gatefold.fm
Guides · 72 how-tos

How Gatefold works, one job at a time.

Gatefold is a second screen for your shelf. You connect or add your records, and it helps you find them, play them, learn what's on them and share them. Each guide below does one job, with the taps in order.

01

Getting your records in

Nothing here needs Discogs, and you can use more than one. Scan it, type it, photograph it, play it to the phone, or bring in a whole library.

  1. Every way to add recordsEvery way to add records to Gatefold, no Discogs needed: scan a barcode, photograph a cover or a shelf of spines, Listen (Shazam), type or paste a link, or import a library.
  2. Scan a barcodeAdd a record to Gatefold by scanning its barcode. One match lands on your shelf with Undo; a barcode shared by several pressings lets you pick yours.
  3. Type, paste a link or add by handAdd a record by typing an artist, album, catalog number or deadwax string, by pasting a Discogs, Apple Music, Qobuz, Bandcamp or archive.org link, or by hand.
  4. Add a record from a photo of its coverAdd a record with no barcode by photographing its cover. What Gatefold's Cover scan reads, and what happens when it can't tell.
  5. Add a whole shelf from one photo with SpinesAdd a whole shelf of records from one photo with Spines: it reads the spines, you confirm each pressing. 5 shelf photos free, 20 a day on MOSH.
  6. Add a record that's playing with Listen (Shazam)Identify a record that's playing in the room with Listen, which names the track like Shazam and finds the album. In the iPhone and Android apps.
  7. Import a libraryImport your music library into Gatefold from Discogs, Apple Music, Tidal or a spreadsheet: where Sources is and what each one brings in.
  8. Import a spreadsheet, CSV or library fileImport a spreadsheet or CSV of your records into Gatefold: the starter sheet, supported files and columns, Discogs duplicates, and live tapes.
02

Discogs

Discogs stays the record of what you own. Gatefold reads it and gives you a shelf to play and search.

  1. How Gatefold works with DiscogsHow Gatefold works with Discogs: what syncs in from your collection, wantlist, notes and ratings, what goes back to Discogs, and where to set it.
  2. Connect Discogs and choose what syncsConnect your Discogs collection to Gatefold, choose which folders and formats sync, autosync once a day, and see your Discogs folders as shelves.
  3. Discogs notes and ratingsHow Discogs notes and star ratings come into Gatefold, why Discogs stars become your Sound rating, how to send ratings back, and what never leaves.
  4. Your Discogs wantlistBring your Discogs wantlist into Gatefold, push your Gatefold wants to Discogs, and keep both wantlists in sync. Nothing moves until you tap.
  5. Two Discogs accounts on one shelfPut two Discogs accounts on one Gatefold shelf, share a collection with a partner, and log the other account in on its own device with a link or QR code.
03

Finding things

Search, sorts and buttons run on the same data as Stats, so the counts agree. Shelves, Atlas and the menu are here too.

  1. Shelf search basicsSearch your record collection in Gatefold: find a record by artist or title, stack filters, use the Grails, New, Rated and Spins buttons, and sort your shelf.
  2. Every search prefix, with examplesEvery Gatefold search prefix with an example to paste: artist:, genre:, subgenre:, mood:, label:, year:, decade:, era:, canon:, tag:, rated:, and how to combine them.
  3. Search by credits, studios, plants and placesSearch your records by who made them and where: credit:, producer:, master:, mixed:, engineer:, studio:, plant: and place: on your Gatefold shelf.
  4. Grid and Shelf layouts, tabs and rowsChange how your Gatefold shelf looks: Grid or Shelf layout, format tabs for Live tapes, Digital and Playlists, stacking by decade or genre, and your own shelves.
  5. Shelves and the Trade PileMake shelves in Gatefold: sort records into rooms, moods or a Trade Pile, keep a shelf out of Spin of the Day, and see Discogs folders as shelves.
  6. Atlas: your shelf on a mapSee your record collection on a map with Atlas: where your records were recorded, where the artists are from, place: searches, and Their world. Free on every tier.
  7. Where everything is in the menuWhere everything is in the Gatefold menu: Stats, Atlas, Releases, Concerts, Settings, the Share page for shelf cards, Help and What's New.
04

Ratings and notes

Two ratings and one private note per record: which records you love, which pressings sound good, and what the sleeve doesn't say.

  1. Rate a recordRate a record in Gatefold with an Album rating and a Sound rating, see the Discogs average for your pressing, clear a rating, and change the rating icon.
  2. Keep a private note on a recordKeep a private note on a record in Gatefold: pressing details on the album page, editing from Spin of the Day, and bringing your Discogs notes over.
05

Spins, Scrobbling & Listening

One record from your own shelf every day, picked for a reason you can read. Music holidays and their badges, and your spins sent to Last.fm.

  1. How Spin of the Day worksHow Spin of the Day works: why it picked a record, logging a spin for Last.fm, playing it on Apple Music or Tidal, and keeping a pile out of spins.
  2. Music holidays and your Spin of the DayMusic holidays in Gatefold: what Metal Day, Hendrix Day or Christmas does to your Spin of the Day, where the Music Holidays calendar is, and the next dates.
  3. Holiday badgesHoliday badges in Gatefold: how to earn one by marking a music holiday, when it shows up on your profile, and how to show your badges publicly.
  4. Last.fm scrobblingConnect Last.fm to Gatefold and scrobble the record spins you confirm, the records Marquee hears, and the Apple Music tracks you play in the app.
06

The Clerk

The part of Gatefold that has read your whole shelf and answers in plain words. One character, in a lot of places.

  1. What the Clerk doesWhat the Clerk does in Gatefold: chat about your shelf, Clerk's Choice for what to spin next, playlists, album takes, voice and memory, and what's free.
  2. Open the Clerk and keep a threadOpen the Clerk from any page or record, keep a conversation going for 30 minutes, start a new thread, have replies read aloud, and see what free accounts get.
  3. What the Clerk can do, and Clerk playlistsWhat the Clerk can look up and do: search your shelf and wantlist, credits, shows and new releases, credit chains, shelving, and playlists on your Shelf.
  4. Clerk's Choice: what's next?How Clerk's Choice picks what to spin next: Forgot I owned, ask by mood or say the word, save the answer as a playlist, and what free accounts spend.
  5. Persona, cussing, album takes and memoryMake the Clerk yours: choose who works the counter, set the cussing level, pick which album take opens first, and see what the Clerk remembers about you.
07

Concerts and new releases

Gatefold knows which artists are on your shelf, so it can tell you when they release something or play near you.

  1. New releases from artists you own and wantSee new releases from artists you own or want in Gatefold: what's dropping each Friday, the search, Want and Buy on each card, and release alerts on your phone.
  2. Concerts: ticket sales, worth the drive, your live logFind concerts near you for artists on your shelf: ticket sales and presales, shows worth the drive, side projects on MOSH, Concert Alerts and your live log.
  3. Your Record Store Day Black Friday hit listBuild your Record Store Day Black Friday 2026 hit list in Gatefold: every release with pressing counts and tracklists, tap Want, and take it to your shop.
08

Sharing and your page

Cards and posters for wherever you post, a public page for your shelf, and the switches that decide what anyone else sees.

  1. Sharing from GatefoldSharing from Gatefold: the Share page's cards and posters, where they go, your public profile at gatefold.fm/u and its switches, and Flex art.
  2. Share page cardsGatefold Share page cards: Spins, Collection, Artist, Wantlist, New arrivals and Residency, what each one draws, and how to tune it before you send.
  3. Where a card goes: destinations and captionsSend a Gatefold card to Instagram Feed or Story, Facebook, Reddit, X, Threads, Bluesky or Messages, or download it: formats, captions and the link it prints.
  4. Your public profile and its switchesYour public Gatefold profile at gatefold.fm/u/your-name: the Make profile public switch, what visitors see, and what stays private.
  5. Flex art, Pressing cards and postersFlex art in Gatefold: the free Pressing card, the Photog, Concert Poster and Portrait art styles, what a quarter buys, and Posters on the Share page.
09

Streaming and other services

Gatefold works with the services you already use. Some fill your shelf, some play it, some log it. Each one is optional.

  1. Every service Gatefold connects toEvery service Gatefold connects to and what each one does: Discogs, Apple Music, Tidal, Last.fm, setlist.fm, file imports and pasted links.
  2. Apple MusicConnect Apple Music to Gatefold: play your records in the app, import your library, push your wantlist to a playlist, and mirror your whole shelf on MOSH.
  3. TidalConnect Tidal to Gatefold: stream through the app, import your favorites, send albums, playlists and your wantlist to Tidal, and push your shelf on MOSH.
  4. Send albums and playlists to TidalAdd an album to Tidal from Gatefold, send a Clerk playlist or your wantlist as a Tidal playlist, reconnect for write access, and update the same playlist.
  5. setlist.fm concert historyConnect setlist.fm to Gatefold with your username, import the concerts you attended, and see them in the album lore for artists you've seen.
  6. Add a record by pasting a linkAdd a record to Gatefold by pasting a Discogs, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Qobuz or archive.org link. No account connection needed, and which links don't work.
10

Artist and person pages

Two pages sit behind every name on a sleeve: the artist's whole career set against your shelf, and the people who made the records sound the way they do.

  1. Artist pages and person pagesArtist pages and person pages in Gatefold: what each shows, how your shelf lines up against a discography, where credits lead, and how to get there.
  2. Your shelf against an artist's discographyAn artist's discography against your shelf: Studio Run, Live Run, bands as their own sections, N of N owned, and Essentials and Deep Cuts by record.
  3. Origin, the map and Their worldAn artist page's bio and origin, the On the map plate, Their world of bands that share a member, related projects, Sounds Like and the public artist page.
  4. Person pages: credits across your shelfPerson pages for producers, engineers and players: every record they touched on your shelf, their roles, Sound DNA, and how to reach them from album credits.
  5. Pressings explorer: compare every pressing of an albumPressings explorer: compare an album's pressings on one page, originals, reissues and audiophile cuts, with Discogs prices. Open it from your Want list or a recommendation.
11

Marquee

A spare phone or tablet propped by the turntable that hears the record, shows it big, and logs the spin without a tap.

  1. What Marquee isMarquee turns a spare phone into a Now Spinning screen that hears your record, logs the spin, scrobbles to Last.fm and counts stylus hours.
  2. Set up Marquee and AutolistenSet up Marquee on a spare phone: allow the mic, pick an Autolisten session length or Auto, what Mic paused means, landscape, and how to leave.
  3. What Marquee logs and scrobblesWhat Marquee logs when it hears a record: Spin History, Last.fm scrobbles, one spin per album per day, and the card for a record you don't own.
  4. Stylus and cartridge hoursTrack stylus and cartridge hours with Marquee: add your cartridge, mark it mounted, set starting hours, and reset the count after a new stylus.
12

Driving Mode

A propped phone becomes a small instrument cluster for your own records, with the Clerk riding along.

  1. Driving Mode on your phoneDriving Mode on your phone: three lenses, talking to the Clerk, traffic and weather alerts, a verdict when you arrive, and Last.fm scrobbles.
  2. The three lenses: G-Force, Cover and SpeedoDriving Mode's three lenses, G-Force, Cover and Speedo: what each shows, how to switch, landscape on the dash, and mph or km/h. All three are free.
  3. Talking to the Clerk in Driving ModeTalk to the Clerk in Driving Mode: tap the orb, what happens to the music, skip and who's this, and the monthly voice limit on free accounts.
  4. Road alerts, weather and Last.fmDriving Mode road alerts for crashes, closures, building traffic and severe weather, how often the Clerk speaks, and scrobbling a drive to Last.fm.
13

CarPlay

Where a shelf you can't touch becomes a shelf you can ask for. iPhone only.

  1. Gatefold in CarPlayGatefold in CarPlay on iPhone: the four tabs, Put something on, Beat the Rush and Road Trip, talking to the Clerk, the cussing dial, and what's free.
  2. The four CarPlay tabsThe four Gatefold CarPlay tabs, Clerk, Spin, Shelf and Now: what each holds, how to get the app on your car's screen, and what Love this does.
  3. Put something on: the CarPlay setsThe CarPlay sets in Put something on: Adaptive Drive, 7 Degrees of Connection, Random Banger, High Energy, Low Energy, How You Feel, Deep Cuts, and their cost.
  4. The Now tab: Beat the Rush and Road TripThe CarPlay Now tab: Beat the Rush and the other sets for the time of day, Road Trip at any hour, and how they differ from Put something on.
  5. Talking to the Clerk in the carTalk to the Clerk hands-free in CarPlay: what to ask, spoken road alerts, the In the Car settings, and how the cussing dial changes what you hear.
  6. What costs a quarter in CarPlayWhat costs a quarter in Gatefold's CarPlay: free sets, metered sets, refills and voice sessions on a free account, and what MOSH changes.
14

Your collection

Your gear, your stats, your insurance, record store tours, offline, duplicates, languages, and every screen Gatefold runs on.

  1. Your turntables and cartridgesAdd your turntable and cartridge to Gatefold from a catalog of 2,000+ turntables and 1,400+ cartridges, and track stylus hours from the records you spin.
  2. What works offlineWhat Gatefold does without a connection on iPhone, Android and the web: your shelf, search, genre and label filters, and saved covers. Plus what has to wait for signal.
  3. How Gatefold stops you adding a record twiceHow Gatefold checks for duplicates when you search, scan, batch, import a file or sync Discogs, Apple Music and Tidal: which ones warn you and which skip without telling you.
  4. Collection StatsCollection Stats in Gatefold: the Clerk's weekly roast and verdict, Shelf Audit, Unicorns, genre and decade charts, and what a refresh costs on free and MOSH.
  5. Insurance report for your record collectionGet an insurance valuation of your record collection: fresh Discogs prices overnight, a PDF and an XLSX spreadsheet for your insurer, once every 3 months on MOSH.
  6. The Clerk in other languagesWhich languages and regional voices the Clerk speaks, from Québec French to Kiwi English: where to set it, and how chat, voice and CarPlay listening each handle it.
  7. Record Store Mode: curated record store toursCurated record store tours and crawls in Kansas City, St. Louis, Denver, Portland and Paris: over 170 shops, driving or walking and Métro legs. Free in Driving Mode.
  8. Gatefold on every screen, phone to 6KGatefold on iPhone, Android, tablets, desktop browsers up to 5K and 6K monitors, Apple TV, Android TV and CarPlay: what each screen does, text size, and one shelf everywhere.

Can't find it here? Ask the Clerk inside the app, or ask on r/gatefoldfm.