Find compatible tracks around a reference

Audience: Users who have one track and want candidates nearby. Goal: Use seed and feature search with clear fallback steps. Type: workflow

Here, "compatible" means worth auditioning next to the reference under the search question you choose. It does not mean guaranteed harmonic, rhythmic, or stylistic compatibility.

The useful result is a manageable list of alternatives and adjacent ideas. Export the list as a crate, or reuse useful tracks as new seeds. Put the strongest candidates into a SET preview when you need an order.

Steps

1. Search the library for the reference track.
2. Add it as a seed.
3. Run MERT search for embedding-near candidates.
4. Run SONARA search when you want more control over rhythm, timbre, dynamics, harmonic color, or tempo.
5. Lower similarity thresholds if results are too narrow.
6. Preview candidates before adding them to the current set.
7. Add good candidates to the set or save them into a crate/export.

When one seed is too narrow

Add a second or third seed that represents the intended direction. Do not add unrelated seeds just to get more results. That makes the target less clear.

Tempo note

SONARA tempo weighting uses compatibility logic that can handle half/double relationships. SET BPM trajectory is separate: use it only when you want the actual order to move toward a BPM target.

Tempo-aware search and SET start with current SONARA evidence. Below 0.45 confidence, they inspect ranked SONARA candidates and the Mutagen BPM tag. Grid stability can weaken the evidence, and low reliability moves the score toward neutral rather than creating a bonus or automatic rejection.

Output

Keep a small result in the current set while you compare by ear. For a reusable review list, export CSV. For a player or DJ app, export M3U and verify that the paths work on the target machine.