Setup guide

The app has a Setup page that walks through this in order. This is the same thing with the reasons.

Your computer won't recognise the app. It isn't signed yet.

Windows

1. Open SoulSearch.exe.
2. On the blue warning, click More info, then Run anyway.

Mac

1. Unzip it and drag SoulSearch to Applications.
2. Right-click it, Open, then Open again.
3. Still blocked: System Settings, Privacy & Security, Open Anyway.

Rekordbox folder

Pick the folder where downloads go. Each source gets its own folder next to it, which becomes its own playlist in Rekordbox.

slskd and ffmpeg

Two buttons on the Setup page, Install next to each. slskd is the Soulseek client SoulSearch drives. ffmpeg is for the SoundCloud fallback. Both come from their official sources.

Soulseek login

Nothing to sign up for. The first time it starts it makes a private login of its own and keeps the password in your computer's secure store. Only fill the boxes in if you already have an account you'd rather use.

Spotify

This one takes a few minutes. Spotify makes you register an app to read your own likes.

1. Go to developer.spotify.com/dashboard and create an app. Any name and description.
2. In its settings add the Redirect URI http://127.0.0.1:8888/callback. Exactly that. localhost won't work.
3. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret into the Setup page.

SoundCloud

No account or key. Paste your public profile link.

YouTube

No account or key. On the Sync page, add playlists that are public or unlisted. Add as many as you like.

Apple Music and Shazam

On the Sync page, paste a shared Apple Music playlist link, or import a file.

• Apple Music: in the Music app on a Mac (or iTunes on Windows), click a playlist, then File, Library, Export Playlist. Export Library does everything.
• Shazam: in Shazam on your iPhone, go to My Music, connect Apple Music and turn on Sync your songs. They show up in Apple Music as My Shazam Tracks. Export that playlist the same way.

SoulSearch shows what's in the file before it downloads anything.

SoulSearch writes a file called rekordbox_export.xml. The Sync page shows where it is.

1. In Rekordbox: Preferences, Advanced, Database, rekordbox xml. Point it at that file. One time only.
2. After downloads, press Reload on the rekordbox xml list, or restart Rekordbox. It only re-reads the file when it opens.
3. Right-click a playlist under rekordbox xml, then Import Playlist.

Type a DJ, or one particular set, and SoulSearch finds the tracklists and fetches them. It needs a Claude to do the research. Pick one on the Setup page:

• Claude Code on this computer. Uses the Claude login you already have. Install Claude Code, run claude in a terminal once, sign in with /login, then press Test sign-in in SoulSearch.
• Your own API key. Billed per use to your Anthropic account.
• No Claude at all. The Crate Digging page has a box that gives you a research brief. Paste it into any AI, then paste the answer back.

The Research budget box on that page keeps usage down. Budget is the default.