What is AudioFiler?

AudioFiler is an "audio file manager" designed to display, group, and search for tracks in a large audio library. AudioFiler is not an audio file player, but a companion application that works along with a user's own audio file player.  Specifically, it allows a user to easily find and select audio files in their library so they can be played with the audio application of the user's choice.  AudioFiler is optimized to interface with WinAmp, but it can use any audio player that accepts command-line parameters.

AudioFiler works by organizing the audio files in selected directories of audio files ("Audio Folders") into logical groups based on fields stored in the MP3 file tag, such as Artist, Title, and Album. By using a combination of these Audio Folders and the logical groupings of audio tracks, AudioFiler is able to give the user a very fine level of access to the tracks in their audio library.  Because the metadata tag fields are so important to the way tracks are displayed, AudioFiler includes numerous functions which ease the process of cleaning these fields.

Key features

• View tracks in any combination of the configured Audio Folders.

• Display audio files in a hierarchy based on ID3 tag fields.  Hierarchies included "Group By Album", "Group By Artist/Album (Sort By Album)", "Group By Artist/Album (Sort By Year)", "Group By Genre\Artist\Album", and "Show All".

• Search for tracks based on ID3 tag fields (such as Artist, Title, or Album) or audio attributes (such as Duration, Bit Rate, or Frequency).

• Randomly play tracks based on configurable profiles including Genre and Year criteria.

• View and edit ID3v1 and ID3v2 MP3 tags.

• Edit an ID3 tag field for multiple files at a time.

• Automatically rename track files and/or move track files to subfolders based on ID3 tag data.

• Selectively control which Audio Folders to scan for ID3 tag metadata.  (Allows for short scans of a "staging" Audio Folder for new tracks.)

• Scan for ID3 tag metadata in all files in the selected Audio Folders or just the new files since the last scan.

• Perform Move and Delete file operations on tracks within the application (eliminating the need for re-scans).

• Multiple functions to "clean" selected ID3 tag fields.

• "Clean Tracks" wizard to assist the identification and clean up of duplicate tracks and tracks with suspect ID3 tag data.

• Optional automatic delete of empty subfolders in configured Audio Folders.

Track Metadata

AudioFiler maintains all of a track's metadata inside the MP3 file itself using the ID3 standard format. This means that not only can files be moved or copied to any machine without losing data, metadata managed by AudioFiler can be read by any standard MP3 player. AudioFiler does store metadata in an external database, but this is only a temporary cache -- used in order to speed displaying and searching -- of data extracted from the ID3 tags.

Design Goals

AudioFiler was designed with the large audio library in mind.  The interface of most audio players that have a library function are apparently designed based on the assumption that their users only have a couple of hundred tracks.  If you have more, it's either difficult to navigate their interface, takes too long to import tag data, or just bogs down during normal operation.  AudioFiler, on the other hand, starts off with the assumption that the user will have several hundreds or even thousands of track in their library.  Features have been built into the interface to cater to these large libraries.  For example, the prominent support of multiple, configurable Audio Folders allows new files to be selectively placed into a "staging" folder to be scanned for their metadata.  Because AudioFiler can then allow the user to move these files into a other Audio Folders, the need to rescan all of the files therein has been eliminated.

Also, the user interface is meant to be clean, simple, and uncluttered.  The goal is not to wow the user with flashy eye candy, but to pack as much functionality into the application as possible to satisfy the type of person who loves music enough to have a large audio library.  So, if you only have a few CD's scanned or if you want to use skins to make your interface use silly shapes and colors, then perhaps AudioFiler is not for you.  But if you want a clean interface that emphasizes function over form, then give AudioFiler a try.

Note:  AudioFiler currently only supports MP3 files, so all references to "audio files" equates to MP3's.