TrackRate user guide

Search & Filtering

Use filter chips, tags, exclusions, ratings, lyrics, metadata audits, and Metric Lens together in TrackRate.

8 questions Updated July 25, 2026

Filter chain Every active filter narrows the same candidate pool

If the final result is empty, remove filters from right to left until the excluding stage becomes clear.

8 questions

How does TrackRate search work, and how do I create filter chips?

Type a search expression and press Enter to turn it into a chip. Add more chips to narrow the result. Plain text searches broadly, while a field prefix targets a specific value—for example artist:radiohead, album:ok computer, or year:1995-2000.

Search chips combine with rating filters, Tags-panel filters, and Metric Lens. If a chip appears correct but produces no tracks, temporarily clear the other filter systems. Remember that typing alone does not activate an expression; it becomes active only after Enter creates the chip.

Can I combine artist, album, year, duration, format, quality, tag, and lyrics filters?

Yes. Add each expression as a separate chip. The following example finds longer, high-quality studio tracks by Radiohead from the OK Computer period, excludes live recordings, and requires lyrics:

Example filter stack

artist:radiohead
album:ok computer
year:1995-2000
dur:4-10
ext:flac
kbps:>=320
#alternative
#!live
has:lyrics

Every line reduces the eligible pool. Remove album:ok computer to search all matching Radiohead albums, or remove ext:flac when the same music exists in several formats.

What fields and comparison operators can I use in filters?

Text fields include artist:, album:, title:, folder:, genre:, file:, and ext:. Numeric or range-oriented fields include year:, dur:, kbps:, bit:, and khz:. Comparisons can use >, <, >=, <=, or a range such as 3-10.

Examples

year:>=2015 finds recent releases; dur:3-7 keeps tracks between three and seven minutes; bit:24 finds 24-bit audio; khz:44.1 targets a sample rate; and folder:D:\Music\Vinyl Rips restricts the pool by path.

Practical filter reference
Goal	Filter	Example result
Match a field	`artist:` `album:` `genre:`	`artist:radiohead`
Use a numeric range	`year:` `dur:` `kbps:`	`year:1995-2000`
Check audio format	`ext:` `bit:` `khz:`	`ext:flac` + `bit:24`
Audit missing data	`missing:` or `has:`	`missing:album`
Include or exclude tags	`#tag` or `#!tag`	`#favorite` + `#!live`

How can I find tracks with missing metadata, tags, lyrics, or themes?

Use missing: to audit absent information and has: to require information. Supported checks include artist, album, title, genre, year, comment, tags, lyrics, theme, and the ~ theme shorthand.

Metadata-cleanup example

folder:D:\Music\New Imports
year:>=2020
missing:album
missing:tags
has:artist
#!reviewed

This isolates recent imports that already have an artist but still need album data and TrackRate tags, excluding anything tagged “reviewed.” Remove one missing check at a time if you want a broader work queue.

How do positive and negative tag filters work?

A positive tag such as #rock requires that tag. A negative tag such as #!live, !#live, or !live excludes it. In the Tags panel, switch to Filtering Mode before clicking tags; Tagging Mode changes assignments instead of narrowing the library.

Example

Use #christmas with #!kids and ratings 7–10 to find highly rated seasonal tracks that are not tagged for children. Add dur:<6 if the result is intended for radio-style playback.

Can I search inside lyrics and combine the result with other filters?

Yes. Use lyrics:love for a word or lyrics:"summer rain" for a phrase, then combine it with artist, year, tag, rating, or other chips. Lyrics must already be stored for a track to match.

Example

lyrics:"summer rain"
year:<2000
#rock
#!instrumental
has:lyrics

This searches older rock tracks containing the phrase while excluding instrumental entries. If results are unexpectedly sparse, check whether lyrics have been fetched for the relevant part of the library.

How do date-added and last-played filters work?

Use added: for when tracks entered the library and lpl: for the last-played date. Relative forms include periods such as 30d, 6m, or negative values such as -30d, depending on whether you are targeting a recent window or tracks not played within it. Absolute forms can use supported compact dates, years, comparisons, or date ranges.

Rediscovery example

Combine lpl:-6m, ratings 8–10, #favorite, and #!christmas to look for highly rated favorites that have not appeared recently while excluding seasonal music.

Why is my filtered result empty or different from what I expected?

TrackRate applies the full filter chain, not only the most recent chip. Search chips, selected ratings, Tags-panel filters, and Metric Lens ranges can all be active at once. A valid new chip may therefore reduce an already small pool to zero.

Press Enter and confirm the intended chip exists.
Remove text chips one at a time.
Clear positive and negative filters in the Tags panel.
Reset rating selections.
Reset Metric Lens ranges.
Broaden strict values such as album, duration, or format.

This process identifies which part of the chain is excluding the tracks.