Version 3.0 — New Catalog System

This release introduces a major change to how BirdWave stores and manages your recording data.

What's changed

Previously, each recording's metadata was stored in a separate sidecar text file alongside the WAV. BirdWave now uses a single catalog database per project folder, which keeps all your recording details in one place and loads data on demand rather than all at once.

What this means if you're upgrading from a previous version

  • The first time you open an existing project, BirdWave will automatically upgrade it: metadata is read from the old sidecar files and written into a new catalog, and the sidecar files are then removed.
  • This is a one-time process per project folder, and may take a little time on larger collections. We recommend backing up your project folder before opening it with this version, since the old sidecar files won't be restored afterward.
  • Once upgraded, you'll notice improved performance, especially with large collections, since BirdWave no longer needs to load everything into memory at once.
  • Each project folder will now contain a catalog database file. Please don't rename, move, or delete this file independently of your WAV files.

 

Smart folder syncing

BirdWave keeps a close eye on what's actually in your project folder versus what's recorded in the catalog. Each time you open a project, it checks for changes on disk and handles routine housekeeping automatically — for example, if a file was renamed outside the app, the catalog is updated to match without any action needed from you.

New Files window

If BirdWave finds WAV files in your folder that aren't yet in the catalog, a New Files window will appear. This separates files into two groups: those with no recording data yet (never been processed by BirdWave), and those that already carry an embedded recording ID but haven't been added to this catalog. Each group can be imported with its own button — review what's there and import when ready, or close the window to deal with it later.

Missing Files

If a file that's in the catalog can no longer be found on disk (moved, deleted, or renamed in a way BirdWave can't reconcile), it's flagged as missing rather than silently dropped. The Catalog window now shows an IsMissing indicator, along with a "Remove Missing" button to clean these entries from the catalog — including any related cascading data — once you've confirmed the files are genuinely gone for good.

Copy Selected Files to Another Catalog

You can copy recordings directly to another project folder from within BirdWave. In the Catalog window, tick the checkbox next to any files you want to copy, then choose "Copy Selected...". Pick a destination — either an existing project folder, or an empty folder to create a brand new catalog there. The files (and their full metadata) are copied across, so nothing is lost in the process. Files already present in the destination (by recording ID) are skipped automatically.

Tip: "Select All" combined with "Copy Selected..." to a new empty folder is a quick way to create a full backup copy of a project, complete with its own catalog.

Delete Selected Files

The Catalog window also lets you delete multiple files at once: tick the checkboxes for the files you no longer need and choose "Delete Selected". This removes both the file from disk and its entry from the catalog. Missing entries can be selected too — these will simply be cleared from the catalog, since there's no file on disk to delete.

Merging catalogs

If you've been working with copies of a project across different folders or devices, BirdWave can merge another catalog into your current one. Before merging, it checks the other folder for any housekeeping it needs first — if anything there needs your attention, the merge is paused so you can resolve it in that folder. Files already present (by recording ID) are skipped automatically, so merging is safe to run more than once.

File Export

Since your working files now live on disk as part of the catalog rather than in memory, there's no separate "save" step — your edits are already there. If you want to take individual files out of BirdWave for other purposes (sharing, analysis in other software, etc.), use the Export function. Exported files come with a small text file containing their metadata, and exist independently of the catalog from that point on. Export is only available to folders that don't already contain a catalog, keeping exported files clearly separate from your managed project folders.

A few notes on file management

  • Adding new recordings: To add new WAV files to a project, just copy them into the project folder. BirdWave will detect them next time the folder is opened, and offer to import them via the New Files window.
  • Copying files between projects: Use the "Copy Selected..." option in the Catalog window to copy recordings (with their metadata) to another project folder. Avoid copying WAV files between project folders directly using your file manager — BirdWave won't recognise these as catalogued recordings until the next scan, and metadata won't carry across the way it does with Copy Selected.
  • Advanced: Merging catalogs. For users managing copies of a project across multiple folders or devices, an advanced Merge option is available (under the Tools menu) to bring in everything new from another catalog in one step, rather than copying files individually. Files already present are skipped automatically, making it safe to run more than once. Most users won't need this — Copy Selected covers everyday file-sharing between projects.
  • If files become detached from the catalog — BirdWave's scan will reconcile renames, moves, and missing files automatically the next time the project is opened.

 

An Example Workflow in Version 3.0

  • Create a new project folder using the Windows File Manager
  • Copy the *.WAV files to be imported/analysed/edited to this folder.
  • Startup the BirdWave App. Click on "File -> Select Wav Files Folder" in the main menu and select the newly created folder. 
    • During import, these files will have some minor pre-processing applied, then renamed to a standard filename used within this app.
    • The files will be scanned automatically, and appear in the directory tree in the App.
    • If the species was not determined from the filename during import, then the files will be listed under "Import" in the directory tree.
  • Click "File -> Update Location Information" to add location information for the files just loaded.
  • Click on the file name in the directory tree to view the waveform and spectrogram.
  • Right-click on the same item, select "Change Species" to assign it to the correct species.
  • Right click again and select the "Crop" processing option, and crop the waveform as desired.
  • Click the "Play" button to listen to the bird song.

Note that if the WAV files to be imported have a sidecar TXT file (from either from the BirdNET mobile app or from earlier versionn of BirdWave), then the information from the TXT will be read into the catalog, then the TXT file will be deleted from this project folder.