Search Aden from anywhere

What it is

Press ⌥⇧Space (Option+Shift+Space) in any app and Aden's search opens over it, in a translucent window like Spotlight. Type Instagram, SoundCloud, a team or a screen like Samples, press Enter, and Aden comes forward on it. A search with no answer on this Mac carries on in the web app.

It also searches your work: the team's tracks with their covers (opening one in Files), recent DAW projects (opening in the DAW) and recent audio (playing in Aden). A project in a folder linked to a track shows the track's name, and searching a track's name finds its projects too. With nothing typed, the few most recent projects and bounces are listed. The same rows are in Cmd+K.

Every track, project and audio file has its actions, the same ones its right-click menu offers. Hover an audio file's icon to play it. Click "…" on a row, or press Cmd+K on the selected one, for a dropdown of its actions: open in the DAW or in Aden, start or link a track, invite, sync, share, show in Finder, send as an idea, a demo or a transfer.

Type an app's name ("fl", "ableton", "serato") to launch it: every music app installed on the Mac is listed, with its own icon, also under the Apps tab.

Pick a track to open its detail view: its cover, status, linked folder, projects and files on this Mac, and every action for it. Escape goes back.

It finds audio and DAW projects anywhere on the Mac, not only recent files: from two letters typed it also asks Spotlight. Inside a folder linked to a track it finds every file, so artwork, lyrics and split sheets come up by their name or by the track's title. Other files on the Mac stay out. Files it has found before show right away, and a line under the list says it is still looking while the rest comes in. A cloud on a row means the file has a copy in Aden (it sits in a folder linked to a track, or in a synced team folder); click it to open where it lives. The launcher keeps your last search for three minutes, selected, so typing replaces it and Enter runs it again.

Using it

• Move it by dragging any empty space: the search icon, beside the tabs, the key hints. Resize it from any side or corner. It reopens where and how big you left it; double-click empty space to put it back.

• Onboarding teaches it. The desktop tour has a "from anywhere" step: press the shortcut there and the keycaps light up once the launcher opens. "Use my own shortcut" records a different one on the spot.

• Change or turn off the shortcut in Settings, General, Search shortcut. Click the shortcut and press the keys you want. Escape cancels.

• From the menu bar, the Aden menu has Search Aden… with the shortcut beside it.

• Aden has to be running, in the menu bar is enough. Open at login keeps it there.

• Ask Aden. Type a question and press Enter, pick "Ask Aden", or click the button beside the search box. The Web tab opens chat with your message sent. @ tags people, bots and Aden, # tracks, albums and playlists, $ skills. Tag only people and it goes to them instead of the AI.

• Chat with someone. Type a name for "Message <name>", or "Chat with" a bot. "New chat" opens chat.

• Submit a track. "New submission" opens submissions; a track's actions have "Submit to a label".