The Song Library is the operational center of Praxis. This is where you import songs, organize folders and playlists, assign tags, edit metadata, and decide exactly what the Player will queue.
The Library is split into two work zones:
- Left panel: All Songs, folders, playlists, and tag collections.
- Right panel: the active song grid for whatever is selected on the left.
Queue Rule (Most Important Concept)
In Praxis, the queue is always based on what is visible in the right panel.
- All Songs: queue = full library (or filtered subset).
- Playlist selected: queue = that playlist (or filtered subset).
- Folder selected: queue = combined songs from playlists in that folder tree.
- Tag selected: queue = songs that contain that tag.
This keeps the transition from organizing to playback predictable: what you see is what you play.
Selecting and Editing Songs
- Click: select one row.
- Shift-click: select a range.
- Command-click (macOS): add/remove specific rows from selection.
- Quick edit: use metadata editing on selected songs to keep the library clean and searchable.
Folders, Playlists, and Tags
Praxis separates structure from content so you can organize heavily without duplicating files.
- Folders: hierarchy for organization (band, season, project, venue, service, etc.).
- Playlists: actionable song lists for rehearsal and performance.
- Tags: cross-cutting labels for workflows like “Needs Tabs,” “Review,” or “Drop D.”
A song can appear in many playlists and carry many tags while still referencing a single underlying media file.
Drag-and-Drop Behavior
- Drag playlists within a folder: reorder playlists.
- Drag playlist onto folder: move playlist into that folder.
- Drag folders: reorder or nest folder structures.
- Drag songs onto a playlist: add songs to that playlist while preserving library membership.
If a playlist does not exist yet, create it first, then drag songs into it.
Column Sorting
Use column headers in the right panel to control order. Click once to sort ascending, click again to reverse direction. Sorting applies to the current view (All Songs, playlist, folder, or tag result).
Filtering
The filter box narrows the current view in real time. Filtered results are not just visual: they become the queue when you move to the Player.
- Filter only affects the currently selected source.
- Clearing the filter restores the full result set for that source.
- Use filtering for quick rehearsal pivots and on-the-fly set trimming.
Importing Songs into the Library
Import audio files by dragging files/folders into the Library, or by using File > Import.... Praxis copies imported audio into its managed media store so playlists continue working even if original file locations change later.
See Supported File Types for the current audio formats.
Best Practices
- Use folders for long-lived structure, playlists for working sets, and tags for flexible overlays.
- Keep core metadata (Title, Artist, Album, BPM, Key) consistent early.
- Use Notes and Tags aggressively for rehearsal context and performance reminders.
- Think in views: build the right view in the Library, then play it directly.