How do you sort out your collections?

[scoutthedoggie]

I try to list everything A-z by band name, then I state as much detail as possible, such as source, generation of recordings, time, quality and for my own information, the last number at each item ie #2490 is the DVD number as I have well over 3000 DVDs. Here's a sample from one of my lists.
STEVE VAI
LIVE AT PYLI AXIOU, THESSALONIKI, GREECE, APRIL 18TH 2000, 2ND GEN VHS>SA DVD RECORDER, BASIC MENU, GOOD VIEW, LEFT OF STAGE. 119MIN VG+ DVD #2735

STEVE VAI
LIVE AT THE SPORTING ARENA, ATHENS, GREECE NOV 22ND 2005, MASTER>SA DVD RECORDER, BASIC MENU, GOOD VIEW.
39MIN M DVD #2736

STEVE WINWOOD
LIVE AT SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE, LONDON NOV 8TH 2008, FILMED BY SOUND UNSEEN, REMASTERED BY CDRS OF GUITARS.
DV MASTER>MAC AUTHORED DVD, GREAT MENU AND SONG SELECTION
118MIN M DVD #2944

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND ALBERT KING
LIVE AT THE CHCH-TV STUDIOS, HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA, DECEMBER 6th 1983 FILMED FOR CANADIAN TV SHOW
CALLED “IN SESSION” THIS IS ALL THE TIME CODED OUTTAKES, THE ACTUAL TV BROADCAST WAS ONLY ABOUT 30MINS LONG, THIS IS ALL THE UNUSED STUFF. LOOKS LIKE 1ST GEN VHS>SA DVD RECORDER, BASIC MENU WITH SHOW SELECTION. AMAZING STUFF.
DISC 1 84MIN EX- DVD #2756
DISC 2 66MIN EX- DVD #2757

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN
VOLUNTEER JAM, LIVE AT THE STARWOOD AMPHITHEATER, ANTIOCH, TN USA.
SEPT 6TH 1987. USTV BROADCAST MASTER>SA DVD RECORDER, BASIC MENU, AWESOME VIDEO
44MIN M DVD #2755

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS
LIVE AT HANGER 10, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, JULY 7TH 2000, 2ND GEN VHS>PC AUTHORED DVD.
BASIC MENU, GOOD VIEW, CAMERA ON TRIPOD?
66MIN VG+ DVD #2696

STONESOUR
DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL DONINGTON PARK JUNE 10TH 2007, DV CAMCORDER SHOT FROM A LITTLE TO THE LEFT OF STAGE IN AUDIENCE, GOOD VIEW STEADY NICE AUDIO. PC AUTHORED FROM DV MASTER TAPE, GOOD MENU WITH SONG SELECTION.
46MIN M DVD 2468

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
LIVE AT THE CNE STADIUM, TORONTO CANADA AUGUST 19TH 1994, CAMCORDER SHOW FROM LEFT OF STAGE, ELEVATED VIEW, GOOD CLEAR, STEADY. CAMERA HAS TO BE HIDDEN AT TIMES DUE TO SECURITY & OTHERS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE FILMER. IST GEN NTSC VHS>SA DVD RECORDER, TRANSFER BY ME JAN 2017.
40MIN EX DVD #2781

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
MY OWN VHS HIFI MASTERS>SA DVD RECORDER, MENU WITH SHOW SELECTION.
THE BEAT, LATE NIGHT UK TV SHOW, LIVE ACOUSTIC OUT DOORS LONDON 1993, BROADCAST JUNE 4TH 1993, 8MIN M
HEADBANGERS BALL MTV UK, BROADCAST SEPT 5TH 1993, RECORDED AT PARADISE FESTIVAL HOLLAND AUGUST 29TH 1993, 24MIN M
MTV ROCKUMENTARY, BROADCAST ON MTV UK 1996, 23MIN M
TOTAL RUNNING TIME 55MIN M DVD #2782

STOOGES
LIVE AT LOKERSE FEESTEN, BELGIUM AUGUST 5TH 2005
PRO SHOT VIDEO, PC AUTHORED WITH GOOD MENU, SONG SELECTION ETC.
65MIN M DVD #2505

STOOGES
LIVE AT THE AUDITORIUM STRAVINSKI, MONTREUX, JULY 14TH 2006, DIGITAL BROADCAST MASTER>PC AUTHORED DVD.
52MIN M DVD 2958

STOOGES
WALIBI WORLD, BIDDINGHUIZEN, "LOWLANDS FESTIVAL" 19TH AUGUST 2006 DUTCH TV DIGITAL BROADCAST>PC AUTHORED DVD
67MIN M DVD #2959

STOOGES
LIVE AT TAKSIRAT FESTIVAL, SKOPJE, MACEDONIA DECEMBER 2ND 2006, DV CAMCORDER SHOT FROM ELEVATED POSITION, CAMERA IS ON A TRIPOD CENTRE STAGE, STEADY CLEAR VIEW, GOOD AUDIO. PC AUTHORED FORM DV MASTER, GOOD MENU WITH SONG SELECTION.
61MIN M DVD #2503

STOOGES
FRIDAY NIGHT WITH JONATHAN ROSS, BBC TV JUNE 22ND 2007, DIGITAL TV BROADCAST TO STANDALONE DVD RECORDER, BASIC MENU. OTHER GUESTS ON THE SHOW SERENA WILLIAMS & RUSSELL BRAND. STOOGES ARE INTERVIEWED, THEN PLAY LIVE IN THE STUDIO.
55MIN M DVD #2988

STOOGES
EUROPE 2 TV BROADCAST APRIL 21ST 2007, RECORDED IN PARIS MARCH 2007, INTERVIEW WITH ALL THE STOOGES. DECENT INTERVIEW WITH THE BOYS IN A HOTEL FOR 25 MINUTES FOLLOWED BY A FEW IGGY POP PROMOS
DIGITAL BROADCAST>PC AUTHORED DVD BY ME SEPT 2007, BASIC MENU WITH CHAPTER SELECTION.
TOTAL RUNNING TIME 39MIN M DVD 2506

STOOGES
MEGALAND, LANDGRAAF (PINKPOP) MAY 27TH 2007, DIGITAL BROADCAST > PC AUTHORED DVD
60MIN M DVD #2980

STOOGES
TOM LEE PARK, BEAL STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL, MEMPHIS MAY 4TH 2007
DV CAMCORDER MASTER>PC AUTHORED DVD, GOOD MENU WITH SONG SELECTION.
70MIN M DVD #2981

STOOGES
FOUR DIGITAL TV BORADCASTS>PC AUTHORED DVD
LE GRAND JOURNAL,CANAL+ STUDIOS, PARIS 2007, 3MIN M
LE LIVE DE LA SEMAINE, CANAL+ STUDIOS PARIS 2007,31MIN M
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE, 25TH APRIL 2007, 5MIN M
FRIDAY NIGHT WITH JONATHAN ROSS, BBC TV 22ND JUNE 2007, 5MIN M
DVD #2982

SUNNYBOYS
AUSTRALIAN TV COMPILATION, VHS>SA DVD RECORDER, BASIC MENU WITH SHOW SELECTION
DVD #2753

TALK TALK
ROCK POP GERMAN TV, LIVE DORTMUND NOV 21ST 1984, VHS MASTER>SA DVD RECORDER.
41MIN EX DVD #2698

THE RAPTURE
GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL FRIDAY JUNE 25TH 2004 HI8 CAMCORDER SHOT@SP, HI8 MASTER>PC AUTHORED DVD BY ME AUGUST 2007, SUPER CLOSE CLEAR VIEW, GREAT AUDIO, BASIC MENU WITH CHAPTERS AT SONGS.
43MIN M DVD #2487

THROBBING GRISTLE
LIVE AT THE LONDON ASTORIA MAY 16TH 2004, THIS WAS FILMED FOR OFFICIAL RELEASE ON DVD HOWEVER THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SINGLE Hi8 CAMCORDER VERSION FILMED BY “SOUND UNSEEN” GOOD CLEAR STEADY VIEW, NICE AUDIO, WELL FILMED, TWO DISKS PC AUTHORED FROM Hi8 MASTER TAPES BY ME SEPT 2007.
DISK #1 65MIN M DVD 2517
DISK #2 31MIN M DVD 2518

THELONIUS MONK
LIVE BADEN BADEN GERMANY 1963, GERMAN TV REBROADCAST VHS MASTER>PC AUTHORED DVD,
BASIC MENU.
29MIN EX DVD #2990

THELONIUS MONK
“THELONIUS MONK IN POLAND” LIVE WARSAW APRIL 1966, DIGITAL REBROADCAST>PC AUTHORED DVD. BASIC MENU.
26MIN EX DVD #2989

[daddyray]

LPs DVDs and CDs are sorted by artists true last name ( aka Little Walter Jacobs)..they all have shelving systems. Everything else I just have to dig around my ex drive array.
I don't burn CDs or DVDs much anymore.

[TheMysticMuse]

Sorry for not being specific. I was mainly talking about shows that's on my hard drive, not physical bootleg like LPs/CDs/DVDs and how you then organize all of these shows into a .txt/excel sheet. Much easier to having a excel sheet to have a clearer view of what you have and don't have. Thanks for the input @daddyray and @scoutthedoggie

[daddyray]

understood.

[Uncle Sam´s Army]

There's nothing like correct lists.

[scoutthedoggie]

[TheMysticMuse]

Hahahahahah I almost got an headache watching that collection. But I guess you know where every single show is hiding

[mr breeze]

mine looks like sam's until the wife throws it out into the garage, then i have more room...

[mdshrk1]

[StarslayerJo]

Originally Posted by TheMysticMuse

how do you sort...

I use DirOpus for creating multiple folders, I use a simple little file list generator called List Maker, then use dir opus by dumping the cleaned up text list to the "New Folder"function checking off the multiple folder option. every text line is a new folder in whatever location you set it up in

it can be found at:
https://novatone.net/software/ListMaker.htm

alternately, if you are wanting to rename in batches:
https://www.advancedrenamer.com/

I've gotten myself in the habit of naming all dirs in a system that works for me for importing it to excel in various ways. usually I keep new stuff in a dir that I add the filenames through the ListMaker app, I clean the list up so it's just the folder names, and then line dump to EXCEL and integrate the folders. My folders are named as

"Band - 2024.00.00 - Venue (optional), City State (source) (#cd's) MEDIA"

E.G.:
"Nirvana - 2006.00.00 - Loose Ends (2006 Upgrade) (2 CD) (FLAC)"

The BRACKETS and/or DASHES make it easy to import

[StarslayerJo]

Originally Posted by Uncle Sam´s Army

There's nothing like correct lists.

This is pretty much made me start digitizing everything (not my photo, but looks alot like my area did at one point.

Now, with the exception of the remainder I have left to digitize (down to two boxes left), I'm pretty well organized.