Getting Started

TrackRate is a desktop player and library organizer for audio files you already own. It works with local folders rather than a streaming catalog, so it is useful for purchased music, CD rips, DJ libraries, independent releases, AI-generated tracks, podcasts, and other collections stored on your computer or attached drives.

The basic workflow is to add one or more music folders, listen and rate tracks, add your own tags, then use those ratings and tags to filter, shuffle, build playlists, or organize files. TrackRate keeps its own library data and can optionally write supported metadata back to the audio files.

Choose Open Folder or drag a folder onto TrackRate. Add the specific folders that contain music, such as D:\Music\Purchased or E:\Audio\AI Exports. Do not select an entire drive such as C:\ or D:\; a drive-wide scan is slower and may collect unrelated audio from games, applications, and backups.

Opening another folder appends it to the current database. You can therefore build a library gradually: add your main collection first, verify it, and then add smaller folders. Re-adding or refreshing a known folder updates the scan while retaining data associated with unchanged audio fingerprints.

Start with a small, representative folder and play several tracks. Set Shuffle to Pure Random and allow Max Unrated to reach 100%, because rating-aware modes have little information to work with at the beginning. Rate tracks as you listen and add a few broad tags such as genre, mood, activity, or source.

1. Add one music folder and confirm its tracks appear.
2. Play a track by double-clicking it.
3. Give it a 0–10 rating.
4. Add one or two useful tags.
5. Try a simple filter such as #workout or year:1990-2000.
6. Save the filtered result as a playlist.

Once a useful portion of the library is rated, switch to a weighted Shuffle mode or build a Mixer recipe.

Ratings and tags describe tracks. Filters decide which described tracks are currently eligible. A playlist saves a chosen set and order, while Shuffle, Mixer, and Arrangers decide what to play or how to sequence it.

All active filters are combined. If the result unexpectedly becomes empty, clear filters one group at a time: search chips, tag filters, rating selections, and Metric Lens.

Yes. Use separate databases when collections should have independent folders, tags, ratings, playlists, and recipes—for example “Main Library,” “DJ Sets,” “AI Generations,” and “Podcasts.” Switching databases changes the active collection without mixing its organizational state with another one.

The Free edition provides the core library workflow; Premium supports multiple databases. If you only need one collection, folders within a single database can still be filtered by path with expressions such as folder:D:\Music\Purchased.

First confirm that the files appear in the track list and that one plays when double-clicked. If manual playback works but Shuffle does not, the eligible pool is probably empty. In a new library, choose Pure Random, set Max Unrated to 100%, and remove any active search, tag, rating, or Metric Lens filters.

If manual playback also fails, confirm that the file still exists, the folder is enabled, and the format is supported. Refresh the folder after moved or newly completed downloads. TrackRate identifies a track from its audio content, so do not scan partially downloaded or still-changing files.