In a mixed archive, each artist becomes a visual collection of albums and sets. Open one to see the releases inside.
The AudioCanon application · approaching V1.0
Your collection,
alive with context.
A native macOS app for collectors who want to see how their music fits together—and listen while they work.
01Designed for collectors
A music library shows files. AudioCanon reveals the collection.
Albums rarely arrive neatly. There are box sets, alternate masters, stray notes, scans, and several versions of the same recording. AudioCanon brings those pieces into one clear view without asking you to reorganize the folders behind them.
The same app can make sense of an archive devoted to one artist or a library containing hundreds. It reads the structure already there and adjusts the view to suit.
02Archive View
See the whole archive. Then step inside it.
Artwork leads the way in Archive View. Start with the complete collection, open an artist or set, and keep drilling down. The table views are always nearby when you need more detail.
In a single-artist archive, the emphasis shifts to album families, pressings, mixes, and collector editions.
03 · Reference Mode
A direct path to the music.
Compatible Mode works everywhere and stays the default. If you choose a supported wired output, Reference Mode can take exclusive control, match the source format, and play at unity gain. Its indicator lights only after the route has been checked.
- You choose the device; Reference Mode never turns itself on
- No DSP or sample-rate conversion while the verified route is active
- Clear status for every track and every fallback
- If the selected hardware disappears, playback stops instead of changing outputs
04 · Artwork intelligence
Find the cover that belongs there.
Enter the album and artist, then review the results before anything changes. AudioCanon uses the track list, timings, year, and other details it already knows to bring the best match forward.
- One search, with fast catalogue results and archival sources behind it
- Results from the wrong artist are filtered out
- Specific editions come first when the details support them
- Apply a cover once and it appears throughout the app
05 · Understand
Duplicates proven, not guessed.
Two albums can look identical and still contain different audio. AudioCanon compares the files themselves. Exact copies are shown separately from releases that merely overlap, and you can see why one copy is suggested as the keeper.
- Full album comparison using SHA-256 checksums
- Possible matches stay separate until you review them
- Artwork, notes, and collection context help choose the keeper
- Decisions can be changed later
06 · Release Window
Every release looks and feels like music.
Open an album and everything connected to it is in one place: the cover, track list, files, notes, identity, and player. Nothing gets buried in a separate inspector.
- Finds embedded covers and artwork stored beside the album
- Shows release and track details where they are useful
- Keeps files, documents, and playback together
- Stores artwork choices without changing the audio files
Built for the way collectors actually work.
The useful details stay close at hand. When AudioCanon is unsure, it says so and leaves the decision with you.
Release identity
AudioCanon pieces together a release from its tags, folder structure, timings, notes, CUE sheets, and artwork. Online references can fill in the gaps.
LOCAL EVIDENCEMUSICBRAINZCOVER ART ARCHIVE
Curator intelligence
When you correct something, AudioCanon remembers the pattern privately. Over time, those corrections can help it make better suggestions without taking the decision away from you.
Living archives
Add an album, replace a file, or rename a folder and the archive catches up. A complete rescan should be the exception, not the routine.
Views that adapt
Move between artwork, artists, releases, versions, folders, review, and duplicates. The app remembers the density and columns you prefer.
Reversible metadata
Edit titles, artists, years, and track or disc numbers in a before-and-after workbench. Every proposed change shows where it came from and can be undone.
Personal Collection
Bring favourite albums and tracks together across archives, or build a Song Tray and mixtapes. Each item still points back to its original source.
13The AudioCanon standard
Care before change.
Most of AudioCanon never touches the source files. Browsing, playback, artwork choices, and archive curation stay inside the app. The few tools that can change a file or move a folder show the plan first, check the source again, record what happened, and keep an Undo route.
01Preview
See exactly what AudioCanon intends to do.
02Verify
Check the files and paths again before the change begins.
03Confirm
Approve that specific operation while the verification is still current.
04Journal
Record the plan and the information needed for recovery.
05Undo
Keep a clear way back after a supported change.
A lifetime of listening,
brought into focus.
AudioCanon is already a working, packaged macOS application. The major pieces are in place; the work now is to make every part dependable enough for V1.0.
Read the development status →