Why this rule
Media players and backup tools look in Music by default. Files left in Downloads don't appear in your library, and they're the first thing lost when Downloads gets cleared.
Set it up in TidyFile
It takes about a minute:
- 1Add a new rule and choose the folder to watch: Downloads.
- 2Add the condition: type is mp3, flac, wav, m4a, aac, ogg.
- 3Set the action: move to Music\Downloaded. Click Browse to pick the folder (your own Documents, Pictures and so on), then type the rest of the path after it. A folder typed without a drive letter is created inside Downloads instead.
- 4Save it. New files are handled as they arrive, and TidyFile previews what it would do to the files already there before moving any of them.
Variations
- Producers: send wav files whose name contains sample or loop to a Samples folder with a rule above this one.
- Voice notes: catch m4a files with “name contains voice” and send them to Documents instead.
More ready-made rules are in the rule library.
The TidyFile rule
Move music files into your Music folder
- When a file
- in Downloads · type is mp3, flac, wav, m4a, aac, ogg
- Then
- move to Music\Downloaded
Tip: folders like Documents or Pictures mean your own folders. In TidyFile, click Browse to pick the folder, then add the rest, such as \{year}. A folder typed without a drive letter is created inside the watched folder instead.
Set it up once and TidyFile applies it in the background, to new files the moment they arrive. Preview what it'll do to the files already there, and undo anything from the activity log.
Questions
Will my music app pick the files up?+
Apps that watch your Music folder, such as Windows Media Player, add them automatically. Others need Music added as a library folder once.
Can it sort music by artist or album?+
Not currently. TidyFile matches by file type, name, size and age rather than reading music tags.