FAQ: Add Albums Automatically

What is the best way to add CDs to the database?

In most cases, scanning a CD in your CD-ROM drive or typing the artist/title, result in MUCH more and better data than the barcode will.

This is mainly because a search by CD ID will almost always result in one exact match from the Collectorz.com Music Database, still THE best online source for CD info.

We recommend trying and you will find it is just as quick too. Make sure that if you use the scan CD option, you have the Collectorz.com info source listed at the top position, and enabled

The problem with barcode searching is that barcodes are different in every country and for every different "printing" of items. So finding an exact match can be hard, although the Amazon sources do support barcode searches. This means you will be able to find US editions of CDs that are available at one of these Amazon sites.

Can I use Music Collector to catalog vinyl (LPs), cassettes, etc?

Music Collector is best suited for CDs, because the Collectorz.com online database only holds CD editions of music albums. This makes it quick and easy to add CDs (just insert them in your CD-ROM drive).

However, you can still add vinyl and other formats by selecting a CD equivalent in the Add Albums Automatically screen (just search by Artist and Title). Just change the Format fields afterwards.

Alternatively, you can add vinyl records manually through Edit / Add Album Manually.

Can Music Collector be used to catalog Classical music?

Yes, Music Collector is well suited to do so.

There is a challenge though. Most of the online info sources treat the Artist/Composer as one person. In Classical music, this in not normally the case.

We recommend that you enter the Composer in the Composer data field. (Windows only)

This field was included as of version 8 for Windows, along with numerous other fields specifically thought out for classical music. For other contributors use the menu Edit | Edit Album, the People tab.

How do I add multi-disc albums?

This can be done the Add Albums (Advanced Mode) screen.
Normally, if you use the Add button, each search in the Search Queue becomes one album in the collection, with one disc. Of course, after scanning the CDs of a multi-disc album, you want to combine these searches into one album, with a disc for each scanned CD.

This is possible using the "Add as multi-disc album" feature. To use this feature, select the Search Queue items you want to combine. Note that to combine "disc one" and "disc two" of a multi disc item, two items should actually be placed in the search queue.

By selecting from the results "disc one" for the first item in the search queue, and "disc two" from the second you can add the two discs as one album. Use Ctrl-click to select multiple items (Mac :command click) to select subsequent items, then click the "Add as multi-disc album" button.

In case you already have two separate album entries in your collection, you might want to use a simple drag and drop of disc #2 up to the other album level to have the discs listed as / under one multi disc album entry.

Note: the Add as multi-disc album button is only enabled (active) if you have selected multiple items in the Search Queue.

When I try to scan a CD, I get an error message saying "Error reading from the CD-ROM drive". How can I fix this?

This is caused by installing other CD player software, that has changed specific registry keys. The resolution to this can be found in the Microsoft Knowledgebase: Click here to read the article

The submit button is greyed out so I cannot submit. Why is this ?

A message below the line where your e-mail address can be filled into (in the submit screen) should indicate the reason, see the "Can submit" field in the list of the submit screen.

Basically, it should mention either "TOC not increasing", or "No CD ID".

The Table Of Contents (TOC) is a set of numbers identifying all track starting positions of the disc. This is information that follows a "scan CD" method in the add album screen.

If you manually alter the track order and / or times, this reference is not in synch any more with the actual properties of the disc. Submitting the disc would in that case possibly cause database pollution / redundancy, this is why the submit option remains greyed out.

If no CD ID is present for a disc you wish to submit, it means the disc has not been scanned using the scan CD option in the add album screen. This is mandatory though before we allow a disc to enter our database.

Every time I want to scan a CD, my CD player software starts.

To disable the feature that allows CD-ROMs and audio CDs to run automatically:
On Windows 95/98, you can do this from the Control Panel

• Click Start , point to Settings , click Control Panel , and then double-click System .
• Double-click the CDROM branch on the Device Manager tab, and then double-click the entry for your CD-ROM drive.
• On the Settings tab, click to clear the Auto Insert Notification check box.
• Click OK , click Close , and then click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.

• Go to Annoyances.org and download the TweakUI version for your OS.
• Install TweakUI
• Run TweakUI and go to the Paranoia tab page. There, uncheck the checkbox "Play audio CDs automatically" , or (in newer versions of TweakUI) expand the My Computer branch, then the AutoPlay branch, and then select Drives. Turn off the checkbox next to each drive letter for which you want AutoPlay disabled.