FAQ
Before you start
What is SFX Stacks?
SFX Stacks is a lightweight local AI layer for working with your own audio libraries. It helps you browse folders, find sounds by meaning or metadata, find similar sounds, preview waveforms, export clips, and review metadata without moving your library into a cloud workspace.
Who is SFX Stacks for?
SFX Stacks is built for sound designers, game audio professionals, film and TV sound editors, audio engineers, freelancers, and other users who work with large local sound libraries.
Is SFX Stacks an online sound effects library?
No. SFX Stacks does not sell or stream sound effects. It works with the audio files and folders you already have on your own machine.
Why use SFX Stacks instead of just folders and filenames?
Folders and filenames work until the library gets large enough that finding the right sound becomes slow or inconsistent. SFX Stacks gives you more ways into the same library: plain-language search, metadata search, folder browsing, similarity search, waveform preview, and export.
Do I need to rename, tag, or reorganize my files first?
No. SFX Stacks is designed to work with your existing folders. You can improve metadata later if you want, but you do not need to clean up the whole library before using the app.
Can SFX Stacks replace heavier sound library tools?
For some users, yes. If you mainly need local folder scanning, AI-assisted search, metadata search, similarity search, preview, and clip export, SFX Stacks may cover the lighter workflow well.
If you rely on advanced studio database workflows, network libraries, spotting workflows, or deeper integrations in other tools, SFX Stacks can sit alongside them as a focused local layer.
Local AI and privacy
Does SFX Stacks upload anything related to my audio files?
No. SFX Stacks does not upload your sounds, filenames, folder paths, metadata, embeddings, local search index, or library data for search or shared AI training.
Is the AI in SFX Stacks local or cloud-based?
The AI model used for the core library workflow runs locally on your machine. SFX Stacks is designed around local audio libraries, local indexing, and local search.
Does SFX Stacks use my files or searches to train AI models?
No. Your library is not training data. SFX Stacks does not use your files, searches, filenames, folder paths, metadata, embeddings, or local search index to train shared AI models.
Does SFX Stacks work offline?
After the app and models are installed, the core library workflow can run without an internet connection. Internet access may still be needed for the initial model/runtime downloads, updates, license refreshes, support links, and optional error reports.
Where are scan results and indexes stored?
They are stored locally on your machine.
What happens on first launch?
On first launch, SFX Stacks downloads the required runtime packages and AI model. This is a one-time setup and can be a few gigabytes in total.
Does SFX Stacks generate sounds or audio?
No. SFX Stacks does not generate audio. It helps you work with sounds from your existing local library.
Search and workflow
How do I find sounds in SFX Stacks?
You can use several paths through the same local library:
- Search by meaning or plain language
- Search by metadata and file details
- Browse your folder sources
- Use one sound to find similar sounds
- Preview waveforms and export usable clips
Why is search by meaning useful?
It helps when you know the kind of sound you want, but not the exact filename, folder, or tag. Instead of guessing how a library was named, you can describe the sound and search the local index by meaning.
When should I use metadata search?
Use metadata search when you already know something specific: a tag, category, UCS term, library field, filename fragment, or other file detail. It is useful for narrowing a broad result set.
What is similarity search good for?
Similarity search is useful when you find a sound that is close but not quite right. Use that sound as a reference and explore nearby options, variations, replacements, or unexpected matches from your own library.
Can I preview sounds inside the app?
Yes. You can preview sounds directly in SFX Stacks without leaving the app.
Can I export only part of a sound?
Yes. You can export the full file or only the selected section. You can adjust the exported section before export.
Does SFX Stacks modify my original files?
Search, browsing, indexing, preview, and export do not modify your original source files. Metadata is a separate workflow: metadata changes are written only when you explicitly choose to write or save them.
What if the search results are not very good?
Results usually improve as more files are scanned. It also helps to try different wording, use metadata when you know specific terms, or use similarity search when you find a result that is close.
Metadata
What is Metadata?
Metadata is a review workflow for editing and writing sound metadata. It includes local AI-assisted suggestions for track titles, descriptions, UCS, and keywords, plus manual editing, bulk field replacement, and search and replace across drafts.
Is Metadata automatic?
No. It is review-first. SFX Stacks can create suggestions and local drafts, but you decide what gets edited and written. Manual edits and bulk replacements also stay as drafts until you choose to write metadata.
Can Metadata be used without Pro?
During beta, Metadata is included with Pro. The intended licensing model after beta is that Metadata can be purchased as its own module and used with the Free app. Pro and Metadata are separate entitlements. See the Metadata page for the workflow details.
Formats and compatibility
What audio formats does SFX Stacks support?
SFX Stacks currently supports the following audio formats:
.wav.flac.aif.aiff.ogg
Licensing
Is SFX Stacks free?
Yes. SFX Stacks is free to download and use without an account or credit card.
What is limited in Free?
Free shows up to 10 search results. Projects, unlimited similarity follow-ups, and reference-file similarity search require Pro. Folder browsing is included in Free.
Is SFX Stacks a subscription?
No. SFX Stacks Pro is sold as a one-time desktop app license. See the Pricing page for current pricing and license details.
Is there a Pro trial?
Yes. You can start a 14-day Pro trial from inside the app when you want to test Pro features.
Do I need an account?
No. You can use Free and start the Pro trial without creating an account.
How many devices can I use with Pro?
A Pro license includes 2 activations for your own devices.
Help
Where can I get help if something is not working?
If you run into a problem, see:
If you still need help, contact support through the Support page.