Music Collector Manual

for Windows edition

Getting Started

Welcome to Music Collector Download and Install Navigating the Main Screen Cataloging CDs Cataloging Music Files How to search your Collection

Adding

Adding Albums Automatically Adding Albums Manually Barcode Scanning Adding Multi-Disc Albums Adding Tracks Adding a Box Set Adding Music Files Import from iTunes Importing from text Adding Backdrops Managing your Wish List Search Settings Field Defaults

Editing

Editing Albums Editing Multiple Albums List Items and more Changing the layout Adding Lyrics Files Find Cover Image Editing List Icons Update File Links

Customizing

Sorting your Collection Custom Field Names Custom Views Edit, Merge List Items Customizing Music Collector

Enjoying & Sharing

Activating Connect Sync & Share Synchronize with Connect Linking your albums for Connect CLZ Music for iPhone/iPod CLZ Music for Android CLZ Music HD for iPad Exporting your collection Managing Loans Printing a Simple List Using Folders Using the Filter screen

Reference

Updating Music Collector The Options Screen Data Submission Guidelines Field Reference Transfer your collection Validating Music Collector Creating a Backup Keyboard Shortcuts Collection Statistics Print Screen Linking Albums

Editing Multiple Albums

Adding personal details to your collection makes it all that much more fun. But sometimes, you need to add information in a field, for many albums. Here's how to Edit Multiple Albums.

Editing Multiple Albums... simultaneously!

Please note: This feature is only available in the PRO version of Music Collector.

For example, setting the Year field to "2010" for all your new albums. Or setting the Owner field to "Me" for all your albums... Ouch! The prospect of having to edit those fields one-by-one isn't very appealing. So we have a better way:

First of all, you need to make sure that the albums you want to edit are listed in the "list panel" on the right side of the screen.

Tip: Choose View > Folders > No Folders to have all your albums show up there.
Now select the ones you want to edit. You can use the standard Ctrl+click (Mac: Command+click) and Shift+click to select multiple albums.
From the menu, choose Edit > Edit Multiple Albums. This opens the Edit Multiple Albums screen, which is the same as the normal Edit Album screen, but with all fields shown empty.
All values you enter here will be applied to all selected albums. If you leave a box empty, that field will be left untouched for all selected albums.
When you're done making changes, click OK.

Tip: you can clear a value for all albums in your selection by putting your cursor in the field and then hitting F8.

That's it, you have changed multiple albums in your database in one go. It's a very powerful feature. But a word of caution here... be careful, it's possible to overwrite or wipe out a lot of data with a few button clicks. So, please remember, when in Edit Multiple Albums mode, that all selected albums will be affected by your changes.

Like Uncle Ben said: "With great power comes great responsibility ..."

Editing albums one by one without leaving the Edit screen

I can almost hear you thinking now: "What if I need to change one field for multiple albums, but to *different* values? Like when I want to set the Notes or Rating fields?"

Those are good questions. And that's where the Next and Previous buttons come in handy:

Again, make sure the target albums are visible in the list panel
Select the first one and click the Edit Album button.
Go to the field you want to modify and make your changes.
Now, instead of clicking OK like you're used to, click the Next button.
Music Collector will automatically show the next album in the Edit screen. And, this is the smart part, it will keep your cursor in the box that you just edited. Which makes editing the same field for multiple albums a breeze.

To quickly go to the next or previous album, use your keyboard:
Windows: Alt + N (next) and Alt + P (previous)
Mac: CMD + ] (next) and CMD + [ (previous)