Sample Librarian

If you need a good soundtrack for a video montage or certain sound effects, you may end up exploring countless folders and playing all your audio files one by one. With Sample Librarian, you can sort and manage your entire sounds collection. The software is capable of organizing your audio files in smart folders automatically, which makes it easier to find and sample them.

Sample Librarian is available for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 and a fully functional trial version is available. The software can be installed in no time, without making any complex settings. It does not ask for any additional tools and it will not overuse your processor or RAM.

The user interface resembles a standard explorer window, but instead of local folders, its navigation pane displays a series of smart folders. Once you import your audio files, the software will sort them automatically in the smart folders, based on their channels, bit rates and sample rates, tags and many other criteria. Instead of importing individual audio files, you can import entire folders, by adding them to a list, in the general settings menu, after which you must click a Scan button, on the main user interface.

Sample Librarian allows you to create your own smart folders. Audio files are added to smart folders based on certain rules. You can define a folder's rules on a small window, by selecting a series of conditions in different drop menus.

You can play your imported audio files on the same interface. When you select a file, its waveform will be displayed beneath the files list. Certain characteristics can be assigned manually. The software allows you to assign genres, ratings and you can also bookmark your files. Obviously, if you are looking for a specific sound, you can browse through smart folders, according to its genre, rating or other characteristics.