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LP Database Template?

BULLWINKLE

BULLWINKLE

Super Member
I am looking for a template to use in Excel to list my lp's and keep track of them. Anyone have a template suggestion? I have decided to clean up the mess!:thmbsp: Thankyou for any input. BTW: I'm inexperienced in computer Excel (illiterate) so speak slowly and use small words...... Pictures would be great.
 
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What do you want to access as far as information?
A simple spreadsheet would enumerate titles and artists, but Access would probably be best for a database with additional info and much more sophisticated sorting and queries.

Here's one for Access I found online. A Google search may yield one for Excell, but Access really is the proper program for this sort of thing.
I really do need to figure out how to use it for both cataloging music and eBay sales

Access Template
 
I don't know about Excel (as I too am "illiterate" in this program). For my collection I use microsoft's Works DataBase. It has a preset template that allows you to choose the desired fields, then you can create about 8 different reports depending on how you want to filter the information.

Once set up it is easy for me to use. Just last week I ran a simple report to help locate all my Xmas Lps.

I don't know if it will work for your needs, but it pretty much comes standard with any basic microsoft installation.
 
I once designed a full relational database for LPs, normalized to third normal form.

I ended up with 34 tables, and over 100 indexes.

It would have worked with Oracle or MySQL, but I decided it would be too much work to implement, especially if I had to develop a front end too.
 
BULLWINKLE said:
Thanks guys. Is Excel a spreadsheet that can list Album, group, date of release. condition etc.?
Click to expand...

Yes, just make columns and title each one.
Access is a database where you enter records that have fields you can sort to reports and is far better for searching and ordering data. All Excel will do are alphabetical and date sorts and you must select all columns to sort all columns.
 
When you're working with Excell, (and any program actually) you should save your work every 10-15 minutes.
Reason being, imagine you've sat there for 2-3 hours and your PC locks up, or reboots on it's own.......you've just lost all of that "work".

If you want to go the easy way: http://www.collectorz.com/

Of course the above is for products that have UPC codes, so if your collection predates 1974.......quote:Although various companies had UPC Scanning systems in the back of stores, the first UPC marked item ever scanned at a retail checkout (Marsh's supermarket in Troy, Ohio) was at 8:01 a.m. on June 26, 1974, and was a 10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum.[1] The entire shopping cart also had barcoded items in it, but the gum was merely the first one picked up by the cashier. This item is currently on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.[2]
 
BULLWINKLE said:
Thanks guys. Is Excel a spreadsheet that can list Album, group, date of release. condition etc.?
Click to expand...

Bullwinkle, yes, Excel can handle all of that. The program is much easier to use than Access (database). Try searching for "Excel Tutorials" on the net. There are some differences in the different versions (2000, XP, 2003, 2007 being the last 4 releases), so check out "Help > About Excel" for your version. It should be the first line of text in the window. And the "Works" version of the office product IS DIFFERENT from MS Office. It may look similar but it isn't.

If you have more than 100 pieces of vinyl, you might want to consider changing the background of the spreadsheet to a dark blue and the text white. It is easier on the eyes. Also make sure "AutoComplete" is enabled. Can't remember that location, but it should come up in Help as a topic. Autocomplete will fill in the many Columbia, RCA, Warner, etc names you'll be typing. If all else fails, the "for dummies" books are pretty well written in fairly easy terms - get one! But never forget that Help is in the program. Usually there is a "contents" tab in Help that will be as close to the book on your version as you'll ever get.

Excel had a "find" feature in the edit tab, so a long list on the spreadsheet isn't a problem to search. You've got about 260,000 rows to deal with so you shouldn't run out of space any time soon.

Well, anyway, you could do well with excel. Just be patient, and good luck!
 
i have my cds and bootleg (live recordings) all in Excel, it's just a more user friendly program and i'm familiar with it.

it does the job. i can also link in text files, my column that says "info file" is linked to the text file showing tracklists, source and whatever else came with the d/l.
 

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Another great feature of Excel is "Filters" not only can you sort your albums by artist or name but you can also filter them and view or print out only ones for that artist or any other type you feel like.
 
What's more important from choosing the program is to sit back and really think it out what information you want to put down for each album. Too much information and it becomes tedious and might never finish (1200 LPs isn't a small number). Too little information and half way through the work you realize you need to go back to the "done" LPs to pick up the extra information.

I did this once when I thought my 100+ LPs were too much to remember when out to buy more. I now have more than 600 and I am thinking to catalogue them again.

In this era of the internet, I would only catalogue the Artist, Album and condition and would like to search for an online vinyl database to include a link to the LP's details in the spreadsheet.
 
Don't forget to save a copy to an external hard-drive or flash-drive.
I also keep a copy off-premises for insurance purposes.
 
Well, here is an update: just finished listing Beatles lp's. Wow! I didn't quite know how many I had. Also how many variations such as mono/stereo/1st press/Japanese/MFSL etc. . Stands a 65 and I haven't even started on individuals yet. Whew!! Tedious but rewarding experience. Going to take awhile. Thanks to all for input and guidance.:thmbsp:
 
MY system.

I only currently have about 150 lp's since i only started collecting around August of this year. But my current catalog system is.

I have a mediacentre pc running mediaportal in the living room connected to the tv.
On that pc (and another backup) i have a folder called "lp" in the folder is about 300 files. 2 files for each Album.

Artist - album.txt
Artist - album.jpg

I use discogs.com for album info and most of the time the jpg file of the album.
I then wrote a piece of software(still changing it ) that allows you to scan these files up and down by showing the jpg files. And when you have a specific jpg file open you click info and it shows the txt file.

Is this method too tedious , possibly , but i like to "browse" my lp's in software.
The tricky part is makeing sure to add an album to my "system" every time I get a new one. The other trick is the amount of albums that aren't on the internet in ANY way, that i physically take a photo of and type the track and album info in the txt file.

Good luck with your cataloging.
 
I use Music Collector for my ~7000 titles.

I have most LP's but also a lot of RT tapes, MC tapes, CD's, MDs, DATs and some other formats.

I like to have option of stating up front in the database if it's 2LP,Single sided LP, EP, RT, MC, VCR, Single, CD, MD, DAT, EL-MC or what ever format.

I want it to be able to tell me the tracks if I have added that to the 'base.
I want it to tell me the country of origin, year of launch, record number and label, Artist, title and I want a pic of the cover.
All in the order of my choise.

I also want option of notes and I want to be able to claim lists from whatevfer criteria, just as the database is designed for.

So far Music Collector have not let me down.

When adding new music the program uses internet accessible databases for info on the title. After that you sometimes have to correct a few things, but fairly quick to use, I'd say.

I recommend Music Collector.

"dolph"
 
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