Notes on records, and the practice of listening.
Field notes on collecting vinyl. Practical guides on the gear, the records, the practice, and building a record collection you’ll actually listen to.
Best Apps for Vinyl Collectors in 2026
An opinionated guide to the seven vinyl collector apps worth using in 2026. What each is for, what it costs, and how to pick the right ones for the way you actually collect.
May 29, 2026 · 14 min readHow to Clean Vinyl Records
The complete guide to cleaning vinyl records: the everyday brush habit, when a record needs a wet clean, every cleaning method from a five-dollar brush to an ultrasonic machine, what to never use, and how to dry records properly.
May 27, 2026 · 16 min readHow to Start a Vinyl Record Collection
A complete beginner's guide to starting a vinyl collection: what it really costs, choosing a turntable that won't wreck your records, buying your first ones, where to shop, caring for them, and the mistakes to skip.
May 26, 2026 · 12 min readA Beginner's Guide to Discogs
What Discogs is and how to actually use it: the database, the release page, cataloging your collection, the Wantlist, and buying and selling records safely. The complete beginner's guide, with screenshots.
May 25, 2026 · 12 min readHow to Catalog Your Vinyl Collection on Discogs
The complete guide to cataloging your records on Discogs: adding releases, matching the exact pressing, grading condition, organizing with folders and custom fields, tracking value, and keeping it all accurate.
May 25, 2026 · 12 min readHow to Tell Which Pressing of a Record You Own
Two copies of the same album are rarely the same record. A complete guide to identifying your pressing using catalog numbers, deadwax matrix codes, label clues, and Discogs.
May 25, 2026 · 8 min read