Importing
A folder supplies the audio and other files for an import. You choose whether its editable metadata begins with an online release, the files’ own tags, or a blank form.
Importing happens on desktop (macOS, Windows). Your files are read, never changed: bae does not move, rename, retag, or re-encode anything. See Storage and offline for where files live after import.
Watched folders
Section titled “Watched folders”Switch to the Import section and add a folder: pick it, drag it onto the window, or press ⌘I. bae watches the folder from then on. New music dropped into it shows up as new candidates on its own; you don’t re-scan by hand. Folders that are still downloading are ignored until they finish.
A scan recognizes releases in the shapes rips actually take:
| Layout | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| File per track | 01 - Song.flac, 02 - Song.flac, … |
| CUE + image | album.cue + album.flac, one file for the whole disc |
| Multi-disc | CD1/, CD2/ subfolders, either shape inside |
| Collections | a folder of folders, each its own release |
bae imports the formats it plays: FLAC, MP3, APE, ALAC and AAC in .m4a, WAV, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, Opus, WavPack, and DSD (.dsf/.dff). Artwork and documents (CUE sheets, rip logs, text files) in the folder are recognized and kept with the release.
Fill the metadata draft
Section titled “Fill the metadata draft”Every candidate owns one editable metadata draft. It can begin blank, be filled from an online release, or be filled from the files’ tags. Typing into the blank draft is direct entry, not a separate metadata source.
Opening Find online… or File tags… replaces the top card with that source’s browser without changing the draft. Applying a result replaces the draft and returns to the editable card. Use the card’s menu to find another release, apply file tags, or clear the metadata and return to a blank draft. Clearing metadata keeps the candidate’s files and track layout.
Find online
Section titled “Find online”Find online identifies a release. It reads evidence from the folder and looks each piece up:
- Disc ID. A fingerprint of the CD’s exact track layout, computed from the rip log or the CUE sheet. When it matches, it identifies the precise CD edition.
- Barcode. Read off cover scans in the folder using text recognition, or from the CUE sheet.
- Catalog numbers and text. Catalog numbers found on artwork and in file and folder names, used to narrow results.
The signals are looked up against MusicBrainz and Discogs at the same time, and the results are cross-checked. Each signal appears as a badge above the results: you can see what was found, where it came from (hover for the origin: disc TOC, CUE sheet, cover scan, folder name), and turn individual signals off if one is misleading.
Three outcomes:
- Found. The evidence agrees on one release group. You pick the exact pressing from its list.
- Conflict. Two signals point at different releases, say the disc ID and the barcode disagree. bae shows both sides and you choose which to trust, or ignore a signal.
- Nothing found. Search by hand: artist and album, catalog number, or barcode, against either database. Text recognized from the artwork is offered as autocomplete.
The source browser shows the search form, identification progress, signals, and results together. Selecting a result keeps that row open with progress while bae fetches the full release, then applies it to the draft. The resulting card shows a MusicBrainz or Discogs source chip. You can reopen Find online… from the card menu and search again.
Automatic identification uses this same path. The Default metadata source setting chooses what happens when a new candidate is discovered: Find online, File tags, or None. The Default Find online mode chooses Automatic or Search manually. Automatic starts evidence extraction, OCR, provider queries, and matching as soon as Find online opens; Search manually starts none of that work. File tags and None do not open Find online.
File Tags
Section titled “File Tags”File tags reads embedded audio tags and CUE metadata when the source is opened or configured as the default. Review the preview, then select Apply to replace the draft with that exact snapshot. Import fails before writing to the library if the candidate or observed audio files change after the preview.
The editable card shows a quiet File tags chip after that snapshot is applied. A draft filled only by typing has no source chip.
Confirm and import
Section titled “Confirm and import”The confirmation pane shows everything the import will write:
- Cover. Chosen from the databases’ art, images in your folder, or art embedded in the files. Drag an image from the candidate gallery onto the cover square, or change it later.
- Metadata. Album, artist, year, label, catalog number, country, barcode, and every track: all editable right here before anything is saved.
- Storage. If a cloud home is connected, choose whether bae should manage the files in your cloud, and whether to also keep a local copy. See Storage and offline.
Import runs in the background: bae verifies every track decodes cleanly, measures loudness for the album and each track, saves the release, and, for managed imports, starts the upload. The candidate list moves on to the next folder, and the release is playable immediately.
Data sources
Section titled “Data sources”MusicBrainz needs no account and no key. Discogs requires your own free API token; paste it in Settings, and bae tells you if it stops working. Without a token, Discogs search and Discogs-sourced metadata are unavailable, and everything else works. Both services are rate-limited; bae paces its requests to stay inside the limits.