Importing and Exporting

Import media and Praxis archives, export focused collections, and plan reliable backups.

Praxis import/export is designed for two jobs: getting your practice catalog into Praxis quickly, and backing up or sharing your Praxis library safely over time. The app supports media-only imports, metadata/config imports, and Praxis package exports.

The key idea: what gets exported is driven by your current Library context (selection + filter). If you export from All Songs, you can create full-library backups. If you export from a folder or playlist, you can share focused subsets for bandmates, rehearsals, tours, or lessons.

Which Workflow Should You Use?

Use media import when you are just adding songs to your library.
Use .prax export/import when you want to back up, migrate, or share Praxis content.

Import Media Files

Use File > Import Media Files... and choose files/folders. Praxis copies imported media into its internal store so your library keeps working even if original file paths change, external drives are unplugged, or source folders are reorganized.

Praxis compares normalized paths, identifying metadata, file size and duration, and audio fingerprints against both the existing library and other files in the same import. Known duplicates are skipped. In Settings, Fast duplication detection avoids the slowest full-file comparison; leave it off for the strictest duplicate check when files are similar but not obviously identical.

Praxis Export Packages (.prax)

.prax is the native Praxis package format. Use it for backups, migration to another machine, and sharing songs/folders/playlists with another Praxis user.

Export

Use File > Export Prax Archive... in the Library. Export scope follows your current selection and filter:

All Songs selected: exports the complete library structure and all songs in scope.
Filtered All Songs: exports only visible songs; folder/playlist structure is omitted.
Playlist selected: exports that playlist and its in-scope songs.
Folder selected: exports that folder tree and playlists with in-scope songs.

Praxis confirms the export scope before saving and defaults to Include media files. In Praxis, media means:

audio files
cover art
waveforms

If Include media files is turned on, Praxis creates a portable package that can be played on another device immediately after import.

If Include media files is turned off, Praxis creates a reference package that contains library structure, metadata, and tab state only.

Exported songs include lyrics tab metadata, and tab bodies are stored as Markdown files inside the package. Export files are named Praxis Export yyyy-mm-dd (with an optional (x) suffix) and use the .prax extension.

PDF score tabs are exported too. Their preserved original PDF, timestamp metadata, and valid light/dark remastered variants travel with the package so the score stays usable after import. If an imported remaster is outdated or does not match its original, Praxis safely ignores that derivative and keeps the original.

PDF MIDI plans and text-tab MIDI content are included with their tabs, including Load, Play, Stop, and timed automation.

Import

Use File > Import Prax Archive... to import a .prax package, or select audio files/folders for media-only import:

.prax: Praxis package import (songs, folder/playlist structure, tabs). Import one package at a time.
Audio files/folders: media-only import.

When importing a .prax package, Praxis first inspects the package summary, then offers:

Full Import for the whole package
Choose Items… for partial import

The package preview tells you whether you are importing:

a portable package with audio, covers, and waveforms
or a reference package with metadata and tab state only

Partial import shows a unified tree of folders, playlists, and songs. Selecting a folder brings everything under it. Selecting a playlist brings its songs. You can then fine-tune individual songs before importing.

When you select songs in partial import:

tabs come with those songs automatically
media, covers, and waveforms also come automatically if the package includes media

Import logic is duplicate-safe: Praxis avoids re-creating identical folders/playlists, skips known song duplicates, preserves per-song speed, pitch, and gain settings, and only adds lyrics tabs that differ from existing tab content. If package files are missing or incomplete, Praxis imports what it can and reports what was missing at the end of the import.

On Praxis Free, archive import admits new songs only until the 12-song library limit is reached. Existing matching songs can still be updated or matched. See Praxis Free and Unlimited.

Export Lyrics As PDF

In the Player, a text lyrics tab can be exported as a normal PDF with File > Export Lyrics as PDF… or Command+E. This is separate from a .prax archive: the PDF is intended for reading or sharing, while .prax preserves editable Praxis library data.

Backup Strategy Recommendation

For most users, the safest and simplest backup routine is:

Keep your working library in Praxis.
After major imports or cleanup passes, create a fresh .prax export from All Songs.
Store those exports somewhere outside the app’s normal working folders.

If you want one standardized Praxis-native backup workflow, this is it.

Song Library for queue behavior after import
PDF Scores for how PDF score tabs work after import
Supported File Types for media format support
Praxis Free and Unlimited for library capacity and restoring purchases