Cataloguing My Prog Collection

I wouldn't say I have a "database". If you rip a CD, or buy something on iTunes or Bandcamp, it just puts the artist name in as the artist name. AFAIK, there's no first name/surname split in the ID3 tag system, so unless you have your own database/system (like RYM has), your files just have George Harrison under G. Unless you list the artist name as "Harrison, George", but that would be a bit odd IMO as it's both the listed and sort name.

In programs like iTunes you can sort things anyway you'd like regardless of the displayed artist name, so you can, say, sort George Harrison under Harrison. That way the name will still show up as George Harrison, but he'll be under H. Which has its advantages, because you can e.g. take all albums credited under The Mothers Of Invention, The Mothers, Zappa/Mothers etc. and all put it chronologically under F or Z while still having the original credited artist displayed (which I haven't bothered with - I just have every Mothers album credited under Frank Zappa). Individual websites and such might have different sorting systems, but AFAIK, you're limited to this system when it comes your own music files.

Artists that start with "The" should just ignore the The. Which I'm pretty sure is almost universal. Strangely enough the music app on my phone recently updated and now it sorts all artists that start with The under T. That's the only time I've ever seen that.

MikeEnRegalia wrote: ^^ at TYM we only have one entry for Alan Parsons that contains all the various band/project/solo albums, and it's under P.

MikeEnRegalia wrote: Really? Most platforms still have a column for the sorting name of the artist, and will use it if filled.