gr∞ves needs permission to control Apple Music and access your media files. This allows it to read what’s currently playing, gather artwork and metadata, and display detailed album information. gr∞ves also needs permission to provide notifications for album changes. If something required isn’t set, gr∞ves will show a warning (in red) to let you know what needs attention.

A media location is the folder where your local music files are stored—the same one configured under the Files tab of Apple Music settings. gr∞ves uses this to access local files for artwork, PDFs, info files, and detailed metadata. For most people, this defaults to ~/Music/Music/Media, where ~ means your user home folder.

If you only use Apple Music streaming, you can skip this. If you have a local library (especially on an external drive), setting the media location ensures gr∞ves can fully access your collection.

Yes. gr∞ves works with both local libraries and Apple Music streaming. Streaming tracks provide less embedded metadata, but gr∞ves supplements this with information from online sources, including artwork, credits, and album details where available.

By default, gr∞ves sits at the desktop level, so it stays out of the way while you work. Use the “Show Desktop” trackpad gesture, the function key, or click on the desktop to reveal it instantly, without interrupting your workflow.

The "spread with thumb and three fingers" trackpad gesture must be enabled in System Settings > Trackpad > More Gestures.  "Click wallpaper to show desktop" should be set to "Always" in Desktop & Dock settings. The function key defaults to F10, but can be set using the "Shortcuts…" button at the bottom of Desktop & Dock settings.

gr∞ves lives at the same level as your desktop, not as a normal window. That means it’s always available but never in the way—you can bring it into view when you want, and hide it just as easily. It’s designed to feel like part of your desktop, not another app competing for space.

Yes. While gr∞ves is designed to live at the desktop level, you can also use it like a standard window when you want it front and center. You can toggle the window level from the menu or use a hotkey (⌃⌥⌘K by default) to switch modes.  In "normal window" mode, gr∞ves behaves like any other app window.

The cover face of gr∞ves is minimal, showing only the cover artwork and basic track info. The flip side shows all the details and a slideshow of available additional artwork. Simply hover over the cover artwork to flip to the back automatically. Just move the cursor away to flip back to the front.

Use a horizontal scroll gesture in the lower status area of the flip side—such as a two-finger swipe on a trackpad—to adjust volume. You'll see the volume percentage change as you do. This lets you make quick adjustments without switching apps.

Click the album title to pause or resume the slideshow. When additional artwork is available, the album title appears dim. It brightens while the slideshow is playing and returns to dim when paused.

Move your cursor to the lower status area to hide the information and view the artwork unobstructed. Move it back toward the top to show the information again.

Clicking the artist name opens the artist bio from last.fm. It’s a quick way to further explore an artist's background and stats.

To copy track information, right-click (or control-click) the info shown in the lower-left corner of gr∞ves. This opens a context menu where you can copy the details, open the release on Discogs, or show the track in Finder. Similar actions are also available from your song or album history in the menu bar.

This setting controls how gr∞ves tracks your listening history. Albums mode groups tracks together in the history menu, making it easier to revisit full albums. Songs mode records each track individually, which is better if you mostly listen to singles rather than albums.

When a local PDF booklet is available, a small dot indicator appears on the cover next to the album name, and a "PDF" badge is shown on the flip side. Click that badge to open the booklet.

gr∞ves combines information from local files, Apple Music, last.fm, Discogs, and other online sources. This includes artwork, release details, credits, specs, and narrative content such as album notes, artist bios, and extended comments. gr∞ves blends these sources to present a richer view of what you’re listening to than any single source provides or what's shown in Apple Music.

gr∞ves looks for higher-quality artwork from multiple local and online sources, upgrading what’s available when possible. This can include higher-resolution versions of the current album cover or discovering additional images for use in the slideshow.

gr∞ves uses the best metadata available for each track. Well-tagged local files typically provide the most complete information. Streaming tracks generally include less detail, so the amount of available information can vary.

A Discogs personal access token allows gr∞ves to access detailed release information, including credits, labels, companies, and release notes. Prior to supplying a token, these features are unavailable and the related options in Settings are disabled.

Adding a token is fast and easy. Create a free Discogs account, then generate a personal access token. Copy and paste it into gr∞ves. Then those features will become available to turn on under the Display settings.

No. gr∞ves works without a last.fm API key—artist bios and related information are available by default.

Providing your own API key is optional. When you do, requests will be associated with your own key, which some users may prefer for reasons of privacy or consistency.

To use your own, create an API Account. Enter your own application name rather than grooves. Then copy and paste the key into gr∞ves.

Providing an API key does not give gr∞ves access to your last.fm account, and it does not enable scrobbling or track submission. It is used only to retrieve public information. Such account-based last.fm features may be supported separately in the future.