Music genres

Riaan

I recently tidied up my mp3 collection and being my usual obsessive self, I tried my best to be as meticulous as possible - I want each song to have all the right info. It's particularly useful to create smart/auto playlists. But I'm having trouble with the genres...

So is there an official classification of what genre each popular music tune belongs to or is this purely a personal taste matter? I don't always agree with the genres that the databases such as Gracenote allocate songs to and I suspect that their classification is based on how other user's classify their music collections.

I guess it boils down to how genres like "classic rock" or "alternative" or whatever is defined? It can become rather complex, as one artist may have a range of music that spans decades, may be sung in different languages and be of vastly different genres.

What do you guys think, what's the best way to get the genres sorted out so that compatible music is automatically selected when making playlists?

giggsy

Oooh, thats a tough one - iTunes can get the genres horribly wrong and that impacts on Genius playlists and your own personal playlists. I am in the process of updating all my album artwork (of 21 000 odd tracks) but after that I am going to be tackling the genres. I think it all boils down to what you classify the artists/songs as.

AlanRatcliffe

It's a pain to categorise all the tracks.

Lately I just point Media Monkey at my entire collection and set it to random. Ends up like listening to a radio station that only plays the artists I like and I occasionally get a surprise Goon Show/Two Ronnies or an artist interview popping up for a change of pace.

PeteM

I've tried classifying my music library into genres and for me it is an impossible task. So I sort my music out into what the music does for me emotionally. E.g.
peaceful, friendly, humorous, reflective, sexual, angry, sad, bland etc. it works for me.

Riaan

So I sort my music out into what the music does for me emotionally

Thats a good idea, think I will try something like that and just give up on the genres.

I occasionally get a surprise Goon Show/Two Ronnies or an artist interview popping up for a change of pace.

Yeah, that's the one lesson I learned...Kevin Bloody Wilson had to go into a genre of his own ("adult comedy") to prevent kicks under the table when he unexpectedly and embarrassingly appears on the "Friends & Dinner" playlist... :-[

doc-phil

PeteM wrote I've tried classifying my music library into genres and for me it is an impossible task. So I sort my music out into what the music does for me emotionally. E.g.
peaceful, friendly, humorous, reflective, sexual, angry, sad, bland etc. it works for me.

I think that that's a good way to do it, although I feel sorry for whoever gets filed under your 'bland' section ?