CD catalog app: how to pick one in 2026
Cataloging CDs by hand in Excel is a classic mistake. These are the apps worth using in 2026 and what to check before you commit.
If you're looking for a CD catalog app, the market has thinned out by 2026. Four or five serious options remain; the rest is abandonware. Here's what matters.
What a good CD catalog app must do
- Barcode scanning from the phone camera.
- Reference database with realistic coverage of CDs from the 80s onward.
- Manual search for CDs with no barcode (common on promos and pre-1990 releases).
- Custom fields: condition, purchase price, physical location.
- CSV export for backup.
Real options
discdb — modern web app, Spanish and English, phone barcode scanning, automatic metadata. Free up to 100 CDs, €49.99 Pro lifetime.
CLZ Music — very complete, annual subscription, ideal for large collections with heavy custom-field use.
Discogs — free, best database, but designed as a marketplace first.
See also: How to catalog your CD collection, step by step.