FAQ

Does ECHO Provide Music Downloads?

No. ECHO strictly follows the DMCA and applicable copyright laws. ECHO officially does not host, distribute, sell, mirror, or provide any music download service, does not provide functionality for obtaining music content, and will not help users bypass copyright protection, paid access, or access controls.

Remote sources, online metadata, plugins, and user-provided URLs should only be used for content you are allowed to access and use. Any infringing third-party source is not official ECHO behavior and is outside support.

See Download And Plugin Source Boundaries for the full boundary.

What Is The Difference Between Remote And Online Sources?

Remote sources usually mean your own WebDAV, NAS, Jellyfin, Emby, Subsonic, or similar service for browsing and playing content you are allowed to access.

Online sources are mostly for metadata, artwork, lyrics candidates, or other information completion. They should not overwrite curated local tags and should not be treated as an official ECHO content library.

Does ECHO Support AirPlay 2?

Not currently. ECHO maintains AirPlay within an AirPlay 1 / RAOP compatibility boundary. AirPlay 1 connectivity should not be treated as AirPlay 2 support.

AirPlay 2, multi-room synchronization, HomePod / Apple TV-specific behavior, screen mirroring, DRM, and platform access bypass are outside current support. See AirPlay Support Boundaries.

When Will The Mobile Version Ship?

The mobile version is being worked on, but there is no public date until it can be validated properly.

Mobile is not a quick toggle. It involves UI, playback, library behavior, permissions, operating system differences, and long-term maintenance.

What About Linux And macOS?

Windows is the main supported platform. Linux keeps a basic build and playback boundary, but users should build and validate it themselves from the documentation. Linux issues without clear reproduction, logs, and a low-risk fix path may not be prioritized.

macOS has no official package and no maintenance promise. There is no stable macOS development, signing, and validation environment for ECHO right now.

Will ECHO Add A Kugou Music Source?

No. ECHO will not add a Kugou Music source. Please do not treat it as an official roadmap item.

If Kugou appears in docs or settings, it refers to lyrics, metadata candidates, or compatibility boundaries. It does not mean ECHO will provide a Kugou playback source, download source, or platform-content integration.

Who Is Responsible For Plugin Source Legality?

Plugin interfaces are technical extension points only. They do not mean ECHO officially provides, endorses, or verifies third-party sources.

Legal responsibility for third-party plugins, scripts, APIs, accounts, URLs, or content sources belongs to the plugin author, user, or service provider. The ECHO project and maintainers do not accept legal responsibility for those sources.

Can Bluetooth Use Exclusive Output?

Do not use Bluetooth for exclusive-output workflows. Bluetooth headphones and speakers should use System or WASAPI Shared, not WASAPI Exclusive, ASIO, DSD, or bit-perfect paths.

Bluetooth behavior depends on the Windows Bluetooth stack, drivers, device firmware, codecs, radio conditions, and battery state. Bluetooth dropouts, latency, crackling, volume issues, quality changes, device switching, and exclusive-mode failures are outside official ECHO maintenance.

Is Lag During First Library Import Normal?

Yes, especially for large libraries. First import has to enumerate files, read tags, extract artwork, calculate duration and codec information, write indexes, and refresh album grouping. Higher CPU or disk usage and slower progress at some stages are expected.

Import a 3 to 10 track test folder first, confirm the basics, then import the full library. Avoid full remote syncs, large downloads, or other heavy background work during import.

What Should I Check First If There Is No Sound?

Check in this order:

1. Windows volume, default output device, and per-app volume mixer.
2. ECHO bottom-player volume, mute state, and queue.
3. Switch Settings -> Playback back to System or WASAPI Shared.
4. Disable EQ, ReplayGain, speed changes, channel tools, and resampling.
5. Play a known-good MP3 or FLAC file.

After basic playback works, test WASAPI Exclusive, ASIO, DSD, or HQPlayer.

Does ECHO Support ASIO4ALL, FlexASIO, Or Voicemeeter?

No. ECHO does not promise compatibility for third-party drivers, virtual audio devices, ASIO wrapper layers, system-wide audio enhancement drivers, or virtual routing tools, and will not add targeted support for them.

If you need ASIO, use the original driver from your sound card or DAC vendor. Whether third-party wrapper layers work depends on your system and is outside official ECHO support.

Why Is Output No Longer bit-perfect After DSP?

DSP changes the audio signal. EQ, Preamp, ReplayGain, speed changes, channel balance, resampling, crossfade, and automix all affect raw output.

To validate raw output, disable all DSP and gain processing first, and use a stable wired output device.

Is Slow Remote Sync A Bug?

Not always. Remote-source speed depends on the server, disk, network, certificate, proxy, transcoding, rate limits, and directory size. Initial indexing of a large NAS or media server can be slow.

Test a small folder and one track first, then expand the scope. If something fails, screenshot the connection state, folder page, sync progress, and error text.

What Should I Send With A Bug Report?

Please include:

• Screenshots of the current page.
• ECHO version, operating system version, and install channel.
• Reproduction steps.
• Error text, logs, diagnostics, or copied report text.
• For audio issues: output mode, device name, file format, sample rate, and bit depth.
• For library issues: import path type, local/removable/NAS storage, scan stage, and error details.

Screenshots and reports reduce back-and-forth dramatically.

Does The Website Affect Playback?

No. The website is static. The desktop updater reads the release feed and installer artifacts; it does not parse documentation pages to decide playback behavior.

Does Publishing Require Frontend Code Changes?

Usually no. Add release Markdown, upload artifacts, and generate the update feed. Frontend changes are only needed when the download page, docs structure, or visual design changes.