What Streaming Services Let You Catalog Your Offline Collection?
Tracking What You Own in a World That Wants You to Stream
You've got shelves of CDs. Binders of vinyl. A hard drive full of lovingly ripped FLACs and high-res WAV files. But none of it lives inside your streaming app.
You can stream anything you don’t own — but there’s no good way to track the music you already do. So the question becomes:
Which services let you catalog your offline collection?
Or better yet — why don’t more of them?
Let’s look at your options, workarounds, and why this seemingly simple feature is surprisingly rare.
Why This Feature Matters
Cataloging your collection means:
- Being able to browse and search your library — whether or not you’re streaming it
- Keeping track of what you’ve bought, ripped, or archived
- Tagging formats, conditions, liner notes, and pressings
- Creating playlists that include owned music
- Avoiding buying or streaming things you already own
It’s not just about playback — it’s about music management.
Option 1: Discogs (for physical formats)
Discogs is the most popular tool for cataloging physical music collections — vinyl, CDs, tapes, etc.
Features:
- Massive, crowd-sourced music database
- Detailed info on pressings, editions, barcodes, release years
- Personal collection management
- Marketplace for buying and selling
Pros:
- Ideal for vinyl/CD collectors
- Great tagging and filtering
- Mobile app for collection access on the go
Cons:
- Not designed for digital collections
- No playback or integration with streaming services
- More archival than interactive
Option 2: MusicBee / iTunes / Foobar2000 (Local Library Managers)
If you’re a digital collector, you can use traditional music library software like:
- MusicBee (Windows)
- iTunes / Apple Music (Mac)
- Foobar2000 (Windows & Android)
- MediaMonkey (Windows, Android)
These let you:
- Tag and organize files
- Sort by genre, rating, year, format
- Add artwork and metadata
- Browse full libraries with rich filters
But none of these connect directly to streaming services — they’re standalone music managers.
Option 3: Plex & Plexamp
We mentioned this in a previous post, but it’s worth repeating:
Plex allows you to create your own personal streaming service — with rich cataloging features.
You can:
- Tag, sort, and search your digital collection
- Create playlists
- Stream on any device
- Use apps like Plexamp for a gorgeous front-end experience
It’s like having Spotify… for the music you already own.
Option 4: Last.fm (For Hybrid Listening History)
While Last.fm doesn’t catalog your collection per se, it does:
- Track listening history across services and local files
- Give you stats about your most played artists
- Let you tag or "love" tracks to create personal markers
It’s more about usage data than ownership, but it helps you map what you actually listen to — offline and online.
What Streaming Services Don’t Do (But Should)
Most major platforms — Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Deezer — do not allow you to:
- Mark something as “owned”
- Catalog physical or local collections
- Sort your saved music by “streamed vs local”
- Tag your own versions or editions of albums
This is a missed opportunity, especially as more listeners blend streaming with ownership.
Workaround: Combine Services
For now, your best bet is a hybrid model:
- Use Discogs for physical collection management
- Use Plex or MusicBee for digital cataloging
- Use Apple Music (with iCloud Music Library) if you want a bridge between personal and streaming
- Use Last.fm to track everything in one place
No single platform does it all — but stitching them together gives you control.
Final Thought: Ownership Deserves Recognition
As streaming dominates, the value of music you own risks being forgotten.
But collectors, curators, and audiophiles still care — deeply.
And cataloging isn’t nostalgia — it’s a map of your musical life.
Here’s hoping the next wave of streaming services builds that into the system.
Until then: tag wisely, rip responsibly, and never forget what’s in your crates.