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Make the Most of Your Records

Digital or analogue? A question that, to this day, still forms a rift between music lovers. Both sides will argue that one is better than the other. Here’s a hot take though: They’re both great. And they go hand in hand.

We agree with the analogue crowd—there’s a certain je ne sais quoi about dropping the needle on that LP and staring at the beautiful cover art while the music transports you to another place.

We also agree with the digital fans, who will rightfully argue that having millions of tracks at your fingertips with services like Apple Music is an amazing convenience and a great way to discover new songs.

But we have another take on the situation: Digital can enhance your analogue behaviour. If you’re into collecting records, apps will make your life better. So if you’re still banking on a card catalogue to keep track of which record is where, let us help you out.

Catalogue

If you’re a vinyl-head, there’s no way around Discogs. It’s the wiki-style database where everyone can add info about any record. And because thousands of people have already contributed, this is the de facto standard when it comes to cataloguing your collection. If you have a record, chances are it’s already in there. And if it’s not, hold onto it for dear life, because it might be very rare!

The Discogs app is also of great help when you first start building your own collection. The app features a barcode scanner that (in most cases) directly finds the release date and version of your copy, so there’s little manual search work required.

The app will also tell you the estimated worth of your collection based on the average selling price of releases on its marketplace. And yes, this marketplace is also a prime spot to look for that record you’re missing.

Sort

Now that you’ve catalogued your collection, it’s time to sort it. Wax is a great companion to find what you need, even if you don’t have the right name handy.

The app allows you to make “crates,” which are effectively sub-collections that you can either craft by hand or let the app organize based on certain parameters. In the last case, such a “smart crate” might contain all 7" records in your collection, or every punk album you own. Sorting can get really detailed, so even if you have a huge amount of vinyl, Wax will help you find what you’re looking for.

Share

Of course having a collection is only half the joy. Showing it off is the other half! Here’s where Vinyl Record App comes in. This one will let you connect with other vinyl lovers, provided you have their username. Once added, you can view their collections and maybe gather some inspiration on what to grab next time you go record shopping.

Transfer

Vinyl Record App has one more awesome feature that makes it a great analogue-to-digital-world companion. If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, this app will let you add records from your collection to your Apple Music library. So if you’re looking to sync up your digital and analogue collections, this is the app for it.

And let’s be honest: While you may love your big spinning discs, it’s a bit of a hassle to carry them (and a turntable) around. So why not leave the record player at home and just spin up Apple Music on your iPhone while you’re on the road?