Cataloging Music CD Collection

March 6, 2005 9:43 AM

What's a good low-cost software that will archive my music cd information?

I have a moderate-sized CD collection (about 600) that I want to catalog on my PC (I'm moving the discs and booklets to sleeves from the plastic cases). I'm looking for a piece of software that will lookup the information (like most media player software does) and put it into a database. Since the only sw I can find online cost $40 and up, I am looking for alternatives, or at least recommendations.

posted by B_Sovereign to computers & internet (7 comments total)

Try Audiograbber

It will rip your CDs to MP3 and also pull information on each down from the internet. It used to cost but is now freeware.
posted by gfrobe at 10:05 AM on March 6, 2005

Previous thread, and I still stand by my answer!
posted by punilux at 10:20 AM on March 6, 2005

... although I was evidently PUI. Database / Get CD Info from FreeDB and Export Whole Database To DB Text File are simple menu choices within EAC, which is free.
posted by punilux at 10:24 AM on March 6, 2005

Yeah, I was about to recommend EAC. The Library feature is pretty nice, and it's completely free. It's also bar-none the best ripper out there, if you want to go that route later.
posted by neckro23 at 11:37 AM on March 6, 2005

Please, if you want to archive your music use LAME as the encoder and use -APS in the command line option in EAC. This is Variable Bit Rate 128-320k Mp3's and is now a benchmark in the underground community. I bought some Polk 5Jr's yesterday and my 192k Mp3s DO sound worse.

Here is a highly detailed, exhaustively anal retentive way to do this. Just do the basic parts.

I guess if anything else you could encode in FLAC. FLAC is lossless but cuts most of the CD overhead. It is exactly the same sound as the CD.
posted by Dean Keaton at 1:14 PM on March 6, 2005

punilux, thanks for the tip on the previous question -- my searches missed that one.

Like the previous questioner, I'm not interested in converting over my cds right now. EAC sounds promising.
posted by B_Sovereign at 5:57 AM on March 7, 2005

You might also consider www.cds-dvds-wanted.com. With minimial misgivings after talking to the guy on the phone, I shipped them about 500 cds last week. Basically you're giving them your discs in exchange for an Ipod with everything on it, and DVD-R backups.

Figure I couldn't get that much for them selling them myself, and save some labor in the bargain. (And just FYI, the max for USPS madia mail is 70 lbs, and CDs ain't light...)
posted by gottabefunky at 10:16 AM on March 7, 2005