Library

ECHO is local-library first. After you import a folder, ECHO reads audio files, embedded tags, artwork, duration, codec information, and writes them into a searchable, paged, recoverable local index.

First Import

Do not import an entire drive on the first run. Start with a small check:

1. Prepare a folder with 3 to 10 known-good tracks.
2. Import it from Import Folder.
3. Check Songs, Albums, and Inbox for tracks, artwork, and album grouping.
4. Double-click a track and confirm playback.
5. Import the full library afterward.

This separates “does ECHO work” from “does this large library need cleanup”, which makes troubleshooting much faster.

Import Lag Is Normal

Lag, slower progress, and higher CPU or disk usage during the first import of a large library are normal. ECHO has to:

• Enumerate audio files in folders.
• Read tags from MP3, FLAC, M4A, WAV, OGG, and other files.
• Extract or cache artwork.
• Calculate duration, codec, sample rate, and bit depth.
• Write the SQLite index.
• Refresh album, artist, and folder grouping.

Avoid running full remote syncs, large downloads, full-library artwork completion, or other heavy background work while import is running. Finish the first import before doing tag cleanup, artwork completion, or remote sync.

Scan And Rescan

Importing the same path again should behave like a rescan, not a duplicate library. Rescan when:

• You added many tracks to a folder.
• You changed tags in bulk.
• Artwork or track order changed.
• Files were moved, replaced, or restored.

Do not treat full-library rescan as the first fix for everything. If one album is wrong, fix that album’s tags first. If one folder is wrong, rescan that folder first.

Tags And Album Grouping

When albums look wrong, check these fields:

Field	Effect
title	Track title
artist	Track artist
album	Album title
albumArtist	Album artist; decides whether same-named albums merge
trackNo	Track order
discNo	Multi-disc order
year	Year display
Artwork	Album wall, player, and detail views

Tracks from the same album should usually share the same album and albumArtist. Compilations, soundtracks, and multi-artist albums especially need a clean albumArtist.

Network Metadata

Network metadata is useful for filling missing information. It should not overwrite high-confidence tags you already curated. Recommended priority:

• Manual local edits first.
• Embedded tags first.
• Folder structure and same-folder artwork first.
• Network results as candidates or weak completion.

Before applying network results in bulk, try a small selection. Do not overwrite the whole library in one step.

File Safety

The ECHO library index is not the same thing as your real audio files. Normal library maintenance should respect these boundaries:

• Removing a library record should not automatically delete real music files.
• Missing files should be marked missing or repaired, not used as a reason to erase history immediately.
• Tag writing, move repair, and bulk operations should require explicit user confirmation.
• Before deleting, renaming, or moving real files, check the path and keep a backup.

Large-Library Tips

• Use search, paging, sorting, and folders to narrow problems.
• Back up important music files before bulk tag edits.
• Keep the computer powered and prevent external drives from sleeping during scans.
• Network drives, removable drives, and NAS libraries depend on device and network speed.
• If something fails, screenshot scan progress and error details before sending a report.