Opening files¶

Loading files puts their current metadata into the file list. Start with a copied album, then decide whether the next location should replace the list or add to it. Loading is not a tag save, an audio conversion or a backup of the originals.

Open one practice folder¶

Choose File → Change directory… (Cmd+D / Ctrl+D on desktop). From an empty window, Open folder… offers the same starting task.
Select the copied folder. Resolve any pending edits before accepting a replacement/discard prompt.
Wait for scanning to finish. Check the loaded count and any file errors.
Select one row and compare its filename with Title and Album in the tag panel. They need not match: names and stored fields are independent.

Change directory… replaces the list and sets the working directory. The working directory supplies context for commands and placeholders; it is not necessarily every loaded file's parent after other folders are added. Options → Directories → Read subfolders controls folder recursion and is on by default. Changing the setting does not rebuild the existing list; open the folder again to apply it.

Replace or add deliberately¶

Command or gesture	List behavior	Working directory
Change directory…	Replace	The chosen folder
Add directory…	Append	Keep the existing working directory
Add files…	Append	Keep the existing working directory
Plain file/folder drop onto the file list	Replace	Does not establish a new working directory by itself
Cmd-drag on macOS / Ctrl-drag on Windows or Linux	Append	Keep the existing working directory

Add directory… uses Ctrl+H (Control on every platform, including macOS). An append is useful for editing two albums together, but check the selection before assigning shared values. Already loaded files are not intended to become duplicate rows merely because the same file is added again; this does not establish a guarantee about every filesystem alias.

Drop onto the file list, away from the cover area: dropping an image on artwork controls is a different task. Hold the add modifier during the drop. If the result's scope is uncertain, stop and inspect the loaded/selected counts before running a write operation.

Replacing the list can discard pending edits. Confirmation is controlled by Options → Messages and is not an automatic save. A scan can also report individual unreadable files; do not assume that a completed load means every requested file was accepted or that an empty result preserves the old list.

Control which files a folder scan finds¶

Under Options → Files → Restrict incoming files to, enter extensions such as *.mp3;*.flac. The restriction applies to files discovered inside folders. An explicitly added file can still be read even when its extension is outside that restriction. An empty restriction allows the supported audio extensions. Filename patterns such as album*.mp3 are not extension entries.

For a concrete practice folder, suppose these supported, readable files exist:

Practice/01 - Paper Boats.mp3
Practice/bonus.wav
Practice/Disc 2/01 - Intro.mp3

The expected results are:

Input	Read subfolders	Restriction	Loaded paths relative to Practice
Folder	Yes	`mp3`	`01 - Paper Boats.mp3`; `Disc 2/01 - Intro.mp3`
Folder	No	`mp3`	`01 - Paper Boats.mp3`
Folder	Yes	(empty)	`01 - Paper Boats.mp3`; `bonus.wav`; `Disc 2/01 - Intro.mp3`
Explicit file `bonus.wav`	No	`mp3`	`bonus.wav`

Folder restrictions do not remove files already in the list. If an album is missing, check the folder chosen, recursion, extension restriction, any active filter, and the file errors. A recognized extension does not make a damaged file readable. Review supported formats for the difference between reading a container and writing its metadata.

Return to a directory¶

File → Favorite directories… manages a saved ordered list. Add the current folder or browse to another, use Make first for the default favorite, then Save. Removing a favorite removes the shortcut, not the folder or music. Favorite directory (Ctrl+M, Control on every platform) opens the first favorite and replaces the list. The File menu also offers individual favorites and recent directories when present.

Previous directory and Next directory use the working-directory history; they are not track navigation and are not the same as the recent list. Upper directory opens its parent when one exists. These operations can replace the list, so resolve pending edits first. Alt is Option on macOS; Alt+Left / Alt+Right navigate directory history when not editing text.

Under Options → Directories → Startup, choose an empty list, the previous directory, or the first favorite. An unavailable previous/favorite entry is not a saved snapshot of your old selection. A queued launch request takes priority over startup restoration. Keep Empty file list while learning if automatic opening makes it hard to see which folder was requested.

Open from outside the window¶

The desktop executable accepts file/folder launch requests, including requests to an already running instance; the command-line reference explains append versus replacement flags. macOS file-open requests are handled when the system delivers them. This does not mean the v0.2.12 installer registers OpenTag for every audio extension or adds an Explorer context menu. Use Add files… if the file manager's Open With route is unavailable.

File → Load playlist/cue sheet… loads supported local playlist entries or CUE track rows and replaces the list after the pending-edit decision. A playlist is a list of references, not embedded audio. Missing files and remote URLs can produce errors. CUE/chapter rows have different write and command limits; read Playlists and Chapters before treating them as ordinary files.

Understand platform access¶

Desktop folder loading describes local filesystem paths. In a document-provider build, Add files… selects documents and folder commands can be unavailable. The menu can say Folder access is not available here. Use Add files. Access, writability and recovery are separate from whether a row is visible. A mobile preview or browser preview is not evidence of desktop save-back capability. Read the source/access message before editing important material.