Audio file librarian for music producers on macOS. Catalog, preview, tag, and convert your entire sample collection.
On first launch, SampleStash prompts you to add a folder. You can also use File → Add Folder to Library… (⌘O) at any time.
SampleStash scans recursively — it finds every audio and instrument file in all subfolders. Supported formats:
| Audio Files | Instrument Files |
|---|---|
| WAV, AIFF, MP3, FLAC, M4A, AAC, CAF | SF2, DLS, EXS24, SFZ, DecentSampler |
Switch between Grid view (waveform thumbnails) and List view (sortable columns) using the ⊞/☰ toggle in the toolbar.
Use the format jump bar on the right edge to filter by format. Click a format to show only those files; click again to clear the filter.
The sidebar organizes your library by:
Press Space to play/stop the selected file. SampleStash plays audio files directly and can preview soundbank instrument files.
The search field (⌘F) searches by filename, path, tags, and format. Press Escape to clear the search and stop playback.
Right-click any file(s) → Tag Selection… to add comma-separated tags. Tags appear in the sidebar under TAGS for quick filtering.
Right-click → Toggle Favorite to mark files. Favorites appear in the SMART → Favorites sidebar section.
Right-click → Color Label to assign a color. Files show a color bar on the left edge of their grid tile.
Use File → New Smart Playlist… (⇧⌘N) to create a playlist that automatically includes files matching a rule (e.g., bpm >= 120 AND category == 'loop').
Select one or more files, then use File → Export Selection As… (⇧⌘E) to convert between formats:
Right-click an instrument file → Export As… to convert between SF2, DLS, SFZ, EXS24, and DecentSampler formats.
Right-click a soundbank → Extract Samples… to pull all embedded audio samples out as individual WAV files.
Double-click any SF2, DLS, EXS24, or SFZ file to open the built-in soundbank editor. Edit instruments, zones, sample mappings, envelopes, and filters — then save in any format.
SampleStash automatically detects BPM for rhythmic content during scanning. To re-detect or batch-detect:
Drag files from SampleStash directly into your DAW (Logic, Ableton, GarageBand, etc.). Files are dragged as standard file references.
Use File → Clear Library… to remove all cataloged files and start fresh. Your audio files on disk are never touched.
For a complete "fresh install" reset, quit SampleStash and run:
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/SampleStash
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/SampleStash
defaults delete com.sonicamigos.samplestash
rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.sonicamigos.samplestash
killall cfprefsd