diff --git a/beets/dbcore/db.py b/beets/dbcore/db.py
index 8640a5678..deb31ba71 100755
--- a/beets/dbcore/db.py
+++ b/beets/dbcore/db.py
@@ -26,14 +26,7 @@ import threading
 import time
 from abc import ABC
 from collections import defaultdict
-from collections.abc import (
-    Callable,
-    Generator,
-    Iterable,
-    Iterator,
-    Mapping,
-    Sequence,
-)
+from collections.abc import Mapping
 from functools import cached_property
 from sqlite3 import Connection, sqlite_version_info
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, AnyStr, ClassVar, Generic, NamedTuple
@@ -1088,11 +1081,14 @@ class Database:
         self._db_lock = threading.Lock()
 
         # Set up database schema.
+        self._ensure_migration_state_table()
         for model_cls in self._models:
             self._make_table(model_cls._table, model_cls._fields)
             self._make_attribute_table(model_cls._flex_table)
             self._create_indices(model_cls._table, model_cls._indices)
 
+        self._migrate()
+
     # Primitive access control: connections and transactions.
 
     def _connection(self) -> Connection:
@@ -1292,6 +1288,41 @@ class Database:
                     f"ON {table} ({', '.join(index.columns)});"
                 )
 
+    # Generic migration state handling.
+
+    def _ensure_migration_state_table(self) -> None:
+        with self.transaction() as tx:
+            tx.script("""
+                CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS migrations (
+                    name TEXT NOT NULL,
+                    table_name TEXT NOT NULL,
+                    PRIMARY KEY(name, table_name)
+                );
+            """)
+
+    def _migrate(self) -> None:
+        """Perform any necessary migration for the database."""
+
+    def migration_exists(self, name: str, table: str) -> bool:
+        """Return whether a named migration has been marked complete."""
+        with self.transaction() as tx:
+            return tx.execute(
+                """
+                SELECT EXISTS(
+                    SELECT 1 FROM migrations WHERE name = ? AND table_name = ?
+                )
+                """,
+                (name, table),
+            ).fetchone()[0]
+
+    def record_migration(self, name: str, table: str) -> None:
+        """Set completion state for a named migration."""
+        with self.transaction() as tx:
+            tx.mutate(
+                "INSERT INTO migrations(name, table_name) VALUES (?, ?)",
+                (name, table),
+            )
+
     # Querying.
 
     def _fetch(