Features

This page describes the current product surfaces and what each one is responsible for.

Desktop Hub

The desktop app is the source of truth for the product.

Library and ingest

add one or more local music folders
scan and index tracks, artists, albums, and artwork
keep the library database up to date as folders change
Inbox for new arrivals: everything from the first scan starts there (with a one-time prompt to clear it), then only new files; mark heard, mark to listen, add to playlist, clear — with undo
drag tracks out of Tape onto the desktop, Finder, or a DJ app as real files

Library management

browse tracks, albums, artists, playlists, saved items, and folders
advanced Library filters (artist, album, label, genre, tags, year, format, BPM, rating, folder, duration, listening history)
personal five-star ratings and duplicate grouping (keep one copy, move extras to Trash, playlist links preserved)
edit metadata with suggestions from local data, MusicBrainz and Discogs; write tags back to FLAC, WAV, AIFF and MP3 (asks before changing the file)
optional background analysis: BPM, key and waveform, with pause/resume in Settings → Database
upload playlist cover images
keep a shared playback session/history for desktop and mobile
menu-bar / tray shows the current track with basic controls

Playlist workflows

import Rekordbox XML
import M3U / M3U8 / XSPF playlists
import Traktor NML
import Apple Music / iTunes XML
import Serato local crates and smart crates
review inferred folder roots before exposing new trees in Folders
detect missing playlist files and relocate them explicitly
import playlists from the desktop playlist view or folder workflows
reorder playlist tracks directly in the desktop playlist screen

Collaborative playlists

Collaborative playlists is a module (Add-ons; included in V1 PRO and Lifetime, or sold on its own, see Licenses). It covers shared playlists and sharing a single track with another Tape Hub. With the module off, Make collaborative, the Collaborative list and Share with another Tape Hub are hidden.

You can turn a normal desktop playlist into a collaborative playlist and invite another Tape Music Hub.

The current flow is:

create or open a normal playlist
choose Make collaborative
copy the invite link
send it to another Tape Music Hub owner
the other hub accepts the invite from desktop or mobile

After a hub joins, both hubs can sync playlist changes. Track playback still follows the personal-hub model: your phone talks to your own hub, and your hub talks to the source hub when it needs a shared track.

Admins can invite, revoke, and promote members. Members can read and edit playlist content when their hub has the right permissions.

Share one track with another Tape Hub

Open Share on a track and choose Share with another Tape Hub. Tape creates a link over your Personal Private Network. The other owner opens it, adds the track to their hub, and plays it from yours; they can also import it into their library. The link works for one hub and expires in 7 days, and your hub must be on while they play it. If the person has no Tape yet, the link opens a page explaining that Tape Music Hub is needed to open it.

Track notes and DJ metadata

Desktop now supports more context around tracks:

add notes to a track from the track detail view
add notes to a track inside a playlist without affecting the same track elsewhere
show imported DJ metadata such as BPM, key, cue/loop counts, and waveform availability when that data exists
keep background analysis/import activity visible while the hub is working

Playback

direct streaming where the format/path allows it
HLS when a more compatible or remote-safe path is needed
shared playback session and queue across surfaces

Pairing, remote, and sharing

Connections page (sidebar › System, plus a top-bar QR icon that turns into a link icon while a device is connected): New connection, connected devices, paired devices and history
QR pairing and mobile deep links (QR embeds hub identity)
HTTPS pairing share links for chat apps
Personal Private Network for listening away from home
optional Cloudflare / public remote link
public share pages for tracks, albums, artists, and playlists

Public share pages (standalone)

Share links open a standalone web UI (not the full desktop shell in the browser):

Paths: /share/playlist/:id, /share/album/:id, /share/artist/:id, /share/track/:id
Header: “Tape Music Hub” on the left; on the right, a hub pill shows the hub display name from the share bootstrap API.
Hub pill: clicking it opens a short explainer whose copy and CTAs match the static splash the hub serves at its public root URL when Public web access is set to Shared pages only (standalone_only): it tells visitors to ask whoever runs that hub for a share link, then Want to host your own library? → Get Tape → tapemusicsuite.com (opens in a new tab), plus a line for docs/downloads/setup on the same site.
The pill is shown only in the header on these pages (not repeated in the page body).

See also Pairing & Remote for how the public base URL behaves vs /share/....

Licensing

remote access is gated by a desktop license
LAN / Wi-Fi usage remains available without remote entitlement
desktop verifies signed entitlements before keeping remote unlocked

Diagnostics and support

The desktop hub includes an integrated diagnostics suite for troubleshooting and crash reporting:

Standard log files: macOS ~/Library/Logs/Tape/ (main.log, desktop.log)
Config and DB: ~/.music-hub/config.json and ~/.music-hub/music.db
Opt-in upload: Settings toggle to send diagnostics automatically
Crash reports: Prompt-based upload that works even when the opt-in toggle is off
No music data is uploaded: Diagnostics payloads contain logs, system info, and hub state — never your music files or database

Library indexing status

The sidebar shows a live indexing banner while the hub scans new folders or enriches tags in the background. It distinguishes between:

Scanning library — active folder scan
Enriching tags in background — pending metadata enrichment jobs
Offline folders — disconnected folder roots

Docker Server

Run Tape Music Hub on any Linux server, NAS, or seedbox. The Docker image includes everything you need — no desktop computer required.

one command to start: curl -O https://tapemusicsuite.com/docker-compose.yml && docker compose up -d
add music folders from the web interface
same library, playback, and phone pairing as the desktop app
remote access available with a paid license

Mobile Companion

The mobile app is the paired client for the hub.

iPhone: App Store listing (opens in a new tab)
Android: Google Play closed testing (opens in a new tab) after the beta signup form (opens in a new tab)

Pre-release iOS builds may also ship through TestFlight (opens in a new tab). See the landing support (opens in a new tab) and beta (opens in a new tab) pages for the current install path.

Browse and play

home sections, including Inbox (swipe to clear; one View options sheet for tracks/releases, list/grid and the two details shown on each row)
tracks
albums
artists
playlists
files/folders view
now playing and queue

Connect

scan QR from desktop
open a pairing share link sent through chat/email
manual connect when needed
keep auth refreshed per saved hub
Send diagnostics from Settings › Advanced as a redacted file (email or share sheet), with an optional note

Route switching

prefer local Wi-Fi when available
fall back to Personal Private Network (Iroh) or public remote when available
surface license required for remote as a product message instead of a generic network failure

Landing and Buyer Flow

The landing site is part of the product because it currently owns the paid remote access flow and recovery.

V1, V1 PRO and Lifetime licenses, upgrades, and single-module purchases
post-purchase handoff
recovery portal for re-downloads
license issuance and onboarding email

What Is Public Today

Desktop hub app for macOS, Windows, and Linux (support downloads (opens in a new tab))
Docker server (NAS, seedbox, Linux)
iOS companion app (App Store (opens in a new tab))
Android companion app in Google Play closed testing (opens in a new tab)
Wi-Fi playback
remote playback with a valid desktop entitlement
public share pages

Licenses and modules (0.5.0)

V1 at $29.50: the suite (desktop hub or Docker, mobile apps, remote listening, playlists, casting) with V1 patch and minor updates.
V1 PRO at $69: V1 plus the PRO package — duplicates, audio analysis, enrichment, Catalog & Wishlist, collaborative playlists, DJ import and tag writer. V1 owners upgrade for $39.50.
Lifetime at $99: every module, all future modules and all future updates and major versions.
Modules one by one, or the PRO package ($39.50) for an existing V1, from Add-ons → Marketplace in the app or tapemusicsuite.com/modules (opens in a new tab). Pay with the email of your license: the modules unlock on the hub's next license check.
Licenses bought before 0.5.0 keep every feature they already had. Compare: tapemusicsuite.com/license (opens in a new tab).

What Is Not Public Yet

open public Android distribution
full multi-hub / shared-hub product surface

Relay (repository)

The music-hub-relay (opens in a new tab) repository holds code for a managed relay (hosted tunnel path) as a future alternative to the current Personal Private Network (Iroh) / optional Cloudflare path on the hub.

It is not part of the current paid launch surface area; pricing and copy still assume sovereign remote until managed relay ships.
The relay is a future hosted service and is not part of the current install or purchase flow.

Choose your setup Phone pairing & remote