FAQ
This page collects the most-asked questions by topic. If you are stuck on a specific step, start with Common stuck points; to find a page by goal, use Quick navigation.
Install and editions
Section titled “Install and editions”Will Community or its future updates cost money?
Section titled “Will Community or its future updates cost money?”No. Community is completely free forever, with permanent updates. Downloading, installing, using and updating Community costs nothing. All Pro features and future Community updates are free, without subscriptions, paid upgrades or sponsorship requirements. Sponsorship is entirely voluntary.
How do Steam and Community differ?
Section titled “How do Steam and Community differ?”Steam installs from the store page, updates through Steam, and adds Cloud, friend status, achievements and Workshop. Steam Pro requires ECHO Pro DLC.
The website / GitHub installer is free Community. Current policy opens all Pro features without purchase, sponsorship or compiling. Implementations and updates can differ; see the full comparison for older builds and known Community DSP issues. Listen Together sharing depends on the client and independent server; Steam invitations are Steam integration.
Both can coexist with separate data folders. Libraries do not merge automatically. Do not overwrite Steam with Community. See Using Steam.
Can website Pro unlock the Steam edition?
Section titled “Can website Pro unlock the Steam edition?”No. Steam checks DLC ownership; free Community access does not grant DLC. Currently opened Community Pro features do not require Steam DLC either.
Where can I get Android? Is it a stable release?
Section titled “Where can I get Android? Is it a stable release?”We offer ECHO Android, currently a beta version. APK installers and update notes are available in GitHub Releases.
Features, interface and device compatibility are still being refined. Follow the repository and the release notes for your build. Report beta issues through Android Issues, including the app version, device model and reproduction steps.
What about Linux and macOS?
Section titled “What about Linux and macOS?”Windows is the main supported platform. Linux keeps a basic build and playback boundary, but users should build and validate it themselves from the documentation. Linux issues without clear reproduction, logs, and a low-risk fix path may not be prioritized.
Community 26.9.25 offers macOS Apple Silicon packages without Developer ID signing or notarization. Its Mac updater has not been validated through a real upgrade, so update manually. This does not establish official Steam macOS support. See the comparison.
How do I move my library and settings to a new computer?
Section titled “How do I move my library and settings to a new computer?”Think of it as three separate things:
| Thing | How to move it |
|---|---|
| Music files | They live in your own folders. Copy them to the new computer yourself, then import again |
| Settings | On the website build, use Export Settings in Settings -> General, then Import Settings on the new machine; auto data backup also works |
| Steam edition settings | Cloud syncs only a small portable settings set — no songs, playlists, or history. See Using the Steam edition |
The library index does not contain your songs. Re-importing folders brings the tracks back; playlists, history, and other app data need the steps in Backup and Migration.
Product boundaries
Section titled “Product boundaries”Does ECHO provide music downloads?
Section titled “Does ECHO provide music downloads?”No. It plays files you already have. It does not download tracks or bypass paid access.
NAS folders, lyric candidates, plugins, and URLs you paste should only be content you have the right to use. Full boundary: Download And Plugin Source Boundaries.
When will you support source X?
Section titled “When will you support source X?”Never, in the official product. ECHO does not integrate NetEase Cloud Music, QQ Music, Spotify, or similar platforms, and will not add individual sources by personal request.
If you need your own source, plugins exist — but the legality is your responsibility. Plugins are not official sources.
Will ECHO add Kugou or another streaming source?
Section titled “Will ECHO add Kugou or another streaming source?”No. Please stop treating “integrate music source X” as an official roadmap item.
If those platform names still appear in docs or settings, they usually mean lyric or cover candidates, or leftover UI. They are not playback sources.
Who is responsible for plugin source legality?
Section titled “Who is responsible for plugin source legality?”Plugin interfaces are technical extension points only. They do not mean ECHO officially provides, endorses, or verifies third-party sources.
Legal responsibility for third-party plugins, scripts, APIs, accounts, URLs, or content sources belongs to the plugin author, user, or service provider. The ECHO project and maintainers do not accept legal responsibility for those sources.
What is the difference between remote and online sources?
Section titled “What is the difference between remote and online sources?”A remote source is your own NAS or media server — for listening to your music at home.
An online source only fills covers or lyrics. It is not ECHO’s library and should not overwrite tags you already cleaned.
Does ECHO support AirPlay 2?
Section titled “Does ECHO support AirPlay 2?”Not currently. ECHO only sends audio the older AirPlay 1 way (often called RAOP in technical notes). Connecting to a device does not mean AirPlay 2 is supported.
AirPlay 2, multi-room synchronization, HomePod / Apple TV-specific behavior, screen mirroring, DRM, and platform access bypass are outside current support. See AirPlay Support Boundaries.
Playback and quality
Section titled “Playback and quality”What should I check first if there is no sound?
Section titled “What should I check first if there is no sound?”Work through “progress bar moves, no sound” in Common stuck points. The short version: system volume, ECHO volume, switch back to System output, turn off the equalizer, and play a different MP3.
Songs sound faster, slower, or pitch-shifted?
Section titled “Songs sound faster, slower, or pitch-shifted?”Switch back to System output or WASAPI Shared first, turn off speed change, upsampling, DSD, and HQPlayer, then play a plain MP3 to confirm recovery.
Most cases are a sample rate or DSP mismatch in the output chain — especially a Windows default format pushed too high. Full walkthrough: Why did my songs change speed.
Can Bluetooth use exclusive output?
Section titled “Can Bluetooth use exclusive output?”Not recommended, and not maintained. Bluetooth headphones and speakers should use System or WASAPI Shared, not WASAPI Exclusive, ASIO, DSD, or bit-perfect paths.
Bluetooth behavior depends on the Windows Bluetooth stack, drivers, device firmware, codecs, radio conditions, and battery state. Bluetooth dropouts, latency, crackling, volume issues, quality changes, device switching, and exclusive-mode failures are outside official ECHO maintenance.
Does ECHO support ASIO4ALL, FlexASIO, or Voicemeeter?
Section titled “Does ECHO support ASIO4ALL, FlexASIO, or Voicemeeter?”No. ECHO does not promise compatibility for third-party drivers, virtual audio devices, ASIO wrapper layers, system-wide audio enhancement drivers, or virtual routing tools, and will not add targeted support for them.
If you need ASIO, use the original driver from your sound card or DAC vendor. Whether third-party wrapper layers work depends on your system and is outside official ECHO support. See Third-Party Driver Boundaries.
Why is output no longer bit-perfect after EQ?
Section titled “Why is output no longer bit-perfect after EQ?”bit-perfect means the app barely changed the sound in the original file. EQ, loudness matching, speed changes, channel balance, resampling, and fades all change the signal, so that label no longer applies.
To check a raw file dump, turn those processors off and try wired headphones or a USB DAC.
Library and remote
Section titled “Library and remote”Which audio formats are supported?
Section titled “Which audio formats are supported?”All the common ones:
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Lossless | FLAC, WAV, ALAC, AIFF, APE, WavPack |
| Lossy | MP3, AAC, M4A, OGG, Opus, WMA |
| DSD | DSF, DFF |
Whether a file plays smoothly also depends on the file itself, its container, and the current audio chain. Unsure what the formats mean? See Audio Formats Explained.
Is lag during first library import normal?
Section titled “Is lag during first library import normal?”Yes, especially for large libraries. First import has to enumerate files, read tags, extract artwork, calculate duration and codec information, write indexes, and refresh album grouping. Higher CPU or disk usage and slower progress at some stages are expected.
Import a 3 to 10 track test folder first, confirm the basics, then import the full library. Avoid full remote syncs or other heavy background work during import.
How much memory usage is normal?
Section titled “How much memory usage is normal?”With many songs and many features, usage will not be tiny. On a library of more than ten thousand tracks, the author sees roughly 1 GB. If that number bothers you, this app may not be the right fit.
Is slow remote sync a bug?
Section titled “Is slow remote sync a bug?”Not always. Remote-source speed depends on the server, disk, network, certificate, proxy, transcoding, rate limits, and directory size. Initial indexing of a large NAS or media server can be slow.
Test a small folder and one track first, then expand the scope. If something fails, screenshot the connection state, folder page, sync progress, and error text.
Reporting and the website
Section titled “Reporting and the website”What should I send with a bug report?
Section titled “What should I send with a bug report?”Please include:
- Screenshots of the current page.
- ECHO version, operating system version, and install channel.
- Reproduction steps.
- Error text, logs, diagnostics, or copied report text.
- For audio issues: output mode, device name, file format, sample rate, and bit depth.
- For library issues: import path type, local/removable/NAS storage, scan stage, and error details.
Screenshots and reports reduce back-and-forth dramatically. For how to ask a question well, see How To Solve Problems and the Question and Troubleshooting Guide.
Does the website affect playback?
Section titled “Does the website affect playback?”No. The website is static. The desktop updater reads the release feed and installer artifacts; it does not parse documentation pages to decide playback behavior.
Does publishing require frontend code changes?
Section titled “Does publishing require frontend code changes?”Usually no. Add release Markdown, upload artifacts, and generate the update feed. Frontend changes are only needed when the download page, docs structure, or visual design changes.