Do you download music?

[Rakido]

Certainly true for Vinyl, but for CDs, there does not need to be any metadata on the CD, it's all on the CDDB server. I don't know how it recognizes the CDs (probably EAN code or just track numbers and lengths), but it works pretty well - except that maybe some of your CDs may not be in the database (local artists for example).

full ack .. i've started to create an archive out of my cd collection (~1400 CD's, mostly 80's - 90's) and after the first 100 there were only two cd's that weren't recognized ... so i typed the information for myself and submitted it to cddb

Unfortunately i didn't continue after these 100, so i have to start again somewhere in the future

[GuchiGuh]

Have you thought why they are so cheap? Because they are pirated copies. ....[chop!]

Wrong~
Selling pirated material is banned in Taiwan since long time ago (eg. Music CDs, Software, Clothing, Watches). I purchase my CDs in large department stores (Sogo, Hanshin. MEGA, Taipei 101, President, etc.) and I don't think they would sell pirated things anyway.

Most of the CDs are "Made in Taiwan" which makes them cheapER to buy, in original form. They are not, USD$2, but more like NT$300 (USD$9). CDs go for USD$22 in Australia.

Go to Malaysia however and the largest shopping centre in the world has a store dedicated to pirated DVDs. They will even burn you fresh copies on demand for 5 ringit.

[Brian Ellis]

Certainly true for Vinyl, but for CDs, there does not need to be any metadata on the CD, it's all on the CDDB server. I don't know how it recognizes the CDs (probably EAN code or just track numbers and lengths), but it works pretty well - except that maybe some of your CDs may not be in the database (local artists for example).

It's a long time since I tried this. It may be OK for pop music but even then... I thought there may be some improvement. I downloaded 4 cataloguing softwares and picked, at random, half-a-dozen discs for trial. One came up with something like "this number belongs to such a disc (correct) but the track lengths are wrong". However, one disc, entitled Sacred Classics, contains 9 pieces by 7 composers with different soloists, orchestras and choirs, published by the London Symphony Orchestra's own label. Nowhere did the database hold the composers' names, the soloists' names, the orchestra's name (one piece was by the Academy of St Martins in the Fields), the choirs' names. I tried it with all 4 softwares and searching for, e.g., Bach produced nothing

Sorry, but this kind of thing is not really much use.

[KvHagedorn]

I have over 2000 vinyl 33 discs.. and haven't played them for years. I need to get a new belt for my turntable. I have also found that cddb has few of the classical recordings I like there. Many of my favorites are imports, though.

[Wombat]

Very few CDs have that possibility and certainly none of my vinyls

What do you mean "very few CDs"? I own some very esoteric stuff, and the only CD that it never recognized was a limited pre-production print that was given to radio DJs sometime before 1998.

[Brian Ellis]

What do you mean "very few CDs"? I own some very esoteric stuff, and the only CD that it never recognized was a limited pre-production print that was given to radio DJs sometime before 1998.

See my previous message. To be really useful as a database for classical music, the DB should contain for each track, in separate searchable columns, e.g.,: category; title of disc; the name of the piece with opus/ref no.; excerpt from/movements; composer; soloist(s); orchestra; conductor; duration; comments; collection #. Thus, if I searched for K136, it would come up with:
Chamber; Mozart; Divertimento in D K136;1.Allegro, 2.Andante, 3.Presto; Mozart;-; Academy of St Martin in the Fields; K. Sillito;4:13, 4:37, 2.35;1984; Excellent ;237
Chamber; Ein Kammermusik Abend; Divertimento in D K136;1.Allegro, 2.Andante, 3.Presto; Mozart;-; Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; K. Munchinger;4:10, 4:58, 2.12;1949; Old recording, excellent interpretation;239
Chamber; Your Classical Favourites; Allegro; Divertimento in D K136; Mozart;-;Boston Pops; M. Sargent; 4:22; 1958; Poorest interpretation, too many instrumentalists, muddy sound;359

The CDDB is a VERY long way from this, as I see it, even if the last 2 columns are my additions. In fact, it is a bit of a hotchpot.