GrooveFile Help

Start Your Collection

Choose Start Scanning, add a record manually, or preview a Discogs or CSV import. MusicBrainz lookup needs no key. Optional Discogs lookup/import requires your own personal access token in Settings. Compare format, year, country and catalogue number before choosing an edition: a barcode does not verify a physical pressing. Continuous Queue keeps pending scans locally across restarts.

Find, Edit and Organise

Use Table or Shelf, search and filters. Double-click a copy to edit; Space opens Quick View. Open in Collection selects that copy. Smart Collections retain filters and chosen table columns. Artist-name review preserves source identities. Select several copies to compare editions, tracks, condition, location and price. Box Planner arranges shelves and boxes; inventory checks do not delete missing copies. Printed box labels can open the corresponding location in the native mobile app.

iCloud

The app works independently with a local collection. To sync, sign in to iCloud in macOS Settings and use GrooveFile Settings > iCloud Sync > Connect iCloud. Export a complete backup first. Connected Apple devices use the same iCloud account; no Mac needs to stay running for another device to sync. The native iPhone/iPad app is currently in invited TestFlight testing and is not required to use this Mac app.

Settings shows the current stage, counts, elapsed time and scheduled retries. A notice after 30 seconds without progress is not necessarily a failure. Sync completion is distinct from local saving. Pause stops syncing; Disconnect does not erase cloud data. Review conflicting edits before choosing what to keep. Sync remains optional and Beta while broader recovery and multi-device testing continues.

Back Up and Restore

Settings > Data > Backup Collection > Archive Backup includes library data and images. Keep the archive independently; it is not password-protected. Restore Collection validates a selected backup and asks before replacing data. Browse iCloud Backups provides read-only checkpoint access separately from syncing. Sync replicates deletions and does not replace independent backups. Unsaved scans and provider credentials are not included in collection sync.

Listen, Lend and Sell

Listening contains Play Next, the listening log and Rediscover. CD detection can find owned copies. Playback uses Apple Music and macOS Automation permission; a sandbox file picker may request access to the mounted CD. Eject uses macOS volume handling. Inserting a CD does not automatically log listening.

List for Sale previews asking prices before saving. Mark as Sold appears in Sales, not unsold For Sale inventory. Advertisement export creates local files with explicitly selected photos; it does not publish listings or process payments. Loans keeps borrower and return details. Export Shown Records shares chosen fields as a Markdown table/list, CSV or PDF. Sharing exports are not complete backups. Currency conversion changes the display only; original amounts are retained.

Permissions and Support

Music metadata is provided by MusicBrainz, a project of the MetaBrainz Foundation (https://musicbrainz.org/). Artwork is provided by the Cover Art Archive (https://coverartarchive.org/); copyright remains with the respective rights holders.

Camera access is optional. Files are opened or saved through macOS file pickers. Spotlight is optional and can be disabled with its indexed entries removed. Purchases and app updates are managed by Apple.

For help, email [email protected] with the app version, macOS version and steps to reproduce the problem. Do not send provider tokens or private collection data. Nothing is attached automatically.