TrackRate

TrackRate user guide

File Organization & Sync

Export, copy, move, rename, organize, dry-run, and synchronize music files with TrackRate patterns.

6 questions Updated July 26, 2026
Sync merge view Review source and target trees before applying file changes
TrackRate side-by-side Sync merge window A source column and target column compare an album folder. Present files appear on both sides, a new source file can be included or skipped, and an orphaned target file can be kept or removed. Sync Pattern {artist}/{album}/{track?} - {title} Target E:\Portable Music Show orphans SOURCE — 3 TRACKS TARGET — PORTABLE MUSIC skip all ▾ Pink Floyd / The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd / The Dark Side of the Moon include keep ✓01 - Speak to Me.flac ✓01 - Speak to Me.flac keep +02 - Breathe.flac include Not yet in target Not in source ✕old rip - Breathe.mp3 remove 1 present · 1 to copy · 1 orphan · no changes are applied until Sync Cancel Rescan Sync →
✓ Present already exists at the intended target path. + To copy can be included or skipped. ✕ Orphan exists only in the target and can be kept or removed. Folder buttons apply the same choice to a whole subtree.

6 questions

What is the difference between Quick Export, Organize, and Sync?

Quick Export copies or moves the currently visible tracks as they are, either flat or with existing folders preserved. Organize builds a new folder and filename structure from metadata tokens. Premium Sync compares an Organize preview with a destination and lets you choose which additions, removals, or retained files to apply.

Use Quick Export for a simple device copy, Organize for a deliberate library structure, and Sync for maintaining a destination that already contains files.

How do I organize files into artist and album folders?

Choose Organize, select a destination, and enter a token pattern. A reliable album-oriented pattern is:

{artist}/{album}/{track?} - {title}

This can produce Pink Floyd/Dark Side of the Moon/01 - Speak to Me.flac. The optional {track?} token is omitted cleanly when no track number exists.

Run a Dry Run first and inspect missing or malformed metadata before executing.

Which Organize tokens and mixed text can I use?

Available tokens include {artist}, {album}, {year}, {decade}, {genre}, {format}, {codec}, {bitrate}, {samplerate}, {rating}, {track}, {title}, and {filename}. Optional tokens use ?.

Tokens can be combined with ordinary text and separators. For example, BestTracks/{artist}/{album}/{track?} - {title} creates a named top-level collection while preserving artist and album structure.

Common Organize patterns
PurposePatternExample output
Album library{artist}/{album}/{track?} - {title}Queen/A Night at the Opera/01 - Death on Two Legs.flac
Chronological albums{artist}/{year} - {album}/{track?} - {title}Massive Attack/1998 - Mezzanine/01 - Angel.flac
Separate formats{format}/{artist}/{album}/{track?} - {title}flac/Björk/Homogenic/01 - Hunter.flac
Flat device export{artist} - {title}Daft Punk - Digital Love.mp3
Can I organize only a filtered subset of the library?

Yes. Filter first, verify the visible tracks, and use that view as the operation scope. This makes Organize useful for exports as well as whole-library restructuring.

Road-trip export
#road
year:2015-2022
dur:3-8
#!live

Copy the result with {artist} - {title} into a device folder. For archival FLACs, use ext:flac and an album-preserving pattern instead.

How can I reorganize files safely, including across drives?

Choose Copy when originals must remain and Move when the destination should become the new location. Moving works across drives. For an in-place reorganization, set the destination to the existing music root; for multi-drive libraries, use Selection scope and process one drive at a time.

  1. Back up important files and TrackRate data.
  2. Correct critical metadata.
  3. Run Dry Run.
  4. Review collisions and missing tokens.
  5. Test a small folder.
  6. Execute the larger operation only after the paths are correct.
How does Sync preview and apply changes?

Run Organize with Dry Run to build the intended destination tree, then open Sync. The merge view marks files as retained, added, removed, or otherwise changed. Folder-level Keep/Remove actions can mark a subtree, while individual controls handle exceptions.

Nothing is applied until Execute. Review the legend and destination carefully; Sync is a file operation, not only a playlist change. A backup and a small first pass are strongly recommended.