A single CD can only contain about 20 songs, but digital streaming services have allowed us to grow our music library beyond these limitations. Apple Music has at least 60 million songs. Amazon Music and Spotify are close behind at 50 million songs.
Approximately 1/3 of all US citizens subscribe to music streaming services, leading to $6.93 billion in spending per year. Although they provide a range of benefits compared to traditional storage methods like CDs and cassettes, they’re not the best way to manage your music library. Doing it manually allows for a more customized and effective finished product.
The first step in organizing your music is finding and downloading all the songs you need. After that, you should use playlists, tags, and other methods to organize them to find each one easier.
Music buffs with a large number of favorite tunes can have trouble keeping them in check, but it’s possible if you know the right steps. Read our guide for 8 ways to organize and create the perfect music library.
1. Locate All Your Audio Files
The first step in organizing your music library is to find all your songs. You may want to organize other types of audio files as well, such as podcasts or music downloads from YouTube videos.
The easiest way to find all your audio files is to search for related extensions. Two of the most common are .mp3 and FLAC.
2. Know Where to Find Free Music
Downloading music online is legal as long as the copyright owner allows it. Several sites can help you do this, including:
- Jamendo
- Soundcloud
- FM
Try looking through several of these options to choose the one that best fits your needs. Check here for more music download tips and other places to find the songs you’re looking for.
3. Use a Music Downloader
Once you’ve found the right music, you’ll need a downloader to add it to your music library.
Look for one that allows you to:
- Control download speed
- Schedule downloads
- Download video and torrents as well as music
- Tag files to make them easy to find
Options that fit these requirements include:
- Folx
- Elmedia Player
- Downie
- AnyTrans
- Pull tube
These are only a few of the options available, so be sure to try out a few of them to find your favorite. Download tracks on your time so you can add them to your music library when you’re ready.
4. Store Your Music Carefully
An external hard drive will keep your music library safe and make it easier to transfer between devices. Choosing the right one requires knowing what type you need and how large your library files are.
Find an SSD or solid-state drive instead of an HDD or hard disk drive. They offer better download speeds, are more reliable, and make less noise.
Most files on a computer tell you how much space they take up, and you should know how large your music library is before you decide how to store it. For example, a 5GB external hard drive can store about 250,000 songs.
A backup storage tool is also helpful. Try to find a cloud option so that you’ll be able to access your music library on all your devices, no matter where you are.
5. Set Up Folders and Tags
Organizing music makes it easier to find. Two of your best options for doing this include folders and tags.
Start with the main folder that contains all the files. Call it “Music,” “My Music Library,” or some other recognizable name. Then, create subfolders inside of it based on albums, genre, or other categories.
Creating metadata tags may seem complex, but it’s an important and easy way to manage your music library.
Start by deciding on a system for tagging. You may want to use artist or album names. Then, apply these tags to each of your songs one by one or by highlighting several of them at once.
6. Create Playlists
Making music playlists is an enjoyable and helpful way to organize your library. Streaming services allow you to do this, but there are other ways to do it manually for the best results. Look for the current top music playlists if you need some inspiration.
Another way to organize your music is to decide what type of mood a song puts you in. You could have a party, sad, or chill music playlist. The options are endless and fully customizable.
7. Access Your Music Library Across Devices
Most modern devices have the option to play audio files, and once you’ve created the perfect music library, you want to make sure it’s accessible on all of them.
AnyTrans is a media downloader and a file transferring app. You can easily move songs from iTunes to Mac, integrate your music library with iTunes, copy it to any iOS device, and more.
8. Delete Unnecessary or Transferred Files
Deciding which files to delete from your music library can be difficult. Consider what files you’ve transferred to external storage devices already and which ones you still listen to.
It’s safe to delete a song from your computer once you’ve transferred it onto an external hard drive and/or a cloud storage service. You’ll free up storage space that you can use to add more songs later.
Most music players allow you to see how many times you’ve played individual songs. Delete the ones you never listen to and make room for newer, more exciting options.
What Else Can I Do?
Creating a well-organized music library helps you find and listen to your favorite songs on all of your devices. Streaming services make it easier, but doing it yourself allows for more customization.
Be sure to locate all your files, download free music, use an effective music downloader, carefully store your files, set up folders and tags, create playlists, make your library accessible on all your devices, and delete unnecessary or transferred audio files.
The larger your music library is, the more difficult it is to manage. Read the rest of our content for more tips on how to grow and organize it without getting overwhelmed.
