-RX2.

Basically, I just want to spend less time organizing and more time playing music.

Thoughts?

Anyone has a better process?

I'd highly appreciate some insight!

Bilal.

Bilal June 17, 2020 15:10

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2 comments

The initial process is probably the best one, but my recommendation would be to take things a step more intelligent.

First, ensure that your deep house tracks have a deep house metadata genre tag, dark techno gets a dark techno metadata genre tag, etc. Then when it's imported, it doesn't matter that you bring it into the correct folder - you drag the ENTIRE parent music folder to the collection so all the new songs are added. Where the intelligence comes in is creating intelligent playlists that match the genres you want; the criteria draws from the genre, and presto - the songs are instantly there.

Using the MyTag tags is also a great way to further expand the sortability of the music, and can also be used to add an extra layer of intelligence by allowing you to combine criteria for intelligent playlists.

I would also suggest creating what I call "management" MyTag tags - for example, if you already have everything tagged properly, select all the tracks and add a tag "Tags Managed." This way, any new music imported will not have that tag until you've done the work to add the info you need, at which point you add that tag, so you know it's been completed.

Pulse June 17, 2020 22:54 1 vote

Hi Pulse, I really appreciate your input and time.

I really like the "Tags Managed" idea, will definitely implement that.

I'm not sure about editing the metadata of the files themselves, then adding them to Rekordbox to then having them sorted by an intelligent playlist.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I will try and explain in my words what you said:

Editing the genre metadata on the files of the tracks themselves, so for example, my techno folder, which has subfolders like dark techno, hard techno, I change those metadata genre tags of those tracks in those subfolders, to dark techno/hard techno.

Then, grabbing the entire parent folder and chucking it in Rekordbox, clicking skip duplicates and the new tracks will just sort themselves thanks to intelligent playlists that organize based on genre.

The reason I am not sure about this process is because:

1. My ear for tracks often change.

For example a track in "Oriental Deep House" may end up somewhere else because I feel like it's more in the downtempo area.

To change that, wouldn't I have to go and change the metadata genre tag of that specific file?

Using only MyTags would be much easier, I would just need to be in Rekordbox, listen to a track and if I think it fits elsewhere, or even in 2 different genres/sounds, I can tag it in more than 1 place.

Also, how would you bulk edit genre tags metadata? You have a 3rd party app for Windows to do that?

2. Wouldn't the MyTags feature do this job, quicker and more easily?

I guess if I just don't touch the original files and just sort them by folders of the month I downloaded them in (May, June, etc) and just throw in the new tracks, the only time I ever have to organize them is using MyTags within Rekordbox, wouldn't be a much simpler workflow?

Especially since MyTags offers a lot more creative freedom. For example I can create a house and techno percussive sounds intelligent playlist easily thanks to MyTags. I would prefer focusing on 1 process and simplifying it as much as possible.

Doing the process you described would have me organize both the metadata genre tag AND the MyTags.

Looking forward to hear what you think, and more importantly, is there a way to communicate with you directly? Via email?

Thanks!

Bilal June 18, 2020 00:25 0 votes