Workspaces & Projects

Learn how to organize your music using SongDrive's workspace and project system.

Understanding the Hierarchy

SongDrive organizes content in a three-level hierarchy:

Workspace (e.g., "My Band")
└── Project (e.g., "New Album")
    ├── Audio File 1 (e.g., "Track01.wav")
    ├── Audio File 2 (e.g., "Track02.mp3")
    └── Project File (e.g., "Session.logic")

Workspaces

Workspaces are the top-level containers for organizing related projects.

When to Create a Workspace

• Different bands or musical groups
• Client work vs. personal projects
• Different genres or types of music
• Separate record labels or publishing deals

Creating a Workspace

1. From the workspace selection page, click "+ Create New Workspace"
2. Enter a descriptive name
3. Choose the workspace type:
   • Shared: For collaboration with others
   • Personal: For your individual work
   • Local: For offline work (desktop app only)
4. Click "Submit"

Managing Workspaces

• Rename: Click the workspace name and select "Edit"
• Switch: Use the workspace selector in the navigation
• Delete: Access workspace settings for deletion options

Projects

Projects group related files for a specific creative work like a song, album, or composition.

Project Organization Strategies

By Song

Workspace: "My Band"
├── Project: "Song Title 1"
├── Project: "Song Title 2"
└── Project: "Song Title 3"

By Album

Workspace: "My Band"
├── Project: "Album Name"
│   ├── Track 1 files
│   ├── Track 2 files
│   └── Master files
└── Project: "Singles Collection"

By Session Date

Workspace: "Studio Sessions"
├── Project: "2024-01-15 Recording"
├── Project: "2024-01-22 Overdubs"
└── Project: "2024-02-05 Mixing"

Creating Projects

From Workspace View

1. Navigate to your workspace
2. Click "+ Create New Project" (usually in the projects list)
3. Enter a project name
4. Optionally set a parent project for sub-projects
5. Click "Submit"

During File Upload

1. Click "Upload New File"
2. Select "Create new project"
3. Enter the project name
4. Continue with file upload

Project Features

Project Information

• Name: Descriptive title for the project
• Star: Mark important projects for quick access
• Revisions: Track changes with automatic versioning
• Creation Date: When the project was created
• File Count: Number of files in the project

Sub-Projects

Create hierarchical project organization:

1. Open a project
2. Click the "+" menu in the project header
3. Select "Add Sub-project"
4. Enter the sub-project name
5. Click "Submit"

Example sub-project structure:

Project: "New Album"
├── Sub-project: "Demos"
├── Sub-project: "Final Recordings"
└── Sub-project: "Mastered Tracks"

Project Attributes

Add custom metadata to projects:

• Genre: Musical genre or style
• BPM: Tempo of the music
• Key: Musical key signature
• Producer: Producer name
• Studio: Recording location
• Notes: General project notes

Special File Designations

• Launcher File: Primary file for the project (opens with associated DAW)
• Bounce File: Final mixdown or master file (shows waveform in project view)

To set these:

1. Open the project
2. Find the file in the file list
3. Click the "..." menu next to the file
4. Select "Make Launcher File" or "Make Bounce File"

Navigation

Breadcrumb Navigation

Use the breadcrumb trail at the top to navigate:

Workspace Name > Project Name > Sub-project Name

Click any part to navigate to that level.

Sidebar Navigation (Desktop App)

• Workspaces: Quick access to all workspaces
• Starred Projects: Favorited projects across workspaces
• Recent Activity: Recently accessed projects and files

Project Collaboration

Sharing Projects

1. Open the project
2. Click the "Share" button or "..." menu
3. Choose sharing method:
   • Invite by email: Send invitations to collaborators
   • Share link: Generate a shareable URL
   • QR code: Create QR code for mobile sharing

Collaboration Features

• Comments: Add timestamped feedback on audio files
• Real-time updates: See changes as collaborators make them
• Activity feed: Track who did what and when
• Version history: View project revisions and changes

Organization Best Practices

Naming Conventions

• Be descriptive: "Chorus Guitar Take 3" vs. "Audio_01.wav"
• Use dates: "2024-01-15_Vocals_Final.wav"
• Include version numbers: "Master_v2.wav"
• Be consistent: Establish patterns and stick to them

Project Structure

• Keep projects focused: One song or related collection per project
• Use sub-projects: Organize different phases (demo → recording → mixing)
• Regular cleanup: Archive or delete obsolete files
• Logical grouping: Group by instrument, session, or purpose

File Organization

• Upload related files together: Keep stems, references, and notes together
• Use launcher files: Designate primary DAW files for easy access
• Set bounce files: Mark final mixes for quick preview
• Add metadata: Use attributes to add searchable information

Advanced Project Management

Project Templates

While not built-in, you can create informal templates:

1. Create a "Template" project with standard structure
2. Duplicate the project structure for new work
3. Use consistent naming and organization patterns

Archiving Projects

• Star important projects: Keep active work easily accessible
• Move completed projects: Create "Archive" workspace for finished work
• Export project data: Download files before archiving for backup

Project Analytics

Track project progress:

• Revision count: See how much work has been done
• File count: Monitor project complexity
• Last activity: Check when project was last updated
• Collaborator activity: See who's contributing

Troubleshooting

Project Not Found

• Check if you're in the correct workspace
• Use search functionality to locate projects
• Verify sharing permissions for collaborative projects

Can't Create Projects

• Ensure you have permission in the workspace
• Check if you've reached any project limits
• Verify workspace type supports the feature

File Organization Issues

• Review project structure and reorganize if needed
• Use search to find misplaced files
• Consider creating sub-projects for better organization

Need more help? See the FAQ.