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[Desertpilot]

Not specific to MC.  Just curious how folks catalog their music files.  Here is my current method in Media Center 23 (64 bit) using the TAG function (which nicely updates the ID Tag in the music file).  This does not necessarily correlate to my storage/folder structure.

Pop/Rock/Jazz:  Easy, I catalog by the singer/group (Artist) and then Album Name.

Classical.  Here's the challenge.  Right now I am using the conductor as the artist/album artist.  In the classical group area, I tag Composer, Orchestra, Choir, Soloists.  Why?  Each composer may have many albums of the same music by different conductors.  I thought this might simplify sorting/organizing.

Also, dumb question, but music files come randomly with Composer as:  Last name only, Last name, first name or Full name.  BEETHOVEN or BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN, or LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN.  How do you prefer to catalog composers?

Album name is also an interesting challenge.  Multiple works on one album (and typically, the recording company lists everything for every track).  Personally, I go with the Album name as presented by the recording company but tag files separately with composer, conductor, etc.

Thanks!
Marcus

[swiv3d]

How do you use conductor as the artist for sonatas etc, where obviously there isn't one? I always use Surname, Forenames format for the composer tag, and make sure that the genre is Classical, not Classique and other variations that I have come across. Album name is always the album name given by the company.

[Desertpilot]

Thanks for your thoughts.  You are correct.  I use the soloist as artist for sonatas, etc.

I am becoming convinced to use surname, forename too

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Yes, composer surname first is best.  You should also be able to employ the "smart tagging" feature where you type the first few characters in the composer field, and it gives you a list of your previous similar entries in your library.  Pick one and you are done.  This avoids a lot of typing and typos after the first entry for that composer.

The other field of importance to maintain for classical is for the title of the composition. Many releases ago, I created a custom field Composition, but now there is a default field called Work in the Classical tagging section.  Same thing. 

[JimH]

There have been discussions about this in the past.  You might find something useful here, for example:

https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Tagging_Classical_Music