Video:Organize Your CD and Music Collection

SHARE ON                

Transcript:Organize Your CD and Music Collection

Hey guys - Jonathon Stewart here for About.com. Keeping your music in order can be a little rough, especially if the majority of your collection lives somewhere outside of ITunes. So if you're a luddite like me and tend to let your CDs stack up toward the ceiling, take a look at the following tips, and you'll be jammin' out before you know it. Check it out.

The Root of Disorganized CDs

We've all done it - taken a CD out of its case, listened to it, then moved on to the next one and forgotten all about putting away the first one. This unfortunate habit often leads to this. Yikes. And not only does this make it tough to find a CD when you want it, it's also pretty rough on the discs themselves. And everyone knows there's nothing worse than the chronically skipping CD, right?

Reorganize CD Collection

The first step in bringing order back to the madness is getting your discs back in their cases. Make sure you have a wide open space and a little bit of time on your hands so that you can be as thorough as possible in getting back to square one. Next it's time to take stock of what you've got in front of you. Decide on some kind of ordering system, either alphabetical, or by type of music, or both. Arrange your discs in rows or stacks, so that you can easily find whatever it is you're looking for. Now it's time to think about hardware. Do you want to keep your discs on display and in their original cases?

Decide Where to Store Your Music and CDs

Or, are you more interested in saving space and being able to store large numbers of discs in a compact case? Using the system you set up in your stacks or rows, transfer your music to CD towers or shelves or books, and if you run out of room, you may want to consider weeding out some of the old stuff.

C'mon. You've got some dingers in your collection, too. I know it. However you decide to re-shelve your tunes, just remember that when you're done listening to one disc, just put it back in it's spot when you're done. Simple.

Add Music to Your Computer

Finally, if you do use your computer to store music, consider taking an hour or two a weekend to upload your tunes into a music database. ITunes is pretty prevalent these days, but they're not the only player out there. But if you are all about the music, and all about saving space and plastic, it is possible to get even the biggest collections down to this.

Quick Fix for Scratched CDs

But, if you just can't part with the 90s, and if you do have a scratch on a disc that sends you running for the skip button every other song, try dabbing it with a cotton ball and a little toothpaste. Rub for a few seconds, rinse away the paste, gently pat dry, and you just might be back in business.

Thanks for watching! To learn more, visit us on the Web at About.com.