How to organize your beat catalog

An artist asks for something dark around 140 and you spend ten minutes scrolling through files called final_v3. This guide gives you a naming system, a way to sort beats into folders and packs, and a routine that keeps it tidy.

Updated September 25, 20263 min read

Name every beat the same way

Pick one pattern and put it on every file: Title_BPM_Key. Nightdrive_140_Cmin.wav tells you what the beat is before you press play, and it still makes sense in an artist's downloads a year later.

Give each beat a real title the day you make it, even a silly one. You'll remember “Nightdrive”. Nobody remembers “beat 12”.

If the file is going to someone else's computer, add your producer name at the end: Nightdrive_140_Cmin_YOURNAME.wav. When they find it again, they know whose beat it is.

Title_BPM_Key, in that order, every time
Underscores between the parts, no spaces
The key written one way: Cmin, F#maj

One name for every file of a beat

The WAV, the MP3, the stems and the project in your DAW all start with the same name. They sit side by side in any folder, and when someone asks for the stems, you know where they are.

The file	Its name
The WAV, your master	Nightdrive_140_Cmin.wav
The MP3 you send	Nightdrive_140_Cmin.mp3
The stems, zipped	Nightdrive_140_Cmin_stems.zip
A second version	Nightdrive_140_Cmin_v2.wav

An example. Same order on every beat, and the files of one beat always sort together.

Sort beats the way artists ask for them

Folders keep your library in order, packs are what you send. Sort both the way an artist asks for a beat: by a mood or a sound, almost never by a file name.

By mood

Dark, bouncy, sad, hype. It's often how an artist describes what they want, so it's the quickest way to answer them.

By type

Drill, trap, R&B, afro. Handy when you make a bit of everything.

By artist

One pack per artist you send to, with the beats you picked for them. Next time they ask, you know what they already have.

Keep BPM, key and tags where you can see them

Tags hold what the file name can't: the mood, the type, the artist a beat is for. Two or three per beat is enough. Past that, you stop using them.

In your vvault library, the Storage page shows every beat's BPM, key and tags right in the list, next to who can open it.

Import from Google Drive or Dropbox: you pick the files
Unlimited tracks on Pro and Ultra
Every beat, pack and folder has its own link

vvault's Storage page: a list of beats with their BPM, key, tags, splits and visibility, under a search bar, with a folder at the top of the list.

Keep it tidy as you go

Name it when you bounce it
Title_BPM_Key, before the file even leaves your DAW. Renaming fifty files later is the job that never gets done.
Tag it when you upload it
The mood, the type and who it's for, while the beat is still fresh in your head.
Pack it when you send it
Put the beats for one artist in one pack and send that one link. Next time, you'll see what they already have.
Clear out once a month
Move the ideas you won't finish to your archive, and rename anything that slipped through as final_final.wav.

Keep dead ideas in an archive

Plenty of ideas never become finished beats, and that's normal. Move the ones you've stopped working on to one folder called Archive: out of your way, but still there.

A loop you gave up on in March can start something new in June. Keep the project with it, so you can open it again just as you left it.

On vvault, anything you upload starts private, so your archive stays yours. And Pro and Ultra have no track limit, so your archive can grow as big as it needs.

Questions

What's the difference between a folder and a pack?

A folder keeps your library in order. A pack is a set of beats you send with one link, or sell as one on Pro and Ultra. Folders have their own link too, like every beat and every pack.

Can I work on a pack with another producer?

Yes. Collab packs and tracks are on every plan. If a collab beat sells, each producer can receive their split.

Should I delete the beats I'll never finish?

Archive them instead. A dropped idea can start your next beat, and on vvault it stays private unless you share it.

How many beats can I keep on vvault?

As many as you want: storage is unlimited on Pro and Ultra. See pricing.

Can I bring my beats over from Google Drive or Dropbox?

Yes. vvault imports from Google Drive and Dropbox, and you pick the files. It's a good moment to rename them Title_BPM_Key, so your catalog starts clean.