Exploding Music Libraries

From 2001, a Correspondent writes: “Dear Doug. Maybe you can help me. I have a large library (2000 tracks) and…”

From 2006, another Correspondent writes: “Doug, my large library (6000 tracks) has started to…”

From 2010, some other Correspondent writes: “Doug. Huge library (20,000 tracks). What can I…”

From 2016, Correspondent reports: “My ginormous library (75,000 tracks) just went…”

From 2022, the guy from 2001 writes: “Doug, my library has exploded over the years to 150,000 tracks and…

Maybe you see how this has been going.

Memorably, Apple first advertised the iPod with the slogan “1000 songs in your pocket”. Wow, that was a lotta songs in your pocket, considering how many CDs you’d have to schlep around with you for that much variety. I figure at least 60. And not so long ago, Apple considered 5000 to be the average number of tracks most Music users had in their libraries.

Nowadays I am not suprised when I hear from Correspondents who have 50,000 or more tracks. I heard from someone recently who has over 300,000. I don’t think they have a large trove of tracks because they are hyperactive fanatics who lust for the most music, although they kind of are. They mostly have big libraries because they didn’t stop finding new kinds of music to collect and listen to.

When I worked in Radio in the late last century, a decent terrestrial music radio station probably played no more than 500 songs. Pop stations played fewer, but Rock and Country stations would be around 500 tops.

I have playlists that contain more tracks than that.

I’m just pointing out these numbers because I never planned to have an 80,000 track—and growing—library. If you had told me in 2001 that in 25 years my collection would be that big I’d respond the way a lot of people did: “When would I ever listen to all of that?”

Turns out there’s plenty of time, isn’t there?

Anyway, I don’t want this screed to come across as a rah-rah ad for the Music app or anything. But I think it’s pretty great that the Music app is able to keep up with expanding libraries. (I know some people run into difficulties with large libraries. But that’s because I believe the more individual tracks and/or playlists you have the more opportunities there are for a bad tag somewhere to disrupt the whole database. That’s another screed.)

So, keep finding that new music to listen to. There’s plenty of space and time available.