Import Audio Sources

In ECHO Next, “audio source” can mean three different things. Pick the path that matches what you actually have.

What you have	Where to go	Where to check afterward
Local MP3, FLAC, WAV, or M4A files	Import Folder	Inbox, Songs, Albums
NAS, WebDAV, Jellyfin, Emby, Subsonic, or Navidrome	Remote Library	Remote Library, or the remote source switch in song views
A third-party plugin source	Plugins	Online Search with the plugin source selected

Do not mix these up. A local folder is not a remote library, a remote library is not a plugin source, and enabling a plugin source does not automatically add tracks to your local library.

Import A Local Music Folder

Start here if you already have music files on your computer.

1. Create a small test folder, for example D:\Music\Test.
2. Put 3 to 10 known-good tracks inside it.
3. Include at least one normal MP3.
4. Open ECHO Next.
5. Click Import Folder.
6. Select the folder itself, not one file inside it.
7. Confirm the selection.
8. Wait for scanning to finish.
9. Open Inbox or Songs.
10. Double-click a normal MP3 and confirm the bottom player starts moving.

Do not start by importing an entire drive, a downloads folder, a cloud placeholder folder, or a compressed archive. First prove the simple path works.

If tracks do not appear, check that you selected the correct folder, the folder actually contains audio files, scanning has finished, and the search box is empty.

If the progress bar moves but there is no sound, check system volume, ECHO volume, output device, and playback output mode before touching the database.

Add A Remote Library

Use this for your own WebDAV, NAS, Jellyfin, Emby, Subsonic, or Navidrome server.

Prepare:

Needed	Example
Source type	WebDAV, Jellyfin, Emby, Subsonic
Display name	Home NAS
Server URL	https://example.com/dav/music/
Account	Your service account
Password or token	The service password, app password, or token
Music root	The folder that actually contains music

Steps:

1. Open Remote Library.
2. Choose the real source type.
3. Fill in the display name, server URL, account, and password or token.
4. Test the connection before saving.
5. Browse a small folder first.
6. Play one normal MP3 or FLAC.
7. Only after that, enable indexing or a larger sync.

Remote libraries depend on your server, network, certificates, permissions, transcoding, and drive state. A slow remote library is not automatically an ECHO bug.

Only connect content you have the right to access and use. ECHO does not bypass payment, copyright, region, DRM, or platform access controls.

Import A Plugin Source

Plugin sources are third-party extensions that return search candidates and playback URLs. They are not official ECHO music sources.

If you have an ECHO plugin package:

1. Open Plugins.
2. Use the plugin import action.
3. Select the .json plugin package.
4. Open the plugin details.
5. Review requested permissions.
6. Enable it only if you trust the source.
7. Check plugin logs.
8. Open Online Search and select the plugin source.

If you have a plugin folder:

1. Open Plugins.
2. Click Open Directory.
3. Put the plugin folder in the directory ECHO opened.
4. Return to ECHO and refresh plugins.
5. Review permissions, enable the plugin, and check logs.
6. Use it from Online Search.

Be careful with plugins requesting network, sources:provide, library:read, settings:write, or library:write. Unknown high-permission plugins should stay disabled.

Quick Route

To hear the first song quickly:

1. Create D:\Music\Test.
2. Put a few known-good MP3 or FLAC files inside it.
3. Open ECHO Next.
4. Click Import Folder.
5. Select D:\Music\Test.
6. Wait for scanning.
7. Open Inbox or Songs.
8. Double-click an MP3.
9. Confirm the bottom progress bar moves and you hear sound.

After this works, import the full library, add remote libraries, or enable plugin sources.