Decluttering Your iTunes Jungle
Have you ever found yourself drowning in a sea of music files, desperately searching for that one song you just can’t seem to locate? If so, you’re not alone. Managing a sprawling iTunes library can feel like an exercise in futility, but fear not – I’ve got your back. As a fellow victim of the dreaded “iTunes Jungle”, I’m here to share my hard-won tactics for taming this beast and keeping your media library shipshape.
First thing’s first – let’s do a ruthless purge. Just like clearing out your wardrobe, it’s time to take a long, hard look at your library and decide what’s truly essential. [1] As a digital DJ, I know the pain of separating the “DJ-worthy” tracks from the personal favorites that may not see much stage time. Genre sorting is key here, so take the time to really assess each album and artist. Do you genuinely love every single song, or are there filler tracks that are just taking up precious space? If it’s not a banger, it’s gotta go.
Embracing Procrastination (Productively)
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “But what if I change my mind and want to listen to that obscure B-side again someday?” Well, my friend, that’s where the beauty of procrastination comes in. [2] Instead of deleting those dubious tracks right away, create a dedicated “Unsure” folder or playlist. That way, you can revisit them at a later date when you’re feeling more ruthless. Trust me, the sense of relief you’ll feel from decluttering will be worth it.
Categorize, Categorize, Categorize
With your library slimmed down to the essentials, it’s time to get organized. [2] I’m talking genre-specific playlists, artist-based collections, and mood-themed mixes – the works. Procreate’s brush organization method is a great template to follow here. Create broad category labels like “Upbeat”, “Chill”, “Acoustic”, and so on, then sort your tracks accordingly. This not only makes your library a breeze to navigate, but it also sparks inspiration when you’re DJing or just looking to vibe out.
Backup, Backup, Backup
Last but not least, don’t forget to safeguard your hard work. [3] As anyone who’s had a devastating iTunes library crash can attest, backups are crucial. Utilize the power of iCloud, Dropbox, or good old-fashioned external hard drives to ensure your perfectly curated collection is always safe and sound. That way, when inspiration strikes and you need to mix up a storm, your tunes will be right at your fingertips.
So there you have it – my tried-and-true tips for taming the iTunes beast. With a little elbow grease and a whole lot of organization, you’ll be navigating your media library like a pro in no time. Happy decluttering!
References
[1] “When it comes to converting a personal library of music to a DJ library, I know first-hand the challenges and have developed a pretty good strategy I’d like to share with you today.” – [Knowledge from https://www.digitaldjtips.com/dj-library-traktor-itunes/]
[2] “It sounds super obvious, but the most useful things often are. Do a clear out first! While most brushes are very small in file size storage wise, there are some that are surprising large. This can be due to having a grain or texture that requires the brush to use an image pattern. A surplus of brushes could be taking up precious iPad memory space, not to mention making it more difficult to find what you actually need.” – [Knowledge from https://ipadcalligraphy.com/procreate/organise-procreate-brushes/]
[3] “It’s important to also do regular full iPad backups using iTunes so you can restore your work, but that’s not the kind of backup we’re talking about today. I want to backup brushes in a way I can access them individually if I ever need to. A full iPad backup is a complete clone of your iPad where you can’t see individual files or folders within it.” – [Knowledge from https://ipadcalligraphy.com/procreate/organise-procreate-brushes/]
