Discogs CSV Import Format
This document describes the CSV file format accepted by the Import Discogs CSV feature, which imports a Discogs collection export into Discography.
Obtaining the CSV from Discogs
- Log in at discogs.com
- Go to My Collection → Export Collection
- Download the generated
.csvfile - In Discography, choose File → Import Discogs CSV... and select the file
File Requirements
| Property | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Encoding | UTF-8 |
| Line endings | \n, \r\n, or \r (all normalised on import) |
| Delimiter | Comma (,) |
| Quoting | Fields may be wrapped in double quotes; internal double quotes are escaped as "" |
| Header row | Required — first row must contain column names |
Columns
Required columns
These columns must be present or the import will be rejected with an error.
| Column name | Maps to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Title |
Album.title |
Album title |
Artist |
Album.artist |
Artist or band name |
Optional columns
All other columns are imported when present; missing or blank values are silently ignored.
| Column name | Maps to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Released |
Album.year |
Integer year. Non-numeric values default to 0 |
Catalog# |
Album.catalogNumber |
Label catalog number |
Label |
Album.label |
Record label name |
Rating |
Album.rating |
Integer 1–5. Non-numeric or blank values default to 0 |
Format |
Album.format + Album.releaseType |
Comma-separated; first part maps to media format, second part (if present) maps to release type. See Format parsing |
Media Condition |
Album.mediaCondition |
Preferred column name for media condition |
Collection Media Condition |
Album.mediaCondition |
Alternate column name used by some Discogs export versions; used if Media Condition is absent |
Collection Sleeve Condition |
Album.sleeveCondition |
Sleeve/cover condition |
Collection Notes |
Album.notes |
Free-text collection notes |
Note: Columns not listed above but are present in Discogs exports are not currently imported (e.g.
Discogs ID,Discogs Seller,Ships From,Price). They are ignored without error.
Format Parsing
The Format column in a Discogs export contains a comma-separated string combining media type and release category, for example:
Vinyl, Album, LP
CD, Album
Vinyl, EP, 7"
The importer reads only the first two comma-separated parts:
- Part 1 → media format (see Format mapping)
- Part 2 → release type (see Release type mapping); omitted parts leave
releaseTypeunset
Value Mappings
Format mapping
The first part of the Format field is matched case-insensitively.
| Input value(s) | Stored as |
|---|---|
vinyl, any value containing lp, 7", 10", or 12" |
Vinyl |
cd, any value containing cd |
CD |
cassette |
Cassette |
dvd |
DVD |
blu-ray |
Blu-Ray |
8-track cartridge, 8-track |
8-Track |
| Anything else | Other |
Release type mapping
The second comma-separated part of the Format field is matched case-insensitively.
| Input value(s) | Stored as |
|---|---|
album, lp |
Album |
ep |
EP |
single |
Single |
compilation, comp |
Comp |
| Anything else | (not set) |
Condition mapping
Applied to both Media Condition / Collection Media Condition and Collection Sleeve Condition.
The importer accepts both the abbreviated form used by Discography and the full verbose form used by Discogs exports.
| Discogs verbose form | Abbreviated form | Stored as |
|---|---|---|
Mint (M) |
M |
M |
Near Mint (NM or M-) |
NM |
NM |
Very Good Plus (VG+) |
VG+ |
VG+ |
Very Good (VG) |
VG |
VG |
Good Plus (G+) |
G+ |
G+ |
Good (G) |
G |
G |
Fair (F) |
F |
F |
Poor (P) |
P |
P |
| (blank or unrecognised) | — | (not set) |
Matching is done by prefix, so partial strings like "Near Mint" and "Very Good Plus (VG+)" are both recognised.
What Is Not Imported
The following data is not present in a Discogs CSV and will not be populated on import:
- Cover art (artwork must be added manually or via MusicBrainz lookup)
- Track listing
- Personnel credits
- MusicBrainz ID
- UPC / barcode
- Country
- Reissue year
- Matrix / runout notes
Example CSV
Catalog#,Artist,Title,Label,Format,Rating,Released,Collection Media Condition,Collection Sleeve Condition,Collection Notes
PCS 7088,The Beatles,Abbey Road,Apple Records,"Vinyl, Album, LP",5,1969,Very Good Plus (VG+),Very Good (VG),Original UK pressing.
CK 40579,Miles Davis,Kind of Blue,Columbia,"CD, Album",5,1959,Near Mint (NM or M-),Near Mint (NM or M-),
,The Velvet Underground,The Velvet Underground & Nico,Verve,"Vinyl, Album",4,1967,Very Good (VG),Good Plus (G+),Banana cover.
Tip: Column order does not matter — the importer maps columns by name, not position.