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Importing and Exporting

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 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 PDF files and timestamp metadata travel with the package so the score stays usable after import.

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, 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.

Future Mobile Workflow

The .prax package format is also intended to be the bridge to future iPhone and iPad versions of Praxis.

The plan is:

  • export a full library or subset package on macOS
  • store it in Files, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, or another provider
  • import that .prax package directly on iOS/iPadOS

That keeps cross-device transfer explicit, portable, and provider-agnostic.

Backup Strategy Recommendation

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

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

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

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