How I Built The ULTIMATE DJ Library in 5 Easy Steps (Full Guide)

Summary

This video offers a comprehensive guide to organizing a DJ's music library for efficiency and creativity. The speaker shares their journey from a chaotic collection of over 9,000 tracks to a streamlined system using five simple steps. They discuss sourcing high-quality music, implementing a tagging system, and maintaining a fresh and updated collection. The script also addresses the challenges of managing a large library and provides solutions for curating and maintaining music that enhances DJ sets.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker used to have an overwhelming music library of over 9,000 tracks and hundreds of playlists, making it difficult to find music efficiently.
• 🔄 To streamline their music management, the speaker decided to delete everything and start fresh with a new organization system.
• 🎵 The speaker now organizes their library more effectively, reducing hours of music management to mere minutes through a five-step process.
• 🚀 For those starting from scratch or wanting to find music faster, the video offers guidance on how to source high-quality music and create an efficient tagging system.
• 🏪 The script compares choosing music sources to choosing a coffee shop, emphasizing personal preference and convenience.
• 🎧 The speaker had clear goals for sourcing music: better quality in less time, focusing on quality over quantity, and reducing risks.
• 📚 Subscription services like record pools are recommended for quickly expanding a music library with high-quality, DJ-friendly edits.
• 🔍 However, the downside of record pools is that they cater to different music types and are intended for promoting new music, which might not suit all DJs' needs.
• 🌐 Free platforms like SoundCloud offer a way to get exclusive edits and bootlegs, which can help DJs stand out with unique tracks in their sets.
• 📈 The speaker warns about the risks of relying on streaming services for DJing, such as the possibility of tracks being removed or services discontinuing support for DJing features.
• 🛒 Buying music from stores provides the benefit of owning the tracks and having more control over the quality and permanence of the library.
• 🏷️ Implementing a curation system is crucial to prevent the library from becoming a chaotic collection and to ensure that only the best tracks make it into the library.
• 📝 The importance of a well-structured and personal tagging system is highlighted to facilitate easy and quick access to the right tracks during set preparation and performance.
• 🎨 An organized library is positioned as a tool for creativity, not a constraint, allowing DJs to be more creative within defined parameters.
• 🛠️ The script suggests using DJ tools like samples, acapellas, and stems to add creativity to sets and provides tips on how to integrate them into the library.
• 🗑️ Regular maintenance of the music library is essential, including removing poor-quality tracks, updating tags, and ensuring the library stays fresh and relevant.

Q & A

What was the main issue the speaker faced with their music library before making changes?

The speaker had a chaotic and disorganized music library with over 9,000 tracks and hundreds of playlists, making it impossible to find anything efficiently.

What decision did the speaker make to improve their music library management?

The speaker decided to delete everything and start fresh with a brand new system, aiming to make their library more organized.

What are the three main goals the speaker had when sourcing music for their library?

The speaker's goals were to get better music in less time, prioritize quality over quantity, and reduce risk.

What are some downsides of using DJ pools for sourcing music?

DJ pools cater to different music types, requiring time to choose the right one. They are also supposed to be used for promoting new music, making them less suitable for older tracks.

How can DJs find unique tracks not available on full release?

DJs can find unique tracks by using sites like SoundCloud or Hypedit, where they can get exclusive edits and bootlegs for free in exchange for social media gratifications.

What is one way DJs can get on promo lists for new releases?

DJs can get on promo lists by interacting with artists and labels on social media, especially if they have a following or play out regularly.

Why might DJs prefer using streaming services for their music?

Streaming services offer access to millions of tracks for a small monthly fee, making DJing affordable and accessible, and allowing for high-quality streaming and quick discovery of new releases.

What are some risks associated with relying on streaming services for DJing?

Streaming services can remove tracks at any time, require a solid internet connection which is often not available at gigs, and may decide to stop supporting DJing altogether.

How does the speaker suggest DJs organize their music library to improve their sets?

The speaker suggests using a curation system, tagging system, and categorization based on sub-genres, energy levels, and vibe to make the library more organized and easier to navigate.

What is the 'Paradox of Choice' and how does it relate to DJing and music library organization?

The 'Paradox of Choice' refers to the phenomenon where having too many options can lead to decision paralysis. An organized music library provides constraints that can actually make it easier for DJs to be creative within those boundaries.

How can DJs use Record Box to help create playlists and manage their library?

DJs can use Record Box to find related tracks based on BPM and key, filter by energy levels, and create intelligent playlists to manage their music more efficiently.

What steps should DJs take to keep their music library fresh and up to date?

DJs should regularly review and remove tracks that don't work in their sets, update file quality, and keep an eye on tracks they haven't played in a while to ensure their library remains relevant and high-quality.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 Overhauling the DJ's Music Library

The speaker, a seasoned DJ, discusses the transformation of their music library from a disorganized chaos to a streamlined system. After 20 years of DJing and accumulating over 9,000 tracks, the decision was made to delete everything and start anew. The process involved five steps to organize the library, making music management efficient. The video aims to guide viewers on finding high-quality music, creating a fast tagging system, and maintaining a fresh and updated collection. It also touches on the overwhelming choices available for sourcing music and the speaker's personal goals for quality and efficiency in their music curation.

05:01

🔍 Implementing a Curation System for Music Selection

The paragraph introduces a curation system for music, essential for maintaining a personalized and high-quality library. The speaker uses a shortlist on Spotify as a preliminary filter, followed by a 24-hour waiting period to re-evaluate tracks based on three key questions regarding personal liking, playability, and willingness to pay. This system ensures that only the best tracks make it into the library. The importance of having a well-organized library is compared to the difficulty of choosing a holiday destination, emphasizing the need for a personal categorization system that aligns with individual DJing styles and preferences.

10:02

🎨 Creative Organization for DJ Sets

This section delves into the creative benefits of an organized music library, debunking the myth that structure hinders creativity. The speaker shares personal strategies for categorizing tracks, including the use of sub-genres with tags, energy levels with star ratings, and vibe tags for personal connection. These methods not only help in finding tracks quickly but also in creating dynamic and engaging DJ sets with the right balance of energy and mood. The importance of DJ tools like samples and acapellas is also highlighted, as they can enhance the creativity of sets.

15:04

🛠 Maintenance and Continuous Improvement of the Music Library

The final paragraph focuses on the importance of regular maintenance to keep the music library fresh and relevant. It discusses the process of identifying and removing tracks that no longer fit the DJ's style or quality standards, using 'poop' tags and intelligent playlists for efficient management. The speaker also addresses the issue of low-quality files and the need to upgrade them, as well as the importance of regularly reviewing tracks that have not been played in a while to ensure the library remains an active and valuable resource for DJing.

Keywords

💡DJing

DJing refers to the act of selecting and playing recorded music for an audience. It is central to the video's theme as the speaker discusses their 20 years of experience as a DJ and how they organized their music library to enhance their DJing performance. The script mentions 'after 20 years of DJing I had over 9,000 tracks', illustrating the scale of a DJ's music collection and the need for organization.

💡Music Library

A music library is a collection of music tracks that a DJ or music enthusiast has accumulated over time. In the video, the speaker's music library was initially chaotic, making it difficult to find specific tracks. The script states 'my library is more organized than ever', highlighting the importance of a well-organized library for efficient music management and creative DJing.

💡Tagging System

A tagging system is a method of organizing digital files by assigning them keywords or 'tags' that describe the content or characteristics of the files. In the context of the video, the speaker created a 'lightning fast tagging system' to categorize music tracks in their library, which is crucial for quick retrieval and effective set planning, as mentioned in 'create a lightning fast, tagging system'.

💡DJ Pools

DJ pools are subscription-based services that provide DJs with access to a large selection of high-quality music tracks for download. The video discusses the use of DJ pools like 'zipdj or BPM Supreme' to quickly expand a DJ's music library, emphasizing the convenience and legality of these services for sourcing music.

💡Curation

Curation in this context refers to the process of carefully selecting and organizing music tracks to create a cohesive and engaging playlist. The script mentions 'introduce a curation system', which is essential for a DJ to ensure that the music played during sets is well-selected and resonates with the audience.

💡Streaming Services

Streaming services are platforms that allow users to listen to music on-demand over the internet, often for a monthly fee. The video discusses the use of streaming services like 'tidle, SoundCloud, go or bport streaming' for accessing a vast array of music, but also warns of the potential risks and limitations associated with relying on them for DJing.

💡Energy Levels

Energy levels in music refer to the intensity or the emotional impact a track can have on listeners. The video script talks about categorizing music based on energy to control the dynamics of a DJ set, as in 'level two of our tagging system is designed to help us control energy', which is vital for maintaining the crowd's engagement.

💡Vibe

Vibe denotes the atmosphere or mood that a piece of music creates. The speaker discusses tagging music based on 'vibe' to personalize the library and to help in selecting tracks that fit the desired atmosphere of a set, as mentioned in 'level three is where we start getting personal, it's all down to Vibe'.

💡DJ Tools

DJ tools are additional audio elements like samples, acapellas, and stems that DJs use to enhance their sets. The script mentions the importance of having 'DJ tools' such as acapellas and samples to add 'extra spice to your sets', emphasizing their role in creating a unique and dynamic performance.

💡Maintenance

In the context of the video, maintenance refers to the ongoing process of updating, removing, or improving the music library to keep it fresh and relevant. The speaker shares personal experiences with neglecting maintenance, as in 'lacked on maintenance it ended up costing me', and provides strategies for regular upkeep to prevent the library from becoming outdated.

💡Intelligent Playlists

Intelligent playlists are automatically generated playlists based on specific rules or criteria set by the user. The video script discusses creating intelligent playlists to manage the music library more efficiently, such as 'create an intelligent playlist right click on playlist do create new intelligent playlist', which helps in identifying and organizing tracks based on various attributes like play count or quality.

Highlights

After 20 years of DJing, the speaker had accumulated over 9,000 tracks and hundreds of playlists, leading to a chaotic and inefficient library management system.

A major decision was made to delete the entire music library to start fresh with a new organization system, resulting in a more efficient and organized library.

The video promises to teach viewers how to find high-quality music, create a fast tagging system, and maintain an up-to-date music collection.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity when sourcing music for a DJ library.

Subscription services like zipDJ or BPM Supreme are recommended for quickly expanding a DJ's music library with high-quality files and curated lists.

DJ pools are beneficial but may have downsides, such as catering to specific music types and legal restrictions on their use for older tracks.

Finding unique tracks not available on full release can help a DJ stand out, with sites like SoundCloud offering free exclusive edits and bootlegs.

Getting on promo lists can be challenging but interacting with artists and labels on social media can increase the chances of receiving exclusive tracks.

Streaming services have made DJing more affordable and accessible, but they come with risks such as tracks being removed or reliance on internet connections.

The speaker suggests moving away from streaming services for long-term DJing due to potential support discontinuation or feature limitations.

Purchasing music from online stores like Beatport, Juno, and others ensures high-quality tracks and the ability to keep them permanently.

A curation system is introduced as a way to filter and select music effectively, similar to choosing a coffee shop based on personal preferences.

The importance of a 24-hour waiting period before adding a track to the library is highlighted to ensure its lasting appeal.

A three-step categorization system is presented to organize tracks based on genre, energy, and vibe, making it easier to find suitable music for sets.

The paradox of choice is discussed, explaining how an organized library can actually foster creativity by providing constraints.

DJ tools such as samples, acapellas, and stems are recommended for adding extra elements to sets and can be organized within the library.

Record box is used to create playlists by working backwards from a chosen end track, helping to overcome creative blocks and plan sets.

The importance of regular library maintenance is stressed, including removing poor-quality tracks, updating files, and culling unused tracks.

Transcripts

is your library a chaotic mess is it

sucking up valuable time you could be

spending on your decks after 20 years of

DJing I had over 9,000 tracks and

hundreds of playlists it was impossible

to find anything but then I made a huge

decision I deleted everything I wanted

to start fresh with a brand new system

now my library is more organized than

ever and I've turned hours of music

management into minutes using just five

simple steps whether you're starting

from scratch cleaning up your existing

library or just want to find music

faster this video is for you I'm going

to show you how to find high quality

music handp pick the best tracks for

your library create a lightning fast

tagging system transform your library

into a creative Powerhouse and keep your

music collection fresh and up to dat

there are a thousand different places to

get a coffee but I bet you have a

favorite shop maybe their coffee tastes

better is on your way to work or they

just have better quants there are also

loads of choices for where to get the

music for your sets but because there's

so much Choice it can quickly get

overwhelming costly and timec consuming

when I started sourcing music for my

library I had three clear goals I wanted

to get better music in less time quality

was more important than quantity and I

wanted to reduce risk more on that in a

bit if you're starting from nothing

record PS like zipdj or BPM Supreme are

a great way to quickly beef up your

library you pay a monthly subscription

and then can download an unlimited

number of tracks DJ pools give high

quality files and often DJ friendly

edits or even stems they also have

curated lists of tracks you can use to

quickly prepare for certain events but

there are a few downsides different

pools cater to different music types so

you need to invest some time choosing

the one that's best for the type of

music you play legally they're only

supposed to be for promoting new music

so if you're after older tracks you

might have to try elsewhere I mainly mix

drum and bass and none of the DJ pools I

tried had a good selection of more

underground tracks for me DJ pulls are

out but depending what you play they're

a great solution for many DJs finding

unique tracks not available on full

release is a great way to stand out in

your sets an easy and free way to do

this is using sites like SoundCloud or

hyp edit in exchange for a few social

media gratifications you can grab

exclusive edits and bootlegs for free

often for well-known producers and if

you're lucky they might even be properly

mastered even though I haven't played

trans for about 8 years I'm still for

some reason on a promo list that

regularly sends me new releases I got

onto this list cuz I had a fairly

popular trans podcast back in the day

but getting on these lists is harder

than listening to an entire Tech house

set in fact only 19% of you had managed

to get on one if you got some kind of

following or play out regularly you're

more likely to be able to get on these

lists the artists and labels are looking

for DJs that can promote their music to

a big audience if you aren't on one yet

there are some things you can try one of

the best things you can do is interact

with artists you like and labels on

social media don't just fake it though

only engage with music that you actually

like I know many DJs who get get

exclusive tracks from artists just

because they've supported them for a

long time on social media give value get

value streaming services like tidle

SoundCloud go or bport streaming have

made DJing affordable and accessible you

get access to millions of tracks for a

small monthly fee and it's been the main

way that I've been getting my music for

the last few years but that's changed

along with the huge selection of music

you can stream tracks in high quality

and quickly find new releases and like

record pools there's loads of playlists

to quickly give you ideas for tracks and

sets there Al a lifesaver if you take

requests from drunk people at events but

there's some big risks these Services

can remove tracks at any time and

besides a hacky version of bport on CDJ

3000 streaming on Club gear is usually

not feasible you obviously need a solid

internet connection which is in short

supply at most gigs some streaming

services do offer more expensive plans

that let you save streaming tracks

offline for a period of time but this

obviously comes at an additional cost

streaming music sounds great value at

first but there's there's a few other

things to think about if you're DJing

longterm in the worst case scenario

these Services can simply decide to stop

supporting dejing we've seen it in the

past with Spotify and if they don't turn

off all together they can turn off

certain features recently tidle removed

the ability to use stems in all DJ

software without warning I still use

tidle to try out tracks I might like to

buy but personally I'm now trying to

move away from streaming where do I go

if I want a loaf of bread I go to the

supermarket because I don't like to

support small business businesses the

most obvious place to buy music is the

stores that sell it bort Juno bandab and

countless others offer huge cataloges of

music for you to buy download and keep

using the charts on these websites is

also a great way of staying on top of

the most popular tracks and making sure

your set sound exactly like everyone

else's have a think about your long-term

goals to decide which of these sources

is best for you I've created a quick

worksheet you can use to help you decide

the link is in the description have you

ever met someone at a party you chat for

hours and you get along great you swap

numbers and arrange to go for a coffee

you order your usual extra hot flat wire

with oat milk 5/19 of a shop and four

atoms of caramel syrup you sit down I'm

actually into goat Hing Progressive

gabber and vacuum core you have nothing

in common that's why it's essential to

introduce a curation system it's like a

bouncer for your music library as I'm

listening to new tracks on Spotify I put

them in a special short list you can do

the same thing with the bort basket or

just favorite tracks the next part of

the system is really easy but don't skip

it just wait 24 hours do not listen to

the track again the next day with fresh

ears have another listen all the way

through then ask yourself three simple

questions do I still like the track

would I play it out would I pay money

for it if you can't answer those free

questions easily it's a sign it

shouldn't be in your library as a bonus

tip also try listening to it on

different speakers if you can there's

been loads of times when I've heard a

track that sounds great in headphones

but when I hear it on my speakers it

sounds like your DJ library is your

biggest asset and you should protect it

with security guards CCT TV and dogs

with lasers coming out their eyes but

having awesome tracks in your library is

worthless if you can't find them again

when you're planning or playing your

sets I hate booking holidays the problem

is there's so many different ways of

thinking about where you want to go how

hot will it be do you want a siing or a

beach holiday how many bed bugs does the

hotel have for some people budget is the

most important thing for others it's how

close it is to the airport or for me is

how watered down their beer is that's

why trying to describe your ideal

holiday is so hard in the same way how I

describe my music is going to be

different to how you do it's why many

DJs struggle to get their music

organized in the first place but having

a properly tagged music library that

makes sense to you is the best thing you

can do to level up your sets I'm going

to show you the three steps I use to

categorize my tracks quickly with each

added step your library becomes more

powerful and more personal you don't go

to trans night and expect to hear hip

hop jras and sub jras are a really

useful first step for categorizing your

music it helps you understand what

tracks might sound good together and

usually whether they'll be around the

same BPM but many DJs I hear from are

worried about getting sub genres wrong

and they get stuck I want to propose a

different way of tagging them that will

help you get over that hump the default

genre tag in most DJ software only that

you choose one option but what if my

track fits in one or more of these

different sub jras I've got K here which

is kind of a liquidy Vibe but it's also

something I play peak time and it's also

an em for that reason I only use the

genre field here for the overall genre

rather than a sub genre for sub genres I

do something a little bit different I

use tags the big benefit of tags is you

can use more than one a track can be

liquid it can be a roller and it can be

jump up all at the same time I've done a

full video on tagging your tracks that

I'll link to in the description but I'll

show you quickly how to set it up in

record box click on the tag icon on the

right hand side

side to set up your subj tag double

click on one of the headings give this

heading a name like JRA and then create

your list of subj tags by clicking the

little plus icon and then typing them

out now to tag LK correctly all I need

to do is click on it and then choose the

relevant

subas this can then be used in filters

or smart playlists to organize your

tracks but sub genre alone isn't enough

to create a cohesive set there can be

massive Variety in tracks even within

the same subj that's why we need to add

our next level of categorization the

best sets have highs and lows and

contrasting moments playing a whole set

of bangers is going to exhaust the crowd

and playing a whole set of warmup tracks

will send them back to the womb level

two of our tagging system is designed to

help us control energy in my old library

I use tags for energy it was better than

nothing but I found it hard to use

during a set there was too much reading

I wanted a more visual way of doing it

there's a field and record box that many

pro DJs hijack for this purpose it's the

rating field using this is simple to set

up make sure the column is showing in

record box by right clicking on the

heading and then choose rating then all

you need to do is map the amount of

energy to a star rating low energy is

one star and high energy is five stars

the cool thing about it is you can

actually do it straight from the

playlist view just by double clicking

and if you play on cdjs rating is highly

visible and accessible on the screens

but bear in mind if you use streaming

tracks you can only rate them once

you've added them to a record box

playlist have you ever heard a track and

thought this would sound great at a

beach bar then your friend hears the

same track and goes you're crazy this

would sound better at a brole level

three is where we start getting personal

it's all down to Vibe there's no right

or wrong way to tag a Vibe but here's a

framework I like to use how does the

track make you feel what does it remind

you of where would you play it when

would you play it why would you play it

and who would you play it for our music

library is now so organized they will

make a librarian weep with joy you

should now be able to find tracks in

seconds in a way that's personal to you

but our goal as DJs isn't to organize is

to be creative you might think having a

structured music library is going to

stop you being creative in your sets but

it's actually the opposite if you've

ever needed to buy something boring like

a toaster you might have experienced

this you go online and there's literally

hundreds of different options different

prices features colors Brands reviews

and shipping costs you spend hours

comparing them all until you give up and

just have serial Instead This is a

phenomenon called the Paradox of choice

because an organized Library gives us

some constraints it's actually easier to

be creative within those constraints

there's a few extra ways I've set up my

library to help me be more creative one

big element missing from my original

library was DJ tools these are things

like samples and acappellas you can use

to add extra spice to your sets stems

now mean you can do acappellas on the

fly but the quality isn't quite there

yet I still like to have a list of go-to

vocals that I've pre-prepared if there's

an Acappella that works particularly

well with a track there's a way to get

record box to remember it here I've got

my Acappella loaded on deck one and my

track loaded on Deck two to find the

matching track function click this

little left-facing arrow up here on the

waveform click the two intersecting

circles this creates a relationship in

record box between the two tracks I'm

going to unload the Acappella now and

show you how we find that relationship

again the next time I'm playing my track

go into the related tracks icon on the

right record box will present a list of

tracks that match BPM and Key by default

but we want to find our Acappella go

into the settings uncheck BPM and key

and check matching our Acappella now

appears in the list ready for us to load

a well-placed Acappella can really lift

a track and get the Dance Floor going

but are you really a DJ if you don't

have an air horn sample if you like to

scratch or just want a cool sound to

play before a drop I definitely

recommend having a few samples on hand

you can load these directly to your

software sampler if you want but I

prefer to have them in a playlist so I

can add extra effects or scratch them if

I want to what if you could hire a

creative consultant every time you got

stuck for inspiration now our library is

tagged and organized properly we can

hire record box to help us create

playlists let's pretend I'm going to be

playing a set at a bar full of Bankers

create a new playlist by right clicking

create new playlist and we'll call it

aner bangers in my newsletter I've

written about how it's a good idea to

start with the ends track of your set

once you know where you want to end up

it's easier to figure out how to get

there I know my set's going to end at

2:00 a.m. so I want to end on a bit of a

banger this track always goes down well

with capitalists I call this the seed

track now I'm going to use recob box to

help me work backwards from this track I

primarily mix via key and energy so I'm

going to use that as the guiding force

for my set to do this we need to load

our ends track to the decks and make

sure to select Master click the related

tracks icon on the right go into

settings and make sure BPM and key are

selected because I want to filter down

by energy I want record box to suggest

to me anything that's four stars and

above for the track that comes before

our final

one we can now see a list of tracks that

match that criteria I'm going to throw a

few in for the last part of the

set let's Now work on the middle part of

the set where we want more of a medium

energy go back into related tracks set

things and set this to fre stars and

above unfortunately there's no way to

actually see the rating in the related

track section so you have to do a bit

filtering afterwards because we've

worked top to bottom we've got our end

track at the start to swap that just

click the number icon here to change the

order of the playlist of course this is

just a starting point and you'd have to

be insane to let record box plan your

entire playlist I'll often sprinkle in

other tracks I know I want to play and

I'll also adjust the criteria to match

other things like year to make sure I'm

playing more recent tracks but it's a

great way to overcome that creative

block and get yourself off the starting

line we've now got high quality tracks

in our library can find them easily and

use them to create amazing sets but

there's one final step DJs get wrong and

if you don't get it right everything

we've done so far will be pointless from

the age of eight I'd always wanted a

Porsche I saved and saved for 25 years

one day I finally had enough money to

buy one it wasn't brand new but I didn't

care it was one of the best days of my

life I loved owning it looking at it and

smelling the leather and my own farts

but over time as it got older it started

to run more like a person in fancy dress

at a marathon I was lacked on

maintenance it ended up costing me

thousands to repair and I had to sell it

without regular care your library can

get old creaky and unusable just like

the metallic Club of my life but with a

few simple steps you can make sure it

stays in tiptop condition sometimes a

track makes it through your curation

process and into your library but then

you play it out and it just doesn't work

I've spoken before about having a poop

tag that you can add to these tracks to

mark them for termination to create this

open the tags menu on the right hand

side change one of the headings to

something like toilet and then add a

poop tag the easiest way to stay on top

of this is to create an intelligent

playlist right click on playlist do

create new intelligent playlist call it

smelly turds change the first drop down

to my tag leave this on contains and

then choose poop click okay as an

example I've tagged a few here where

I've got duplicates the quality wasn't

good enough or the edits were wrong all

you need to do now is select all of

these right click and remove from

collection but the problem is this won't

get rid of the actual music files on

your computer I whipped up a Mac

shortcut that can do this for you and

free up some of that precious hard drive

space Here's how it works right click on

your smelly turds playlist do export

playlist to file and then choose the

second option the M free u8 playlist

save it somewhere on your computer now

open the shortcuts app on your Mac by

pressing command and space and typing

shortcuts run the delete files from

playlist shortcut browse to the playlist

We just saved from record box and select

it you get a warning click okay and all

your tunes are deleted you can grab this

shortcut along with loads of other tools

and tips to help your library management

process by subscribing to the newsletter

Link in the description another big

problem I had in my old music library

was bad file quality some of the mp3s

were about 20 years old and they were in

128 KOB a second which isn't good enough

to play out there's an easy way to find

these files go to collection on the left

hand side right click on a column

heading choose bit rate and then click

the column heading to sort it anything

less than 320 Koby a second you probably

want to remove or find a better quality

version I've got a few older tracks in

here that I need to sort out sometimes I

come back to this task later so I want

to put a color on them to keep track if

you can't see this color heading right

click on the column headings again and

choose color make sure the bad quality

tracks are highlighted press the I icon

and at the bottom of the window you'll

see this color drop down here I

generally use pink for these but you can

use whatever you want to make things

easier you can also rename pink to

something like bad quality go into

preferences Advanced browse then double

click on the color you want to change if

you want you can also create an

intelligent playlist to easily keep

track of these files all we need to do

is right click create new intelligent

playlist I'll call it bad quality change

the first drop down to color leave the

second one as equals and then choose

your color tag now we can comeb back

this playlist whenever we have time and

try and improve the quality of our files

in my old library there were probably

thousands of tracks that I'd never

actually played your taste can change

and sometimes tracks just never fit in

your sets I made sure to regularly keep

an eye on these tracks so I can send

them to the oap home I do this with

another intelligent playlist I'll call

this one grand kid never visit in the

first drop down choose DJ play count

leave the second one is equals and the

third one are zero now we need to add a

second rule so it only matches tracks we

added over two months ago click on the

small plus change the first drop down to

date added change the second to is not

in the last then put in a two and change

the final one to

months if you haven't played these

tracks after 2 months you're probably

never going to so pop them on the bus

and send them off into the sunset even

after following these five steps

creating playlists and staying on top of

my music management was taking me too

long that's why you should watch this

video next where I show you how to use

record box to save time and manage your

library for you