3.6. Library Maintenance

Rescan analyzes the selected local tracks again. Use it after replacing an audio file, after a prior analysis error, or when a future detector revision specifically requires new analysis.

When a local file has moved and its old path no longer exists, add the byte-identical file from its new location. Harmonic DJ compares a SHA-256 hash of the complete file with missing Library records. One unambiguous match keeps the track’s stable identity, earlier analysis while reanalysis runs, group, personal rating, and directed Gems. The open Mix replaces the old path and auto-saves; other saved Mixes keep working through the old-path alias and replace it when you open them. This works when the move happened while Harmonic DJ was closed because the missing Library record remains available as the matching anchor.

Matching is deliberately conservative. If the old file still exists, the second path is treated as a separate copy. If several missing records have identical content, Harmonic DJ does not guess which one moved. Editing tags, transcoding, or otherwise changing any file bytes creates a different hash and therefore does not auto-link.

Pending discovery records file metadata without reading track contents. When a worker starts a track, it reads the complete file to establish its content identity, immediately analyzes the audio, then reads the complete file again to record the final identity. Each worker therefore performs hash, analysis, and final hash in per-track sequence instead of hashing a whole import before analysis. Ordinary browsing, opening saved Mixes, and application startup do not rescan file contents.

Remove from Library removes the selected local records without deleting audio. Personal ratings and saved directed Gems keep their old path context, so they reconnect if that same path is added again later. Removing the record also removes the content-matching anchor; add a moved file first if you want automatic relinking.

Remove Missing Files searches the local Library for paths that no longer exist and asks before removing those records. Re-add moved files from their new location before using this cleanup so Harmonic DJ can recognize them. Shared collection tracks are not treated as missing because they intentionally have no local path.

Export Library Metadata writes a local JSON backup containing file paths, analysis state, and personal ratings. Import Library Metadata restores that path-based metadata on a compatible system. Use Shared Collections instead when sending analysis to another person.