Cinch Audio Recorder Ultimate User Guide

In This Article:

Cinch Audio Recorder automatically records and identifies music playing on your Windows computer. It captures high-quality audio (24bit/48khz) from streaming services then automatically tags tracks with song information, artist names, and album art.

Program Installation

Once you’ve downloaded Cinch Audio Recorder Ultimate from our official website, simply double-click the CinchAudioRecorderUltimate .exe file to start the installation.

Then, just follow the on-screen instructions and click “Next” to complete the setup.

System Requirements

Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
Internet connection (for recognition and metadata)
Disk space for recordings

First Launch Setup

Recording Your First Track

Click the red “Recording button” in Record tab
Play music from any source (Spotify, YouTube, etc.)
Cinch automatically starts recording when music plays
Recording stops when silence detected or get inform from music player
Track appears in Library tab with metadata and cover art

💡 Pro Tip: Leave Cinch running in background – it only records when music plays!

Scheduled Recording

This feature allows you to set specific times for automatic audio capture, so you never miss a track.

Library Management

Features:

🔍 Search – Type to filter by title, artist, or album
🗂️ Sort – Click column headers (Date, Title, Artist, Duration)
▶️ Play – Double-click to play with built-in player
📝 Edit – Right-click → Edit Info to modify metadata
🗑️ Delete – Remove unwanted tracks
🔄 Re-Identify – Try recognition again

Track Status:

🔄 Pending – Recognition in progress
✅ Success – Fully identified with metadata
❌ Failed – Recognition failed (can re-try or edit manually)
🎵 Recording – Currently being recorded

Bulk Operations:

Select multiple tracks (Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click)
Right-click → Delete multiple at once

Quick Actions

🧹 Clean Short Audio

Quickly remove unwanted short recordings (ads, noise, test recordings). Click the Clean button (🧹 icon) in the top-right corner of the Library. Set minimum duration (e.g., 30 seconds), and Cinch will delete all recordings shorter than that threshold. Perfect for cleaning up after long recording sessions.

� Open Folder

Right-click any track → “Open Folder” to locate the file in Windows Explorer. Useful for copying files, checking disk usage, or manual file management.

🗑️ Remove vs Delete

Remove from List: Removes track from Cinch library but keeps the file on disk
Delete: Removes track from library AND deletes the file permanently

� Tip: Use “Remove from List” if you want to manage files externally but keep the recordings.

📥 Import / Rescan

Menu → Import / Rescan to add external audio files to your library. Cinch will scan the selected folder, import compatible audio files (MP3, M4A, FLAC, OGG, WAV), and attempt to recognize them. Also use this to rescan your recording folder after manual file operations.

📱 Make Ringtone

Right-click any track → “Make Ringtone” to create a short clip. Select start/end time, preview the selection, and export as a ringtone-compatible format. Ideal for creating custom ringtones from your favorite song recordings.

Built-in Player

The integrated audio player appears at the bottom of the interface when you play a track.

Playback Controls

▶️ Play/Pause: Click play button or double-click any track
⏮ Previous: Play previous track in list
⏭ Next: Play next track in list
🔊 Volume: Adjust playback volume with slider
⏱️ Progress Bar: Drag to skip to any position

Keyboard Shortcuts: Space = Play/Pause | Arrow keys = Seek

💡 Tip: Player shows current track title, artist, and cover art with real-time progress.

Batch Metadata Editing

The Batch Metadata Editing feature allows you to quickly update metadata (artist, album, cover art, year, genre) for multiple songs at once. This is especially useful when managing compilations, soundtracks, or collections where many tracks share the same album or artist information.

✨ Key Features

Copy & Paste Metadata: Copy metadata from one song and apply it to multiple others
Batch Edit Dialog: Edit multiple songs with custom values in one operation
Selective Field Update: Choose exactly which fields to update (Artist, Album, Cover Art, Year, Genre)
Smart File Renaming: Automatically renames files based on updated metadata
Cover Art Support: Handles local files, network URLs, and temporary file paths

🎯 Common Use Cases

Scenario	Solution
Album Compilation	All tracks share the same album name and cover art
Artist Collection	Multiple songs from the same artist
Soundtrack Cleanup	Apply consistent metadata to movie/game soundtracks
Year/Genre Tagging	Add missing year or genre information to a group of songs

Method 1: Copy & Paste Metadata

Best for: Copying complete metadata from one song to others

Steps:

Select the source song (the one with correct metadata)
- Right-click on the song in your library
Copy metadata
- Select “Copy Metadata” from the context menu
- You’ll see a confirmation message in the status bar
Select target songs
- Hold Ctrl and click to select multiple songs
- Or hold Shift to select a range of songs
Paste metadata
- Right-click on any selected song
- Select “Paste Metadata”
Choose fields to apply
- A dialog will appear showing the copied metadata
- Check the fields you want to update
- Uncheck the fields you want to keep unchanged
Apply changes
- Click “Apply”
- A progress dialog will show the update status
- Wait for completion

Method 2: Direct Batch Edit

Best for: Entering new custom values for multiple songs

Steps:

Select multiple songs
- Hold Ctrl and click to select specific songs
- Or hold Shift to select a range
- Or press Ctrl+A to select all
Open Batch Edit dialog
- Right-click on any selected song
- Select “Batch Edit”
Enter new values
- Check the checkbox next to each field you want to update
- Enter the new value in the text box
- Leave unchecked fields empty if you don’t want to change them
Add cover art (optional)
- Check the “Cover Art” checkbox
- Click the “…” button to browse for an image
- Supported formats: JPG, PNG, BMP, WEBP
Apply changes
- Click “Apply”
- Confirm any warnings about cover art location
- Wait for the batch update to complete

⚠️ Important Notes

Before Batch Editing:

Stop playback if you’re playing one of the selected songs
Backup important files if you’re unsure about the changes
Check file permissions – ensure files are not locked by other programs

During Batch Editing:

Don’t close Cinch while batch editing is in progress
Progress dialog will show real-time status
Partial failures won’t affect successful updates (each song is independent)

After Batch Editing:

Review results – check the success/failure summary
Check the log if any songs failed to update
Library refreshes automatically to show updated metadata

🎨 Field Order in Dialog

The Batch Edit dialog fields are arranged in order of importance:

Artist ✓ (checked by default)
Album ✓ (checked by default)
Cover Art (unchecked by default)
Year (unchecked by default)
Genre (unchecked by default)

Tip: Fields checked by default are the most commonly edited fields.

🖼️ Cover Art Handling

Supported Cover Art Sources:

Source Type	Description	Behavior
Local File	Image on your computer	Directly embedded in tags
Network URL	HTTP/HTTPS link	Downloaded automatically during update
Temporary File	File in temp folder	You’ll be prompted to copy to a safe location

Cover Art Recommendations:

✅ Recommended format: JPG or PNG
✅ Recommended size: 500×500 to 1000×1000 pixels
✅ Square images work best for album art
⚠️ Avoid very large files (>5MB) to keep tags small

📊 Performance Notes

Small batches (1-10 songs): Instant update
Medium batches (10-50 songs): ~2-5 seconds
Large batches (50-200 songs): ~10-30 seconds
Very large batches (200+ songs): May take 1-2 minutes

Note: Network cover art downloads will add extra time depending on image size and internet speed.

🔒 Data Safety

What Batch Editing Updates:

✅ Database metadata (shown in Cinch library)
✅ File ID3 tags (embedded in audio files)
✅ Cover art (embedded in supported formats)
✅ Filenames (if pattern includes metadata)

What Batch Editing Preserves:

✅ Audio data (original recording quality)
✅ File timestamps (except when renaming)
✅ Unselected metadata fields (only checked fields are updated)

Filename Pattern

Customize how Cinch names your recorded files using metadata placeholders. When you edit song information, files are automatically renamed to match.

Available Placeholders

%Artist% → Artist name (e.g., “BLACKPINK”)
%Album% → Album name (e.g., “Born Pink”)
%Title% → Song title (e.g., “Shut Down”)
%Year% → Release year (e.g., “2022”)
%Genre% → Music genre (e.g., “K-Pop”)

Pattern Examples

Pattern	Result
`%Artist% - %Title%`	`BLACKPINK - Shut Down.mp3`
`%Artist% - %Album% - %Title%`	`BLACKPINK - Born Pink - Shut Down.mp3`
`%Artist%\%Album%\%Title%`	`BLACKPINK\Born Pink\Shut Down.mp3` (with folders)

How to Change

Settings → File Naming
Enter your pattern (e.g., %Artist% - %Title%)
Click Save

New recordings and edited files will use the new pattern.

💡 Pattern Tips

✅ Most popular: %Artist% - %Title% (simple and clean)
✅ For large libraries: %Artist% - %Album% - %Title% (better organization)
✅ Auto folder creation: Use \ to create folders (e.g., %Artist%\%Title%)
⚠️ Special characters: Automatically replaced with _ (e.g., AC/DC → AC_DC)

Album Art Management

Features:

High-resolution (500×500+)
Embedded in audio file
Saved separately in Covers folder
Automatic retry if download fails

Manual Cover Change:

Right-click track → “Change Cover”
Select image from computer
Cover embedded and updated

Settings & Configuration

Access settings through the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-right corner.

Recording Settings

Audio Device

Select the audio source for loopback recording. Usually “Stereo Mix” or “What U Hear” (depends on your sound card). If not available, enable it in Windows Sound Settings → Recording devices.

Recording Quality

Bitrate: 128-320 kbps for MP3 | 256 kbps for AAC
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz (standard) or 48 kHz (high quality)
Bit Depth: 16-bit or 24-bit (24-bit recommended)
Format: MP3 (universal), AAC (smaller), FLAC (lossless)

Output Settings

Output Folder: Where recordings are saved (default: Music\Cinch Recordings)
Keep WAV: Save lossless WAV copy alongside compressed file
Filename Pattern: Customize using metadata placeholders (see Filename Pattern section)

Detection Behavior

Min Song Duration: Ignore recordings shorter than this (default: 60s)
Discard Short: Auto-delete recordings shorter than threshold (default: 5s)
Silence Threshold: Audio level considered silence (0.001-0.1, default: 0.01) – Traditional mode only
Silence Duration: How long silence before stopping (1-10s, default: 3s) – ⚠️ Ignored in SMTC mode
Enable SMTC: Use System Media Transport Controls for instant metadata
Auto-Identify: Automatically recognize songs using fingerprinting

⚠️ Note: When SMTC is enabled, silence detection settings are ignored. See SMTC Protection Mechanism for details.

Language

Menu → Language → Select English or others. Restart required for full translation.

Supported Audio Formats

Recording Output: MP3, AAC (M4A), FLAC
Import/Playback: MP3, M4A, FLAC, OGG, WAV

Detection Settings

SMTC Metadata (Recommended!)

What is SMTC? System Media Transport Controls – Windows feature allowing apps to share “Now Playing” info.

Benefits:

⚡ Instant identification (no waiting)
🎯 100% accurate (no misidentification)
📸 Original cover art from player

Supported Players:

Spotify (Web & Desktop)
YouTube Music (Web)
Apple Music (Web)
Tidal (Web)

Setup:

Settings → Check “Enable SMTC Metadata”
Use Edge or Chrome browser for best compatibility
That’s it!

⚠️ Important: SMTC Protection Mechanism

When SMTC mode is enabled, Cinch uses the music player’s track change signal (not silence detection) to separate songs. This means:

Silence Duration setting is ignored – Your configured “Silence Duration” (e.g., 3s, 5s) won’t affect recording in SMTC mode
15-second minimum protection – Each recording is guaranteed at least 15 seconds before auto-stopping, preventing accidental cuts on short intros or buffering
Track changes detected instantly – Cinch starts a new file when the player switches to the next song

Why? SMTC mode trusts the music player to know when tracks change, making silence detection unnecessary and preventing false splits during quiet song passages.

If you need precise silence-based cutting: Disable SMTC and use traditional mode, where your Silence Duration setting will work as expected.

💡 Pro Tip: Use Spotify web player with SMTC = unlimited free perfect metadata!

Detection Settings Table

Setting	Default	Range	Purpose
Min Song Duration	60s	10-300s	Only record tracks longer than this
Discard Short	5s	1-60s	Auto-delete recordings shorter than this
Silence Threshold	0.01	0.001-0.1	Audio level considered silence
Silence Duration	3s	1-10s	Silence length before stopping

Preset Modes:

Quality – Focus on full albums (90s min, very sensitive)
Traditional – Balanced for streaming (5s min)
Fast – Capture everything (10s min)

💡 Tips:

Set Min Song 90s to skip ads
Use Quality mode for classical music
Lower Silence Threshold (0.001) for very quiet music

Tips & Tricks

🎯 Best Practices by Source

Spotify (Web Player)

✅ Use Edge or Chrome browser
✅ Enable SMTC → Instant, perfect metadata
✅ Unlimited and free!

YouTube

✅ Enable SMTC for song detection
⚠️ May need recognition for full metadata
Set Min Song 30s to filter short audio

💾 Storage Management

Save Space:

Use MP3 192 kbps (50% smaller than 320)
Disable “Save Lossless WAV”
Clean up failed/duplicate tracks regularly
Set higher Min Song Duration

Disk Usage:

MP3 320 kbps: ~2.4 MB/min
MP3 192 kbps: ~1.4 MB/min
AAC 256 kbps: ~1.9 MB/min
WAV: ~10 MB/min

⚡ Performance Tips

For Large Libraries (1000+ tracks):

Use search instead of scrolling
Clean up duplicates regularly
Delete failed attempts

Reduce CPU Usage:

Wait for recognition to finish before starting more
Close unnecessary browser tabs
Lower bitrate if computer slow

Troubleshooting

Recording Issues

Problem: Recording stops too early

Increase Silence Duration
Lower Silence Threshold

Problem: Too many short files

Increase Min Song Duration (60-90s)
Enable ad detection

Problem: Songs not recognized

Check internet connection
Try Right-click → “Re-Identify”
Increase bitrate to 320 kbps

Problem: Wrong song identified

Try “Re-Identify”
Manually edit: Right-click → “Edit Info”
Ensure 320 kbps recording quality

SMTC Issues

Problem: SMTC not detecting

Use Edge or Chrome browser
Settings → Enable SMTC
Restart browser
Try web player instead of desktop app

Problem: Cover art wrong/missing from Web Players

A: Our software usually handles this automatically. However, if your browser has “Efficiency Mode” or “Sleeping Tabs” enabled, it might stop loading images in the background to save battery.

How to fix:

Edge: Go to Settings -> System and performance -> Turn off “Efficiency mode” or add Spotify to the “Never put these sites to sleep” list.
Chrome: Go to Settings -> Performance -> Turn off “Memory Saver”.
Alternatively, use the Spotify Desktop App for the most reliable experience.

License Activation

How to Activate

First-Time Activation

Launch Cinch Audio Recorder
If trial mode, you’ll see an Activation dialog automatically
Or click Menu → Purchase to open activation window
Enter your License Key (received via email after purchase)
Click “Activate” and wait for server verification
Success! Unlimited recordings unlocked

Check Activation Status

Menu → About shows your license status: Trial (X recordings left) or Activated (Unlimited).

Reactivation After Hardware Change

If you upgrade CPU, motherboard, or reinstall Windows:

Open Cinch (will show “Hardware changes detected”)
Re-enter your License Key
Click “Reactivate”

If reactivation fails, contact support@cinchsolution.com with your order email.

Trial Mode

Free trial: Limited number of recordings (varies by promotion)
Consumption: Each saved song = 1 trial recording
When expired: Recording stops after a few seconds; purchase license to continue

💡 Tip: Keep your license key email safe for future reactivations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

🎙️ Recording Questions

Q: Why is the beginning of my recording cut off (missing ~1 second)?

A: This typically happens with songs that have a soft intro (fade-in). Cinch has a built-in silence detection to avoid recording blank audio.

Solution:

If you’re using SMTC mode (System Media Transport Controls), this should be automatically fixed in version 1.1.0+
For manual recording mode, you may need to start recording slightly earlier
Adjust the silence threshold in Settings if it’s too sensitive

Q: Recording stops unexpectedly

Possible Causes:

Trial limit reached – Check if you’ve used all your trial recordings
Low disk space – Ensure you have at least 500MB free space
Audio driver issue – Try restarting the application
System sleep/hibernate – Disable power saving during recording

Solution:

Check the log file for error messages
Ensure your audio device is properly connected
Verify you have sufficient disk space

🖼️ Cover Art Questions

Q: Why didn’t my song get cover art?

There are several reasons why cover art might fail to download:

Reason 1: Computer was in sleep/standby mode ⭐ Most Common

Symptoms:

Song recorded successfully but has no cover art
Previous songs have covers, but one or two are missing
Usually happens after you wake up the computer

Solution:

Prevent sleep during recording:
- Windows Settings → Power & Sleep → “Never” during AC power
- Or use “Keep computer awake” apps
Manual fix after recording:
- Right-click the song → “Refresh Cover Art Only”
- System is fully awake, cover will download successfully

Reason 2: Network connectivity issues

Symptoms:

Multiple songs missing covers (not just one)
Happens consistently

Solution:

Check your internet connection
Disable VPN temporarily (some VPNs block API requests)
Check firewall settings
Try “Refresh Cover Art Only” when connection is stable

Reason 3: Music streaming service didn’t provide cover

Symptoms:

Specific songs always missing covers
Usually ads, trailers, or user-uploaded content

Why:

Some content doesn’t have official cover art in databases
Ads and promotional content rarely have covers
User-uploaded content may lack metadata

Solution:

Use “Batch Edit” to manually add cover art
Or right-click → “Edit Song Metadata” → Browse for image

Reason 4: API rate limiting or service downtime

Symptoms:

Many songs in a short time period missing covers
Usually temporary

Solution:

Wait a few minutes and try “Refresh Cover Art Only”
Cinch automatically handles this, but extreme cases may fail

Q: How can I manually add cover art?

Method 1: Single song

Right-click the song → “Edit Song Metadata”
Click the cover art area
Browse and select an image file
Click “Save”

Method 2: Multiple songs (batch edit)

Select multiple songs (Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click)
Right-click → “Batch Edit”
Check “Cover Art” checkbox
Click “…” button to browse for image
Click “Apply”

Recommended image specs:

Format: JPG or PNG
Size: 500×500 to 1000×1000 pixels
Square images work best

Q: Cover art is low quality or pixelated

Cause: The source (SMTC, MusicBrainz, iTunes) provided a low-resolution image.

Solution:

Try “Refresh Cover Art Only” – may find better quality
Manually add high-quality cover art:
- Search on Google Images (filter by size: >500×500)
- Download from official artist websites
- Use album art from music services
Use “Batch Edit” to apply to multiple songs

🎵 Metadata & Recognition Questions

Q: Song title shows as “Track 2780” instead of real name

Cause: Auto-identification failed (SMTC metadata not available, or fingerprint matching failed).

Solution:

Right-click → “Refresh Song Info” (auto-identify again)
If that fails, manually edit:
- Right-click → “Edit Song Metadata”
- Enter correct Title, Artist, Album
- Click “Save”

Q: Artist or album information is incorrect

Cause: Auto-identification matched the wrong song in the database.

Solution:

Right-click → “Edit Song Metadata”
Correct the information manually
Click “Save”
Files will be automatically renamed if your filename pattern includes metadata

Q: All songs from an album have different album names

Cause: Database inconsistencies (MusicBrainz may have multiple album versions).

Solution – Use Batch Edit:

Select all songs from the same album (Ctrl+Click)
Right-click → “Batch Edit”
Check “Album” checkbox
Enter the correct album name
Optionally add cover art
Click “Apply”

📁 File Management Questions

Q: Where are my recordings saved?

Default location:

C:\Users\[YourName]\Music\Cinch Recordings\

WAV files (lossless):

C:\Users\[YourName]\Music\Cinch Recordings\WAV\

Cover art cache:

C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\CinchAudioRecorderUltimate\Covers\

Change save location:

Settings → Recording → “Output Folder”

Q: Why did my file get renamed unexpectedly?

Cause: Your filename pattern includes metadata placeholders (%Artist%, %Album%, etc.), and you edited the metadata.

Example:

Original filename: BLACKPINK - JUMP - JUMP.mp3
You changed Artist to “BLACKPINK & Taeyang”
New filename: BLACKPINK & Taeyang - JUMP - JUMP.mp3

This is normal behavior to keep filenames synchronized with metadata.

If you don’t want auto-renaming:

Change your filename pattern to exclude metadata placeholders
Or use a static pattern like recording_%timestamp%

Q: Are WAV and MP3 files synchronized?

Yes! If you have “Keep WAV” enabled:

When MP3 is renamed, WAV is renamed too
When MP3 is deleted, WAV can optionally be deleted
Both files stay synchronized

⚡ Performance & System Questions

Q: Cinch is using too much CPU/memory

Possible Causes:

Too many songs in library (>1000) – Consider archiving old recordings
Large cover art files – Clean up unused covers in AppData
Background enrichment – Wait for auto-identification to complete

Solutions:

Close other applications during recording
Disable “Auto-identify” for ads/short audio
Clean up library regularly (delete unwanted recordings)

Q: Recording lag or choppy audio

Possible Causes:

CPU overload
Disk is full or slow (HDD vs SSD)
Audio driver issues

Solutions:

Close unnecessary applications
Ensure sufficient disk space (>1GB free)
Update audio drivers
Lower recording quality if needed (Settings → Quality)

Cause: WPF DataGrid virtualization issue when scrolling quickly.

Solution: This has been fixed in version 1.1.0+. Update to the latest version.

🔐 License & Activation Questions

Q: My trial recordings ran out

Trial limits:

Free trial: Limited number of recordings
Each saved song consumes 1 trial recording

Solution:

Purchase a license for unlimited recordings
Visit: https://www.cinchsolution.com

Q: Activation failed or license deactivated

Possible Causes:

Hardware change – CPU, motherboard, or Windows reinstall
Network issues – Cannot reach activation server
Invalid license key

Solutions:

Check internet connection
Re-enter license key (copy-paste to avoid typos)
Contact support if hardware changed legitimately
Check spam folder for activation email

Q: “Hardware changes detected” error

Cause: Major hardware change (CPU, motherboard, or Windows reinstall).

Why: License is tied to your hardware to prevent piracy.

Solution:

Reactivate with your license key (usually works)
If you legitimately upgraded hardware, contact support
Support email: support@cinchsolution.com

💡 General Pro Tips

Tip 1: Prevent cover art issues during long recording sessions

Disable computer sleep: Settings → Power → Never sleep
Or use a “keep awake” utility
Ensure stable internet connection

Tip 2: Organize by album before batch editing

Use filter/search to group songs
Select all songs from same album
Use “Batch Edit” to fix metadata at once

Tip 3: Backup your library

Periodically copy the entire “Cinch Recordings” folder
Include the database file if accessible
Backup cover art cache if you’ve customized many covers

Tip 4: Use SMTC mode for best accuracy

Enable SMTC in Settings (default: ON)
Works with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc.
Provides instant metadata without fingerprinting

Tip 5: Clean up regularly

Delete unwanted recordings (ads, duplicates)
“Batch Edit” to fix incomplete metadata
Keep library organized by artist/album

🛠️ Advanced Troubleshooting

General Debugging Steps

Check the log file:
- Located in application folder or AppData
- Look for ERROR or WARN messages
- Share with support if needed
Restart the application:
- Fixes many temporary issues
- Especially after system sleep/wake
Update to latest version:
- Many bugs are fixed in newer versions
- Check for updates in Help menu
Verify system requirements:
- Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- .NET 8.0 Runtime
- Stable internet connection
- At least 500MB free disk space
Contact support:
- Email: support@cinchsolution.com
- Include log file and screenshots
- Describe exact steps to reproduce issue

Version: This manual applies to Cinch Audio Recorder Ultimate v1.1.0+

Last Updated: December 2024

Support: support@cinchsolution.com | https://www.cinchsolution.com