System

The System tab manages plugin libraries, software updates, and app information.

Software Updates

Stellarr checks for new versions on launch and once a day while you’re running it. When a new version is available, an amber banner appears in the Software Updates section and a small amber dot appears on the System tab icon.

Updates never install themselves

Installing an update restarts Stellarr. That’s fine at your desk, but potentially catastrophic ten minutes before a gig. Stellarr never triggers an install without you pressing a button. Even if you leave the app running for weeks, a new release sits patiently in the Software Updates section until you decide it’s a good time.

The section

When no update is available:

Status line reads “You’re on vX.Y.Z, the latest version” with a green marker.
Check for Updates stays available so you can poll on demand.

When an update is available:

An amber banner shows the new version, release date, and download size.
View release notes → opens the GitHub release page in your default browser so you can read what’s changing.
Download & Install commits to the full update flow. Stellarr downloads the release, verifies its signature, and stages the install on disk.

Once the download has completed the button becomes Restart Now, and a line underneath reads “Update will install when you quit or restart Stellarr.” The install then happens either when you click Restart Now, or the next time you quit Stellarr for any reason — whichever comes first.

Clicking Download & Install is the point of no return: once the update is staged, it will install on the next termination. If you want to postpone, don’t click the button yet.

How updates are verified

Every Stellarr release is signed twice:

Apple Developer ID — macOS verifies this before running the app at all.
EdDSA (Ed25519) — Stellarr’s own signing key, verified by the update framework before an installer is launched.

If either signature is wrong, the update is refused.

Dev builds

If your window title reads Stellarr Dev vX.Y.Z, you’re running a development build. Dev builds check a separate staging feed signed with a different key, and the Settings info panel shows a Development build marker. Dev builds can live in /Applications alongside a normal Stellarr install without overlapping.

Rolling back

If a new release misbehaves, grab the previous DMG from the Releases page and install over the top. Your settings live in ~/Library/Application Support/Stellarr/ and are not wiped by reinstallation.

Plugin Libraries

Stellarr discovers VST3 and Audio Unit plugins by scanning directories on your system.

Default Directories

These are scanned automatically and cannot be removed:

Format	macOS Path
VST3	`~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3`
VST3	`/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3`
AU	`~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components`
AU	`/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components`

Adding Custom Directories

If your plugins are installed elsewhere:

Click Add Directory.
Browse to the folder containing your plugins.
Click Scan Now to discover them.

Scanning

Click Scan Now to rescan all configured directories. This picks up newly installed plugins or changes since the last scan.

Discovered Plugins

A list of all plugins Stellarr has found, showing:

Plugin name
Manufacturer
Format (VST3 or AU)

If no plugins appear, check that your plugin directories are correctly configured and click Scan Now.

The footer of the app runs three live meters:

CPU — Audio processing load as a percentage. Green below ~40%, amber 40–70%, red above 70%.
IN — Input loudness from your audio interface in LUFS. Helps you judge the signal before the first block.
OUT — Output loudness after the final block in LUFS. Click the OUT meter to choose Momentary or Short-term averaging.

For per-block LUFS readings and target loudness, see Block Options.

Theme

Click the sun/moon icon in the header to switch between Dark and Light themes. Your choice is persisted across sessions. If you’ve never clicked the toggle, Stellarr follows your system appearance automatically.

Audio & MIDI Settings

Click the options button in the app’s title bar and select Audio/MIDI Settings to configure:

Audio input and output devices
Sample rate and buffer size
MIDI input devices