Searching multiple/all collections simultaneously

Hi,
I have music connect and CLZ music.
In both, I’d like to be able to search for an album in all collections at once, rather than having to search in each collection separately.
Currently, I set up a search in the current collection and, if I fail to find the album, have to switch to another collection and search again.
Does anyone know of a more efficient way of determining whether the album exists in any (or more than one) collection?
Thanks in advance for your kind assistance Wal

Collections are meant to be used as completely separate parts of your database.
As soon as you feel the need to search across multiple collection, that may mean you are using collections for the wrong reasons.
Have you considered using ONE collection and then separating using folders? E.g. Tag folders?

What are you currently using collections for?

I sent a similar ‘feature request’ a while ago. I have 3 collections in my Music database - CDs, Records and DVDs, and I would like to be able to search across them all in one go.
I was told 'It is on our radar to perhaps introduce an “All” virtual collection combining all subcollections in your 1 database. ’
That sounds promising - is it still ‘on the radar’?

It is an idea on our ideas list. Still hesitant to go that route, as it may invite even more users to use collections the wrong way :slight_smile:

For CDs, Records and DVDs, why not use Format folders?

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I already use Formats to separate my CDs into CD/CD Box/CD+DVD/CD+BluRay/etc, and my records into 7" Single/12" Single/7" EP/ LP/LP Picture Disc. If I used CD/DVD/Vinyl as formats, I’d need sub-formats.
Would sub-formats be easier for the developers than a cross-collection search?

Maybe use Tags for the top level genre, then use multi-level folders?

Actually I use this but in the opposite way: I use format as the top level and tags as the sub format. For example I have Vinyl as the format, then use tags to identify 7" single, 8" LP, etc. Sub-formats would be cool, but it works quite well with tags if you’re not using them for anything else. A similar workaround would be to use the Sound field. I use that for digital music files to indicate bit rate (16/44, DSD128) and other specialties like Binaural, Multichannel, etc. You could also expand this to indicate other sub-formats.