diff --git a/src/external/database/json/mod.rs b/src/external/database/json/mod.rs
index b791203..3347c5c 100644
--- a/src/external/database/json/mod.rs
+++ b/src/external/database/json/mod.rs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ impl<JDB: IJsonDatabaseBackend> IDatabase for JsonDatabase<JDB> {
     fn load(&self) -> Result<Collection, LoadError> {
         let serialized = self.backend.read()?;
         let database: DeserializeDatabase = serde_json::from_str(&serialized)?;
-        database.try_into()
+        Ok(database.into())
     }
 
     fn save(&mut self, collection: &Collection) -> Result<(), SaveError> {
diff --git a/src/external/database/serde/deserialize.rs b/src/external/database/serde/deserialize.rs
index 84e742c..6a1f731 100644
--- a/src/external/database/serde/deserialize.rs
+++ b/src/external/database/serde/deserialize.rs
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
-use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::{collections::HashMap, fmt};
 
-use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde::{de::Visitor, Deserialize, Deserializer};
 
 use crate::{
-    core::{
-        collection::{
-            album::{Album, AlbumDate, AlbumId, AlbumSeq},
-            artist::{Artist, ArtistId},
-            musicbrainz::{MbAlbumRef, MbArtistRef},
-            Collection,
-        },
-        interface::database::LoadError,
+    core::collection::{
+        album::{Album, AlbumDate, AlbumId, AlbumSeq},
+        artist::{Artist, ArtistId},
+        musicbrainz::{MbAlbumRef, MbArtistRef},
+        Collection, Error as CollectionError,
     },
     external::database::serde::common::{SerdeAlbumPrimaryType, SerdeAlbumSecondaryType},
 };
@@ -20,13 +17,11 @@ pub enum DeserializeDatabase {
     V20240313(Vec<DeserializeArtist>),
 }
 
-impl TryFrom<DeserializeDatabase> for Collection {
-    type Error = LoadError;
-
-    fn try_from(database: DeserializeDatabase) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+impl From<DeserializeDatabase> for Collection {
+    fn from(database: DeserializeDatabase) -> Self {
         match database {
             DeserializeDatabase::V20240313(collection) => {
-                collection.into_iter().map(TryInto::try_into).collect()
+                collection.into_iter().map(Into::into).collect()
             }
         }
     }
@@ -36,7 +31,7 @@ impl TryFrom<DeserializeDatabase> for Collection {
 pub struct DeserializeArtist {
     name: String,
     sort: Option<String>,
-    musicbrainz: Option<String>,
+    musicbrainz: Option<DeserializeMbArtistRef>,
     properties: HashMap<String, Vec<String>>,
     albums: Vec<DeserializeAlbum>,
 }
@@ -45,47 +40,107 @@ pub struct DeserializeArtist {
 pub struct DeserializeAlbum {
     title: String,
     seq: u8,
-    musicbrainz: Option<String>,
+    musicbrainz: Option<DeserializeMbAlbumRef>,
     primary_type: Option<SerdeAlbumPrimaryType>,
     secondary_types: Vec<SerdeAlbumSecondaryType>,
 }
 
-impl TryFrom<DeserializeArtist> for Artist {
-    type Error = LoadError;
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct DeserializeMbArtistRef(MbArtistRef);
 
-    fn try_from(artist: DeserializeArtist) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Artist {
-            id: ArtistId::new(artist.name),
-            sort: artist.sort.map(ArtistId::new),
-            musicbrainz: artist
-                .musicbrainz
-                .map(MbArtistRef::from_url_str)
-                .transpose()?,
-            properties: artist.properties,
-            albums: artist
-                .albums
-                .into_iter()
-                .map(TryInto::try_into)
-                .collect::<Result<Vec<Album>, LoadError>>()?,
-        })
+impl From<DeserializeMbArtistRef> for MbArtistRef {
+    fn from(value: DeserializeMbArtistRef) -> Self {
+        value.0
     }
 }
 
-impl TryFrom<DeserializeAlbum> for Album {
-    type Error = LoadError;
+struct DeserializeMbArtistRefVisitor;
 
-    fn try_from(album: DeserializeAlbum) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Album {
+impl<'de> Visitor<'de> for DeserializeMbArtistRefVisitor {
+    type Value = DeserializeMbArtistRef;
+
+    fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        formatter.write_str("a valid MusicBrainz identifier")
+    }
+
+    fn visit_str<E>(self, v: &str) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
+    where
+        E: serde::de::Error,
+    {
+        Ok(DeserializeMbArtistRef(
+            MbArtistRef::from_url_str(v).map_err(|e: CollectionError| E::custom(e.to_string()))?,
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for DeserializeMbArtistRef {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        deserializer.deserialize_str(DeserializeMbArtistRefVisitor)
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct DeserializeMbAlbumRef(MbAlbumRef);
+
+impl From<DeserializeMbAlbumRef> for MbAlbumRef {
+    fn from(value: DeserializeMbAlbumRef) -> Self {
+        value.0
+    }
+}
+
+struct DeserializeMbAlbumRefVisitor;
+
+impl<'de> Visitor<'de> for DeserializeMbAlbumRefVisitor {
+    type Value = DeserializeMbAlbumRef;
+
+    fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        formatter.write_str("a valid MusicBrainz identifier")
+    }
+
+    fn visit_str<E>(self, v: &str) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
+    where
+        E: serde::de::Error,
+    {
+        Ok(DeserializeMbAlbumRef(
+            MbAlbumRef::from_url_str(v).map_err(|e: CollectionError| E::custom(e.to_string()))?,
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for DeserializeMbAlbumRef {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        deserializer.deserialize_str(DeserializeMbAlbumRefVisitor)
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<DeserializeArtist> for Artist {
+    fn from(artist: DeserializeArtist) -> Self {
+        Artist {
+            id: ArtistId::new(artist.name),
+            sort: artist.sort.map(ArtistId::new),
+            musicbrainz: artist.musicbrainz.map(Into::into),
+            properties: artist.properties,
+            albums: artist.albums.into_iter().map(Into::into).collect(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<DeserializeAlbum> for Album {
+    fn from(album: DeserializeAlbum) -> Self {
+        Album {
             id: AlbumId { title: album.title },
             date: AlbumDate::default(),
             seq: AlbumSeq(album.seq),
-            musicbrainz: album
-                .musicbrainz
-                .map(MbAlbumRef::from_url_str)
-                .transpose()?,
+            musicbrainz: album.musicbrainz.map(Into::into),
             primary_type: album.primary_type.map(Into::into),
             secondary_types: album.secondary_types.into_iter().map(Into::into).collect(),
             tracks: vec![],
-        })
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/external/database/serde/serialize.rs b/src/external/database/serde/serialize.rs
index e54fda0..1b1d5f8 100644
--- a/src/external/database/serde/serialize.rs
+++ b/src/external/database/serde/serialize.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ impl<'a> From<&'a Collection> for SerializeDatabase<'a> {
 pub struct SerializeArtist<'a> {
     name: &'a str,
     sort: Option<&'a str>,
-    musicbrainz: Option<SerdeMbArtistRef<'a>>,
+    musicbrainz: Option<SerializeMbArtistRef<'a>>,
     properties: BTreeMap<&'a str, &'a Vec<String>>,
     albums: Vec<SerializeAlbum<'a>>,
 }
@@ -32,15 +32,15 @@ pub struct SerializeArtist<'a> {
 pub struct SerializeAlbum<'a> {
     title: &'a str,
     seq: u8,
-    musicbrainz: Option<SerdeMbAlbumRef<'a>>,
+    musicbrainz: Option<SerializeMbAlbumRef<'a>>,
     primary_type: Option<SerdeAlbumPrimaryType>,
     secondary_types: Vec<SerdeAlbumSecondaryType>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
-pub struct SerdeMbArtistRef<'a>(&'a MbArtistRef);
+pub struct SerializeMbArtistRef<'a>(&'a MbArtistRef);
 
-impl<'a> Serialize for SerdeMbArtistRef<'a> {
+impl<'a> Serialize for SerializeMbArtistRef<'a> {
     fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
     where
         S: serde::Serializer,
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ impl<'a> Serialize for SerdeMbArtistRef<'a> {
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
-pub struct SerdeMbAlbumRef<'a>(&'a MbAlbumRef);
+pub struct SerializeMbAlbumRef<'a>(&'a MbAlbumRef);
 
-impl<'a> Serialize for SerdeMbAlbumRef<'a> {
+impl<'a> Serialize for SerializeMbAlbumRef<'a> {
     fn serialize<S>(&self, serializer: S) -> Result<S::Ok, S::Error>
     where
         S: serde::Serializer,
@@ -66,7 +66,10 @@ impl<'a> From<&'a Artist> for SerializeArtist<'a> {
         SerializeArtist {
             name: &artist.id.name,
             sort: artist.sort.as_ref().map(|id| id.name.as_ref()),
-            musicbrainz: artist.musicbrainz.as_ref().map(|mb| SerdeMbArtistRef(mb)),
+            musicbrainz: artist
+                .musicbrainz
+                .as_ref()
+                .map(|mb| SerializeMbArtistRef(mb)),
             properties: artist
                 .properties
                 .iter()
@@ -82,7 +85,7 @@ impl<'a> From<&'a Album> for SerializeAlbum<'a> {
         SerializeAlbum {
             title: &album.id.title,
             seq: album.seq.0,
-            musicbrainz: album.musicbrainz.as_ref().map(|mb| SerdeMbAlbumRef(mb)),
+            musicbrainz: album.musicbrainz.as_ref().map(|mb| SerializeMbAlbumRef(mb)),
             primary_type: album.primary_type.map(Into::into),
             secondary_types: album
                 .secondary_types