Just like most people, I’ve got several tracks (songs, instrumentals) in various stages of completeness (ranging from finished to 30 sec rough vocal melody recordings on my phone), on several different DAWs, for different purposes/projects. I figured it is finally time to sort things out and categorize them in a way I can keep track of my tracks (pun semi-intended).
What I’ve got in mind is a table-based database, a bit like that:



The important conditions are:

a. Being able to sort tracks based on certain criteria/columns as well as searching with custom filters i.e show all “instrumental, ambient, sketch ideas on Cubase”. Furthermore, since I also score tracks, it’d be useful being able to include “mood” criteria too, so I am able to, let’s say, locate all “creepy” or “sad + nostalgic” (combined if necessary) pieces on Studio One (as well as simply omitting a DAW criteria).

b. Launching the project files (so they open on the corresponding DAW) from the program I’ve set up this directory. Similarly, launching lyrics, if they exist (natively or a .doc file on MS Word, I don’t mind), as well as either playing a predefined audio sample when I click an icon in the program or simply launching my standard music player and playing it.

I use Windows by the way, I made this mock-up on Excel as an example, and for the time being it looks like my only choice but I'd rather use something more modern and something more accustomed to artistic endeavors rather than math formulas... For example, I'd prefer Notion but apart the "online-only mode", unlike Excel you can't embed audio files on specific cells...
Any ideas? Thanks.

 

Last edited: Jul 11, 2023

microsoft PowerBI is sort of an "aesthetically pleasing excel" but it is way more for data visualization and reports, etc. I think it has less interactive functionality than you want. Notion probably does fit the bill much better. Have you looked into Coda? https://coda.io

The samples / project launching, and additional notes functions you want is actually pretty nice using Excel. You can have it spit out an HTML index file of your spreadsheet and different directories, folders ,and files can be used as links to either your hd or network file locations.
But it is still Excel. lol.

 

Here's my workflow, no additional text tracking needed:

First of all, seems to be missing from your table, start numbering (4 digits) your projects, and have them in folders by year, regardless of the daw.

Then I have:

A Voice Memos folder
A Preview folder where I bounce my sketches (started but unfinished daw projects)

A Masters folder (folders of wave bounces named starting with the project number - finished and unreleased)
A Released-A folder (wave, flac and mp3 + cover art bounces for released songs - these will be moved from Masters as I release them)
A Released-B folder same as A but for ghost productions and any other collabs that will not be released under my artist name

A Work folder containing subfolders (numbers mentioned above) - these are exports for my current work in progress songs. Most of the time i work on 4-5

I only use one daw but you can lnk your project folder or name into the Work subfolder, for easy launch

When a song is done, I export the final mix into it's home project, then the master into Masters. I delete the subfolder from Work (and move the bounce from Preview into the home project aswell) and the project is finished. If you really want to go ocd, you can change the icon of the finished project folder into something else, easy to spot (I don't)

If I don't already know my next new project, I will then listen the Voice Memos and Preview for a potential candidate.

Rinse & repeat

 

Thanks for your input. Although I do use folders already for categorization on a basic level , they don't suffice for searching and sorting based on filters/criteria as described in the condition A which is important to me. You also don't get to "bind" lyric (.doc) and audio files with the rest of a track info, as described on condition B.
And yes, the example table photo is an old version, my current plan contains year sorting or even date sorting [2023-07-11].
Dunno, I find it kinda strange that someone hasn't thought of making something like that, there are similar database programs for movies, or maybe there's no demand from other composers and my OCD levels are off the chart...

 

Yeah, as I've said, Notion does most of what I want but you can't embed and bind audio files in specific cells which is a bummer. After looking it up, I get the impression Excel does that so I might just end up resorting to that... if I get over the fact it feels like I am back to school doing my homework and learn how to combine cells data for making custom filters. I am gonna look into coda too but man, there are thousands of note/project management/to do programs by now, I am also in search for one and trying them all out/finding what fits you best feels like a separate task you'd need a program for on its own! At the end of the day, I almost feel like stop searching and invest that time to learn Max MSP or something lol

 

Last edited: Jul 11, 2023

I'd use that time to finish the excess of unfinished projects and bring the issue projects overflow at a manageable level. But that's just me

 

I hear you, actually this is the idea, but ironically, to finish them I need to put an order to the chaos first and building that database is the way my brain seems to prefer dealing with.

 

That's just a - I wanted to say wrong - very inefficient mindset. Just pick random projects and finish them. Normally you should not have that many projects open. Instead of optimizing a broken workflow, try fixing the workflow itself. Dig a layer deeper

 

I was thinking your intent was maybe something closer to showing potential clients. Bu you really intend on this to track progress, as well as just keeping an inventory of your material?

Have you ever looked into NoteTracks: https://www.notetracks.com/blog/how-to-keep-your-music-projects-moving-forward-successfully

It isn't expensive, really; but it is not free. It is rather difficult to know if the workflow of this kind of progress tracker will be right for you, without you testing it out on a demo version. Sometimes a "tiny little difference" will disqualify using the program completely. Here is a link to use cases for Music Production: https://www.notetracks.com/use-cases/music-production-copy

This is another: https://www.trackbits.com/music-production-project-progress/

 

Last edited: Jul 11, 2023

That'd be correct. Not for showing clients or team project management. My own personal inventory to keep track of my tracks/songs using custom filtering, seeing their degree of completeness and launching lyrics, audio samples and DAW projects.
I understand how to many people like Ixfsn something like that might not make sense or seem counterproductive, by my work really consists of countless DAW projects / rough vocal recodings using my phone / ideas in various states of completeness and this is the way that feels right to put some order to the chaos. It's basically the only way I figured to answer questions like:

"Ok, which were those folk songs in french I came up with up again?"
"Which are those drum n bass tracks I put together on Renoise? Let's group them together"
"Which of all those countless ideas for songs in rough phone recording form really deserve to develop further?
"Which of all those scoring 1 min tracks would fit this dramatic / sad / creepy scene for a short film?

Hope it makes sense?

Not sure NoteTracks is really what I am after but I'll look it up, cheers!