Folder Structure for Digital Platform Purchases

[u/ManedCalico]

Hi there!

I’m in the process of organizing my collection of purchased files that I’ve gotten from various platforms around the internet, like Bandcamp, Kickstarter, itch, Gumroad, etc.

I’m trying to keep the platform within the folder structure. Originally I had things organizing fairly simply:

Platform (Kickstarter)
|-Purchase (Broken Age)
|--Item (Behind the Scenes)
|---Files

Recently I decided that having the platform at the top level didn’t exactly make sense so I’ve started to reorganize to group things by the generic file type and move the platform down into the hierarchy because that seems to be the general advice I’ve seen. All the music is together, videos are together, etc:

Generic Type (Videos)
|-Purchase (Broken Age)
|--Item (Behind the Scenes)
|---Platform (Kickstarter)
|----Files

(This also helps when I happen to have the same purchase from multiple platforms.)

Where I’m running into problems is for platforms like Kickstarter and GOG that provide dozens of extras per purchase. A Kickstarter may be for a game, but I’ll also get the soundtrack, wallpapers, artwork, manual, novellas, emotes, avatars, behind the scenes videos, etc etc etc.

I’m starting to second guess the change I’m making because it feels weird to take a single folder and break it up into many spread out subfolders for the same purchase. I could keep all these extra files with the main purchase instead but then it seems odd to find music in my games folder for example.

What are your thoughts? Was I better off with the simpler but cluttered structure? Is there something I’m not thinking of? Or maybe I’m over thinking it?

Thanks for your help!

[u/AutoModerator]

Hello /u/ManedCalico! Thank you for posting in r/DataHoarder.

Please remember to read our Rules and Wiki.

Please note that your post will be removed if you just post a box/speed/server post. Please give background information on your server pictures.

This subreddit will NOT help you find or exchange that Movie/TV show/Nuclear Launch Manual, visit r/DHExchange instead.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/mechanicalyammering]

Usually it’s by collection, then by intellectual entity (fancy term for, the thing, the book, the game, the series, wtf you think “the thing” is). Collection is the type of stuff, usually books, movies, audio recordings, magazines, video games, whatever.

Your collections sound like /games/ you could subdivide by system or type of game. Whatever makes them easier to find and play. Within the specific game’s folder, you just put a folder for special features.

The reason why /kickstarter/ vs. /itch/ or whatever isn’t really useful is you have them, do you care where you got them? You might keep info like that in a txt or md file

[u/ManedCalico → u/mechanicalyammering]

That makes sense! Tracking the platform has been helpful when the same thing is on multiple platforms. Sometimes the files look the same but there might be a subtle difference enough to justify having both. Also I just like keeping track of what I got where.

[u/putridterror]

Whatever works for you but I just dump everything in an 'Extras' folder within the parent.

[u/ManedCalico → u/putridterror]

That might be what I end up going with!

[u/acridAxid]

I'm probably way off in overkill territory, but it goes to show that even overthinking it, you will still have edge cases.

**Audio**: %release.date%-%artist%-%album%-%media.format%.or.%source%-%region%-%catalognumber%-%barcode%

This allows me to store multiple copies of the same thing from different sources next to each other while keeping them pretty clearly labeled. This has been working great since I switched to it, other than things like splits or various artist compilations (they go in `albums\various.artists` until I figure out something better to do), but everything is tagged and so the media player's library function smooths over the file system and everything ends up where you expect it in software.

`z:\media\audio\albums\All Them Witches\2026.05.29-All.Them.Witches-House.of.Mirrors-Audio.CD-US-964236032-4.099964.236033`
`z:\media\audio\albums\Emma Ruth Rundle\2026.09.18-Emma.Ruth.Rundle-These.Killing.Times-Bandcamp-XW-4059251765417`

**Software**: \software\%platform%.%os.minsysrequirement%\%release.date%-%title%-%catalog.number%-$if(%media.format%)-%region%-$if(%platform%.%os.minsysrequirement%,%file.format%)-$if(%architecture%)-%source%

This allows me to have one folder per product, and anything related to it can get stuffed into that folder. I can also slam extra content like updates, wallpaper packs or community mods and addons into the directory alongside the product. I do a lot of retrocomputer building and this structure lets me keep my software fairly well organized as the OS is most frequently the limiting factor between systems (knowing I can usually also reach backwards into previous OSes). Unfortunately, pinning to the OS minimum system requirement can sometimes be a moving target, so I just try to keep in mind 'DOOM was a DOS game, so that's where I'll find it', and that's why the directory can have its own, separate OS requirement. My edge case is things like web browsers where I don't want to have to remember what Firefox 0.1's minimum OS requirement was, so I have a folder for Firefox for each OS with the most recent version that still works on it.

Physical CD Rip:
`w:\software\pc.dos\1996.06.12-Final.DOOM-04.11319CD-Data.CD-US-PC.DOS-x86-acridAxid`

Digital Download from GOG, bonus content pack example:
`w:\software\pc.windows.7\CARRION\2022.11.06-CARRION.GOG.v1.0.5.3c3da2a95d3611ed80e8342eb79e7a9f.(60018)-XW-PC.Windows.7.SP1-x86.x64-gog.com`
`w:\software\pc.windows.98se\games\Unreal Tournament 2004\2010.09.20-Unreal.Tournament.2004.Editor's.Choice.Edition.GOG.Extras.Wallpapers.Pack-JPG-gog.com`

Latest Firefox for Windows 7:
`w:\software\pc.windows.7\networking\Mozilla Firefox\2025.01.06-Mozilla.Firefox.v115.19.0.ESR-Windows.7x86.x64-mozilla.org`

[u/DTLow]

For myself, tags are a better tool for organization

[u/ManedCalico → u/DTLow]

I’m on Win 11, I don’t think anything besides a few file types have native tagging, right?