You're one of the first people to try this. Here's everything you need to set up, import your projects, and start using it.
What is Playback Pilot?
Playback Pilot is a desktop app that sits alongside your DAW and helps you see what you have, decide what to work on, and track what you've done.
It's not another VST, not a sample manager, and not a DAW. It's a finishing tool — built for producers who have too many half-done projects and not enough finished tracks.
Point it at your project folders and it builds a searchable library across 15 DAWs. Preview audio and compare versions without opening your DAW. Rate your tracks, log check-ins, and start closing the gap between ideas and finished music.
Getting Started
Download and install
Download the installer from the link in your email. On Mac, open the DMG and drag Playback Pilot to Applications. On Windows, run the installer.
Open and set up
Launch Playback Pilot and go through the short setup. It takes about 30 seconds.
Import your projects
Point it at a folder with your music projects. Playback Pilot supports 15 DAWs including Logic, Ableton, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, and more. It scans for project files and shows you what's there.
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Preview and explore
Use the built-in audio player to preview bounces and stems without opening your DAW. Compare versions A-B, queue up tracks, and add reference mixes. Rate some tracks, check in on a project, and see if it helps you decide what to work on next.
Share your feedback
Once you've spent some time with it, share your honest reaction using our quick feedback survey. What worked? What was confusing? What's missing? Every detail helps.
Recent Updates
We're shipping fast — 8 versions in 4 weeks. Here are some highlights:
Audio player — preview any bounce or stem with waveform seeking, right inside Playback Pilot. No DAW required.
A-B compare — switch between two versions of a track instantly to hear the differences
Queue playback — build a queue and listen through your album in sequence with skip controls and drag-to-reorder
Reference tracks — add reference mixes with title, URL, and notes to compare your work against
Pin your best version — DAW backups are grouped automatically; pin the version you want to keep front and center
Custom workflow stages — define your own stages with names, emoji, and colors
Multi-directory albums — albums can span multiple folders on your machine
Windows support — now available on Mac and Windows
In-app updates — get notified when a new version is available, with release notes built in
Smarter suggestions — the dashboard knows about your custom stages and recent activity
This is an early alpha. Things will break, and that's expected. You're one of the first people outside of me to use this.
There's no wrong way to use it. Import some projects, look around, preview some audio, and see if anything clicks. If you're confused about something, that's useful feedback too.
Your data stays on your machine. Playback Pilot is local-first. Your project files and data never leave your computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Playback Pilot trying to help me do?
Most producers have way more ideas than finished tracks. Playback Pilot is built to close that gap — helping you see everything you're working on, preview and compare tracks without opening your DAW, pick what to focus on next, and actually get songs across the finish line.
Which DAWs are supported?
Playback Pilot supports 15 DAWs: Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, Bitwig, Reason, GarageBand, Maschine, and more. If you use a DAW that isn't recognized, let me know and I'll look into adding support.
Does it modify my project files?
No. Playback Pilot only reads your project files to identify them. It never modifies, moves, or deletes anything. All the data it creates (ratings, check-ins, notes) is stored separately in its own database on your machine.
Can I listen to my tracks without opening my DAW?
Yes — that's one of the core features. The built-in audio player lets you preview any bounce, stem, or audio file with waveform seeking. You can also A-B compare two versions, build a playback queue, and add reference tracks.
Is this a mixing or mastering tool?
No — Playback Pilot is a companion for reviewing and finishing your music. It helps you see all your projects in one place, preview audio, know where each project stands, and decide what to work on next. Think of it as the layer that sits alongside your DAW, not inside it.
What if something crashes or breaks?
Just reply to my email and let me know what happened. A screenshot helps but isn't required. Crashes during alpha are expected and every bug report helps me make it better.
Mac or Windows?
Both! Playback Pilot runs on macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows 10+.
How do I give feedback?
The easiest way is the feedback survey — it takes about a minute. You can also reply to the email I sent you. I read everything personally. If something is confusing, broken, or surprisingly good — I want to hear about it.
Will my data carry over to the full release?
That's the plan. Your ratings, check-ins, and project data should carry forward into future versions. If anything changes, I'll let you know ahead of time.
How much will it cost?
Playback Pilot is free during the alpha. Pricing hasn't been decided yet — alpha testers will get the best deal when the time comes.
Who built this?
I'm Mark Koester — I produce music as Stellar Mammals (six albums of lofi/ambient stuff, mostly from a bedroom studio). I built Playback Pilot because I needed it myself. After years of tracking production time in spreadsheets and losing projects across scattered folders, I realized the real problem isn't making music — it's finishing it.
