First Week Plan

A common failure mode is opening every feature on day one: import a whole drive, add a remote library, enable EQ, switch to exclusive output, and install plugins. When anything gets slow or sounds wrong, the app looks broken.

This page splits the first week into seven days. Do one task, then stop. If something fails, you will know which step caused it.

If you only want sound as soon as possible, use Quick Start.

Before you start

1. A Windows PC that already plays sound.
2. The latest ECHO build from Install.
3. A small test folder such as D:\Music\Test with 5 to 10 known-good MP3 or FLAC files.
4. Your real music folder, left unimported until day 3.

If you still need help installing or clicking Import, start with Beginner Setup.

Day 1: Hear sound

Goal: prove the app can scan, display, and play.

1. Open ECHO.
2. Use Import Folder on D:\Music\Test only.
3. Wait for the scan.
4. Open Inbox and confirm the tracks are there.
5. Open Songs and double-click a normal MP3.
6. Check the bottom player: title, moving progress, and sound.

Do not import the full library, change output modes, enable EQ, or add a remote source today.

If there is no sound, follow the checklist in Quick Start; if that does not fix it, see Audio Output.

Done when the same MP3 plays with sound more than once.

Day 2: Find tracks

Goal: find songs without scrolling the whole list.

1. Search by title in Songs.
2. Search by artist.
3. Find a known album in Albums.
4. Open Artists and check the artist’s albums are grouped under them.
5. Add one track to Queue and confirm it appears.

If search fails, suspect tags before missing files. Details: Daily Listening.

Done when you can find any test-folder track in about 20 seconds.

Day 3: Import the real library

Goal: bring in your everyday music, one root folder at a time.

1. Confirm the drive is connected and cloud placeholders are actually downloaded.
2. Import one music root such as D:\Music.
3. Do not import C:\, the Downloads folder, or the desktop.
4. Let the scan finish. Listening to yesterday’s test tracks is fine, but do not run a full remote index at the same time.
5. Check that the count in Songs looks roughly right, then open two or three albums to check covers and track order.

A slow first scan of a large library is normal. As long as progress keeps advancing, let it run.

Done when familiar tracks from the main folder are searchable and play.

Day 4: Fix one album

Goal: repair a single album you care about, and learn how tag editing works.

1. Open an album that looks wrong — split in two, or with shuffled track order.
2. Note which tracks belong together.
3. Select those tracks in Songs.
4. Edit tags from the context menu.
5. Make Album and Album artist identical.
6. Set track numbers to 1, 2, 3. Add disc numbers for multi-disc sets.
7. Save, then check Albums again.

Fix one album only. Get it right, then do the next. Full steps: Library.

Do not run library-wide auto-tagging, a full rescan, or a database rebuild today.

Done when at least one album shows the right name, order, and artwork.

Day 5: Make lyrics usable

Goal: open lyrics, switch candidates, and nudge an offset.

1. Play a song you know well.
2. Open Lyrics.
3. Switch candidates if the text is the wrong song.
4. Use per-track offset only when the whole file is early or late.
5. If the first lines match and later lines drift, change the candidate. That is usually a different version — do not keep nudging the offset.
6. If the text is hard to read, adjust font, color, or background in the lyric settings.

Full steps: Lyrics.

Done when at least one familiar song’s lyrics track the singing without a whole-song shift.

Day 6: Change one output setting

Goal: with sound already working, confirm the output device is right.

1. Play a track that already has sound.
2. Open Settings -> Playback.
3. Confirm the output device is the headphones, speakers, or DAC you are using.
4. Keep System or WASAPI Shared for ordinary PCs and Bluetooth.
5. Change one option, then play the same track.
6. If it sounds wrong, go back to the setting that worked a moment ago.

Do not enable exclusive mode, ASIO, DSD, HQPlayer, and a stack of DSP on the same day. Advanced output is in Audio Output; EQ is in the EQ guide.

Done when you know which device the sound comes from and a full track plays reliably.

Day 7: Keep a small system you will actually use

Goal: turn the first six days into a repeatable daily habit.

1. Create two playlists, such as Daily and To sort.
2. Put regular tracks in Daily.
3. Put undecided new imports in To sort.
4. Like tracks you know you want again.
5. Remote sources and plugins can wait — see Remote Sources or the Plugin guide when you actually need them.

Done when you can open ECHO, find a track, finish it, and find it again tomorrow without help.

After the first week

You can already	Next page
Find, queue, and save playlists	Daily Listening
Coming from a streaming app	Switching from streaming apps
Want tidier folders first	How to keep music folders tidy
Fix albums and artwork	Library
Use a DAC or exclusive output	Audio Output
Connect NAS or Jellyfin	Remote Sources
Still getting stuck	Common stuck points or Quick Navigation

The whole first week comes down to one principle: get it working, then expand. Features are there for when you know how to use them, not a checklist to switch on during day one.