Tag and find media
The Library view is where you browse, tag and preview media and edit its metadata. To open it, select the music note icon in the top bar.
The sidebar on the left holds Folders, Show only and Tags. To add and manage folders, see Add media.
Find a file
The header above the table narrows the list, and you can combine all the filters.
| Filter | Finds |
|---|---|
| Search | Title, artist, album, filename or sponsor |
| All, Audio, Video, Image | Files of one type |
| A folder in Folders | Files of that folder only. All media shows all folders. |
| An entry in Show only | Files in one state. See Manage background processing. |
| A tag chip in Tags | Files that have all the selected tags |
The header shows each active tag and Show only entry as a chip; select ✕ on a chip to remove that filter. It also shows how many files the library holds and how many the filters let through.
If no file matches, the table shows Nothing matches. Select Clear search and filters to show all files of the folder again.
You can sort by Title, Artist, Duration, BPM, LUFS, Sponsors and Status.
- Select a column header to sort the table.
- Select the same header again to reverse the order.
The Status column shows an icon and a word. A warning triangle next to the type marks a file that plays on the CPU.
Smaller screens
In a window narrower than 1500 pixels, the sidebar is hidden and the header shows a folder list and a Filters button instead, which opens the sidebar content. The table then drops BPM, True peak and Sponsors.
Select more than one file
- Select a row to select only that file.
- Hold Command (Ctrl on Windows) and select rows to add or remove them.
- Hold Shift and select a row to select every row between it and the last one you selected.
- Press Command+A (Ctrl+A on Windows) in the table to select every row the filters show.
A selected file stays selected when a filter hides it.
Preview a track
- In the leftmost column, select the play button.
- To stop the preview, select the stop button.
While the track plays, the row shows the elapsed time, and the bottom of the table shows the title and time of the preview.
Preview audio goes to your PFL buses, so if no bus is set as PFL, you cannot hear it. See Set up a bus.
Tag files
Tags group files, for example by genre, event type or team. Each tag belongs to a category, and the app shows tags as chips.
Tag one file
- In the table, select the file. The details panel opens on the right.
- Under Tags, select +.
- Type part of the tag name. The list shows the tags that match.
- Select a tag to add it to the file. Select it again to remove it.
If no tag has the name you typed, the list shows + Create "name" in. Pick a category in the list next to it, then select + Create "name" in. The app creates the tag and adds it to the file.
To remove a tag from the file, select ✕ on its chip.
Tag more than one file
-
Select the files. See Select more than one file. The panel on the right shows the number of files, their types and their total duration.
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Under Tags, select a chip:
Chip Means When you select it ✓ Goal All selected files have the tag. The app removes the tag from all of them. Goal · 2 of 3 Some selected files have the tag. The app adds the tag to all of them. Goal No selected file has the tag. The app adds the tag to all of them.
To find a tag, type in Find or create tag, then press Return to add it to all selected files. If no tag has that name, the app creates it.
Tags go to every selected file, including files a filter hides.
Reanalyze analyzes all selected files again. Clear selection deselects them all.
Manage categories and tags
In the sidebar, next to Tags, select Edit tags…. The Tags view opens, with the categories on the left and the selected category's tags in the middle.
| To | Do this |
|---|---|
| Add a category | Next to Categories, select +. |
| Change the order of the categories | Drag a category by its handle. |
| Add a tag | In the last row of the tag list, type the name and press Return. |
| Rename a tag or change its color | Select the tag. Edit Name and Color in the panel on the right. |
| Give a tag the color of its category | Select the tag, then under Color, select Category. |
| Rename a category or change its color | Select the gear button above the tag list. |
| Remove a tag | Select the tag, then select Remove…. |
| Delete a category and its tags | Select the gear button, then select Delete category…. |
| See the files that have a tag | Select Show in library in the row of the tag. |
The Files column shows how many files have each tag.
When you remove a tag or delete a category, the app asks you to confirm. Only the tag goes away; the files stay in the library.
The app saves each change immediately. To go back to the table, select Library.
Edit metadata
When you select a row, the details panel opens on the right.
- Edit Title, Artist, Album or BPM.
- Press Return or move to a different field.
ArenaDirector saves each field when you leave it, when you select a different file and when you close the panel.
You can type a manual value in the BPM field. Once the analysis is complete, the field shows the detected value as a hint.
The app fills in these values itself, and you cannot edit them:
| Value | Shows |
|---|---|
| Duration | Total duration |
| LUFS | Integrated loudness. See Loudness levelling |
| True peak | Highest sample peak in dBTP. The value becomes amber above −1.0 dBTP and red when the audio clips. |
| Status | Ready, Pending, Analyzing or Failed |
Cues shows the number of cue sets, the default set and its cue marks. To change them, select Edit cues and sponsors. See Set cue points.
Sponsors tags the file with an advertiser for proof-of-play reports. Plays in report opens Configuration → Sponsors → Proof of play. See Tag sponsors.
At the bottom, Reanalyze analyzes the file again, and Show in Finder (Show in Explorer on Windows) opens its folder.