What's new?

Version 18 is finally here! And it not only bring the promised Auto-Cloud-Syncing, but also many improvements to the main screen, making it both faster and more stable.

NEW: Fully Automatic CLZ Cloud Syncing!

The free CLZ Cloud service is at the center of all our cataloging solutions (desktop, mobile and web), the glue that binds them all together.
Tens of thousands of users are using the CLZ Cloud syncing every day, to transfer data between their desktop, Connect and mobile software, to update their online collection list, or simply for keeping an online backup of their precious database.

Now, it is time to take the CLZ Cloud to the next level, with automatic syncing:
Add or edit albums in Music Collector and these changes will auto-upload to the CLZ Cloud instantly. Did you make changes using the CLZ Music mobile app or directly in Music Connect? Just start your software and changes will download automatically.
No more need to go to the Sync with CLZ Cloud screen, ever.

With “Sync Automatically” switched on…

1. Your online cloud backup is always up-to-date.
2. Your cloud viewer always shows the current state of your collection.
3. All your CLZ tools (desktop, mobile and Connect) will always be in-sync.

Automatic Cloud Syncing is an optional feature, switched OFF by default. If you don’t want to auto-sync, or don’t want to sync with the CLZ Cloud at all, just leave it switched OFF.

Main screen now faster and more stable

In the past few months, we have spent a lot of time rewriting important parts of the main screen. For instance, the code that refreshes the folder panel (which was slow, especially with the “counters” switched on) and also the part that restores your selection in the list after editing. At the same time, we reduced the program’s “memory footprint”, making it more stable overall.

The result is that the program is now a lot more enjoyable to use. It starts quicker, it refreshes much faster (after adding or editing) and switching between folder types is quicker.

The speed-up will be most noticeable on large collections, with thousands of albums. Especially when having LOTS of folders in the folder panel (e.g. Artist folders).

Fixes

• Cloud syncing:
  • After duplicating an album, the duplicate would not be marked for syncing to cloud.
  • In some situations, a down-sync could update empty fields with data from Core.
  • In some situations, cover images would not upload automatically.
• Main screen:
  • For startup performance, the program now always starts in album view.
  • After editing, the edited items would not be selected after refresh.

If you’re a new user or thinking of moving your collection from Discogs to Music Connect, good news: we’ve just added a new import from Discogs screen for Music Connect!

You can find the Discogs import under the menu top left, then choose “Import Data”.

Import from Discogs:

Last week we updated the field selection popup for Connect and CLZ Cloud, and this week we bring that same field selection popup to your “Export to Text” and “Print to PDF” pages.

The update also includes an update Preview box for Export to Text, and an updated way for dragging/dropping fields for your columns or sort order.

Open up your Export to Text or Print to PDF screen via the menu top left in Connect.

New field selection popup:

Updated “Export to Text” page:

With new preview panel:

Updated “Print to PDF” page:

The ability to select your own Columns for the List View is an important customization feature of Music Connect. The same holds for selecting the Sort Order fields.

However, the “field selection” screens for doing these customizations were a bit outdated and finding a field could be tricky. So we decided to re-imagine the field selection screens to make them easier to understand, easier to use and better to use on mobile devices too.

Redesigned Field Selection screen:

• Available fields are now grouped, like the tabs in the Edit screen.
• Easily find the field you want with the search box top left.
• Use checkboxes on the left to select fields.
• Use the “x” button on the right to remove fields.
• Drag and drop fields on the right side to change the order.
• For sorting: use the ASC/DESC button to change the sort direction of that particular field.
• Works great on both your desktop and mobile browsers!

Select Columns screen:

Select Sort Order screen:

Fixed:

• Composer name could appear multiple times in the list cell.
• Index/Collection status was not shown in the list cells when ‘Order of entry’ sorting was enabled.
• Import from Music Collector was broken.

We’ve added new fields to sort on to change the order in which your albums are displayed in your list. Your album list will adapt to sort and show the field you’re sorting on. On top of that we’ve redesigned the Select Sort Order screen to make it more clear what you’re choosing.

Open the Select Sort Order screen by tapping the menu top right, then tap “Sort order”.

All available sort fields:

• Artist, then Year
• Artist, then Title
• Album Title
• Release Date
• Nr. of Tracks (New!)
• Length (New!)
• Order of Entry (New!)
• My Rating (New!)
• Purchase Date (New!)
• Purchase Price (New!)
• Current Value (New!)
• Quantity (New!)
• Index

All fields can be sorted either ascending or descending. Tap the field you wish to sort on, then tap “Apply” to confirm.

What’s new in the Add Albums screen?

• Single Search Box: Just one box for search (e.g. like Google or Amazon). No more separate Artist and Title boxes. Just enter (part of) the artist’s name and (part of) the title and you will get the best matching results. (see the screen shot below with “metallica justice” results”)

What’s new in the Add Albums screen?

• Single Search Box: Just one box for search (e.g. like Google or Amazon). No more separate Artist and Title boxes. Just enter (part of) the artist’s name and (part of) the title and you will get the best matching results. (see the screen shot below with “metallica justice” results”)

Fixed:

• The app did not open the details page when a search result was selected in the quick search box while the [All Albums] folder was active in phone mode.

We had several reports from users about a crash when searching for an item in the collection. This crash has been reproduced and now fixed in the latest build!

Fixed:

• Crash during a search in the device’s database.

Quick Search: Search-As-You-Type suggestions

Instantly find and select a particular album in your local database:

• In the Quick Search box, just start typing the first few letters of the artist or title you are looking for.
• While typing, a drop-down list will appear, showing the first five matching albums.
  (for most albums, it only takes 2 or 3 letters before it shows up.)
• Once you see the album you were looking for, tap it to bring up its detail page
• TIP: Tap the search button on the keyboard or tap “View All Results” to perform the normal search.

Quick Search now searches more fields

Now also searches in:

• Notes
• Tags

Full list of fields that are now searched:

• Title
• Barcode
• Album Artist
• Album Composer
• Track Title
• Track Artist
• Notes
• Tags

Fixed:

• Faster loading of details screen.
• Albums with multiple discs could sometimes lose discs if they are edited immediately after adding them.
• Crash within a few seconds of opening the app.
• Crash when pressing ‘Change account info’ in the sync screen.

Live today in your Music Connect software: a completely re-designed Edit Album screen with an improved look, layout and usability!

New look and layout

We’ve moved some fields around and to have them grouped and placed more logically. You’ll notice that we’ve also updated the look of certain buttons so it’s all easier on the eye, and there’s only one big blue important “OK” button to save your changes.

Updated dropdown and pick list fields

The pick list fields have been updated so they’ll only show options from your own collection instead of all available options in our online database. This makes it a lot faster to quickly pick something from a pick list that you used before!

You can just start typing to filter to the pick list entry you want to use, or open up the dropdown to scroll and pick.

Multi value pick list fields such as the Artist field, have a blue plus button to pick an artist from your artist list. Click it, and either start typing or just pick an artist from the list.

New Pick List fields

We’ve updated the following fields from plain text fields to “pick list” fields. This means that those fields now have a dropdown which you can click to quickly pick an existing pick list entry for that field.

The following fields haven been updated from plain text to pick list fields:

• Purchase Store
• Location
• Condition
• Owner

These field now all have a dropdown to pick an entry. You can also type into them to search or create a new entry for that field.

Panel with personal fields on all tabs

At the bottom of the edit screen we added a “sticky” panel that you can see on all edit tabs. This panel contains some of your most important personal fields so you can always edit them quickly.

New Find Cover pop-up

The Find Cover pop-up has been updated to the latest version we introduced in the Add Screen. Check it out:

Our web-team has been working on this for a long time, but it is now LIVE: a new search engine for Artist/Title searches in our Core online music database and Discogs. An engine that is both better and much, much faster!

And the good news is: these are all “server-side” changes, which means you don’t need to update your Music Collector software, CLZ Music app or Music Connect web-app. Everyone can now instantly enjoy the benefits, no matter which version of the software you have :-).

Read more

Our web-team has been working on this for a long time: a new search engine for Artist/Title searches in our Core online music database and Discogs.

What’s new?

• Faster searches: Artist/Title searches will now give you results instantly, much much faster than before.
• Improved stability: The new search engine is running on a dedicated server that is only doing these searches, resulting in a more stable experience. (in the past few months, there have been performance issues, especially on Saturday and Sunday)
• Better search results: The results are now more focussed, less fuzzy, as it will only show albums containing ALL your search term words (as opposed to the old search that gave you albums that matched ANY or your search term words).
• Single Search Box: Just one box for search (e.g. like Google or Amazon). No more separate Artist and Title boxes. Just enter (part of) the artist’s name and (part of) the title and you will get the best matching results. (see the screen shot above with “metallica justice” results”).

Now live in your Music Connect software, a complete re-design of the Add Albums screen, with a new look, easier interface and new features.

Adding Albums by Artist & Title

Search by artist and title to see a list of matching album results:

Not the right cover image? Use the built-in Find Cover tool to pick the correct one.

Adding Albums by barcode

Scanned barcodes will be automatically added to your queue, with the album information populating instantly. Use the big blue Add to Collection button at the bottom right to add the selected album to your database, OR use the little blue “+” buttons to add straight from the queue.

Adding Albums by Catalog Number

Search by catalog number to see a list of matching album results:

New: Adding Multi-Disc Albums

New in the add screen: Add multi-disc albums by selecting multiple results from your search. Just check the boxes next to the results to compile a multi-disc album and add it to your collection straight away:

Adding a Multi-Disc Album by Artist and Title:

Adding a Multi-Disc Album by barcode:

Fixed:

• Secondary artist could not be found in the quick search.
• Album cover thumbnail dimensions were wrong in the search-as-you-type popup
• App shortcut not working in the Android launcher.

You may need to re-add your app shortcut to your launcher screen by tapping/holding the app in your list of apps!

Quick Search: Search-As-You-Type suggestions

Instantly find and select a particular album in your local database:

• In the Quick Search box, just start typing the first few letters of the artist or title you are looking for.
• While typing, a drop-down list will appear, showing the first five matching albums.
  (for most albums, it only takes 2 or 3 letters before it shows up.)
• Once you see the album you were looking for, tap it to bring up its detail page
• TIP: Tap the search button on the keyboard or tap “View All Results” to perform the normal search.

Quick Search now searches more fields

Now also searches in:

• Notes
• Tags

Full list of fields that are now searched:

• Title
• Barcode
• Album Artist
• Album Composer
• Track Title
• Track Artist
• Notes
• Tags

Fixed:

• Edit Album/Track/Header/Disc/Subtrack: components on the classical tab weren’t always sized properly until resizing the screen
• Edit Album: clicking OK while uploading cover would cause a crash. Buttons are disabled now during upload.
• Add Albums from Core:
  • after adding selected albums as multi-disc albums, all subsequent adds would be multi-disc adds
  • the edit screen didn’t open after adding albums as multi-disc album when “Automatically open edit screen after adding” option was checked
  • after adding checked results they were not unchecked
• Main Screen:
  • using CTRL to deselect items would not update the selected counter at the left bottom
  • showing/hiding the quick filter panel would expose the details view when it was closed
  • when the details view image popup was scrolled down, opening it again would scroll down again
  • quick search suggestions: selecting a suggestion would not clear the previous quick search
  • selecting the window’s “restore” option when running full screen could hang the program in some cases
  • refresh of the statistics view could fall back to the currently active folder instead of selected statistics field
• User Defined Fields: fields with an ampersand (‘&’) in their name weren’t always displayed correctly throughout the program
• Clicking OK/Next/Previous in an edit pick list item screen without editing its details would trigger unnecessary cloud changes
• Using “search” in some file open dialogs for images wouldn’t find .png files
• Syncing with CLZ Cloud: locally inserted items would update empty fields with Core fields after syncing

In this maintenance build, we fixed a long-standing problem:
On Windows systems with the DPI or Font Size set to 125% or 150%, many screens had strange font size and layout problems, particularly visible in the Edit Album screen, but also affecting other screens.

This has been a particularly tricky problem to fix, but Ronald and AJ jumped into the magical world of Windows display settings and, after a week of cursing and yelling, they have finally been able to fix it. Phew… peace and quiet again.

Other fixes:

• Edit Screens: Composition grid’s selection screen didn’t have the correct composition columns
• Add Albums from Core: format filters were not showing correctly when searching by Catalog Number

A new v4.8.1 update for your app is available now, with:

Automatic CLZ Cloud syncing

Add or edit albums and your changes will auto-upload to the CLZ Cloud instantly.
Made changes on the desktop or Connect side? Just start the app and changes will download automatically.

Note: Auto-Syncing is switched OFF by default. Switch it ON in the “Sync with CLZ Cloud” screen.

The CLZ Cloud syncing will let you:

1. Sync your data between devices, e.g. between your phone and your tablet. Or from your old phone to your new phone.
2. View your database online using the free CLZ Cloud viewer website.
3. Make an online backup of your data. Better safe than sorry!

New: ‘None’ folder entries

• Added ‘None’ entries to list of folders: The [None] folder groups the books you have not set the field for on which you’re currently folder grouping.

Fixed:

• Search cleared when the X button was pushed in the search bar of the main screen.

We have just updated both the Connect web-application and the free CLZ Cloud viewers to make them a lot faster.

• The folder panel now uses “lazy-loading” which makes it load (a lot) faster.
• When selecting a folder, only the list panel is re-loaded, where previously the entire page was refreshed.

The above changes will make browsing your CLZ Cloud or Connect app a lot snappier and will prevent server performance problems (two birds with one stone!).

The performance improvements are especially noticeable for large book, music and comic collections, as these generally have loooonnnngggg lists of author, artist and series folders.

Various tweaks and fixes, based on your v18 feedback:

Tweaks to the Edit screen:

• Add Genre screen now has checkboxes to allow the addition of multiple genres in one go.
• Artist/Credit/Musician/Genre lists: right click to directly access that specific Manage List screen.
• Artist/Credit/Musician lists now show a “Sort Name” column again.

Fixes:

• Edit Multiple: boolean fields would be reset to “No”.
• Add from Core: Stopping a running search could cause an Access Violation.
• Main Screen: Selected filter wasn’t restored on starting the program.
• Select Column/Sort/Folder fields: adding/removing a field after changing the order of the fields, would reset that order again.
• Various stability improvements.
• Add Track/Header/Disc/Subtrack: hitting enter didn’t add another entry but closed the screen.
• Edit Track/Header/Disc/Subtrack: cancel could cause an Access Violation in some cases.
• Edit screens: Adding a Composition in the Composition grid would sometimes add the wrong item when compositions had identical display names.

In this “between Christmas and New Year” week, a huge update to the look and feel of our Connect web-based software.

• We removed the tabs at the top that let you switch between the programs, to give you more screen space for the software you are in. (you can still switch using the app-switcher button top right).
• Dark toolbars with white text and buttons everywhere, while keeping your list and details pages light and clear.
• All tools and feature are now accessible from the “hamburger” menu on the top left.
• Your account settings and log out options in a “user menu” on the right.
• TIP: the new look is also available in your free CLZ Cloud viewer!

Fixed

• Pick Item Screens: when using the quick search the list wasn’t always sorted correctly
• Manage Pick List:
  • When using the quick search the list wasn’t always sorted correctly
  • “auto resort” check box didn’t work
• Reassign Index fields sort fields were stored as “reassignindex” as sort fields preset
• Manage Presets: removing all presets would cause an Access Violation after closing the screen
• Edit Album: navigating Tracks or Links using ALT+N or ALT+P would navigate the albums instead

Fixed:

• Edit Screen:
  • Some fields were overlapping when resizing the screen
  • Orchestra grid was too small after opening the screen in a wider size than normal
  • Making the screen larger and then smaller again would show a scrollbar on the “user defined” tab when it wasn’t needed
  • ALT+N/ALT+P for Next/Previous played a Windows sound
• Adding a new item to a list sometimes displayed a popup that was too small
• Reassign Index Fields: Saving your selected fields wasn’t possible sometimes
• Export/Print field selection menus were missing “Manage Presets…” caption

Fixes for the Clean Templates:

• Country flags weren’t displayed
• We swapped musicians and instruments (musician names now display on the left, instruments on the right)
• Images for musicians weren’t displayed correctly
• Layout of discs wasn’t always correct for multi-disc albums
• Tracks that were placed after (but not inside) a header messed up the layout of the tracklist
• Several other improvements to the layout

NEW: Fully Automatic CLZ Cloud Syncing!

The free CLZ Cloud service is at the center of all our cataloging solutions (desktop, mobile and web), the glue that binds them all together.
Tens of thousands of users are using the CLZ Cloud syncing every day, to transfer data between their desktop, Connect and mobile software, to update their online collection list, or simply for keeping an online backup of their precious database.

Now, it is time to take the CLZ Cloud to the next level, with automatic syncing:
Add or edit albums in Music Collector and these changes will auto-upload to the CLZ Cloud instantly. Did you make changes using the CLZ Music mobile app or directly in Music Connect? Just start your software and changes will download automatically.
No more need to go to the Sync with CLZ Cloud screen, ever.

With “Sync Automatically” switched on…

1. Your online cloud backup is always up-to-date.
2. Your cloud viewer always shows the current state of your collection.
3. All your CLZ tools (desktop, mobile and Connect) will always be in-sync.

Automatic Cloud Syncing is an optional feature, switched OFF by default. If you don’t want to auto-sync, or don’t want to sync with the CLZ Cloud at all, just leave it switched OFF.

Revamped Edit Album and Edit Disc/Track screens

A huge refresh of the Edit screens, bringing the look and feel more in line with the recent Add Albums from Core screen.

• Button bar is now at the bottom of the screen
  With OK button high-lighted in blue, nice Next/Prev arrow buttons, etc…

• Clearer blue “+” buttons for checkbox list fields (like Sound, Extras)
• Same blue + buttons for dropdown fields (like Format, Label, Packaging)
• Revamped Edit screen for pick list items
  Button bar at the bottom with blue OK button, smaller generate buttons, etc..

But it’s not all just cosmetic changes:

Improved interface for adding Artists, Musicians, Credits

The new interface helps you make better use of your existing person pick lists:

• Cleaner lists, showing just Display Name and Instrument/Role.
• Right-click to Modify the name and sort name of a person in the list.
• Drag the icon in the first column to change the order.
• Click the “x” in the last column to remove entries.