Adding custom songs to Clone Hero turns the base game into an endless library of your favorite music. Whether you want to play classic metal tracks, indie hits, or full setlists from classic rhythm games, importing charts takes just a few minutes once you know where files belong.
You'll need a downloaded chart archive (usually a .zip or .rar file), an extraction tool like 7-Zip or WinRAR, and access to the game's designated directory. Let's walk through finding reliable charts, structuring your folders correctly, and scanning them into the game so you can start playing immediately.
Finding and Downloading Custom Charts
Before putting files into your game, you need to gather your tracks. Clone Hero doesn't ship with a massive library of licensed music, meaning the community builds and shares everything via custom charts.
The primary hub for community-created charts is Chorus Encore, a searchable database containing thousands of songs ranging from individual indie tracks to complete album sets. You can search by artist, title, difficulty, or charter name.
When you download a song from Chorus or another community source, it typically arrives as a compressed archive format like .zip, .rar, or .7z. Don't try to place these compressed files directly into your game directory. Clone Hero needs to read the uncompressed directory containing the individual chart files.
Locating Your Clone Hero Songs Folder
The exact location of your Songs folder depends on how you installed the game on your computer:
- Typical Installation (Windows): Open File Explorer and navigate to
Documents\Clone Hero\Songs. - Portable Mode (Windows): Go to your chosen game installation directory and open
PlayerData\Songs. - macOS: Open Finder and go to
~/Clone Hero/Songs. - Linux: Navigate to your home directory and look inside
~/.clonehero/songs.
If you can't find a Songs folder, you can create one manually inside your main Clone Hero directory, though running the game once usually generates the proper folder structure automatically.
Extracting and Structuring Song Folders
Unzipping files correctly is where most beginners make mistakes. If a downloaded zip file unpacks into a random assortment of audio files and text documents floating loose in your Songs folder, the game won't recognize them.
Every individual song must live inside its own distinct folder. Inside that folder, you need at minimum three core file types:
- Audio file: Usually named
song.oggor sometimesguitar.ogg, this provides the actual music track. MP3 files also work in many versions, but OGG is standard. - Chart file: A file ending in
.chartor a MIDI file (.mid) that contains the map of note placements, timing, and BPM changes. - Metadata file: A
song.initext file that tells the game the track's title, artist, charter, year, and difficulty ratings.
For example, your directory tree should look like this: Documents\Clone Hero\Songs\ArtistName - SongName\notes.chart, song.ogg, and song.ini. You can also include an album.png file for custom album art in the song selection menu.
Scanning Songs In-Game
Once your unzipped song folders sit safely inside the Songs directory, launch Clone Hero. The game doesn't automatically detect newly added files while running, so you need to trigger an index scan.
From the main menu, press the Spacebar on your keyboard (or the Start button if you're using a game controller) to open the Settings menu. Navigate down to the General tab and select Scan Songs.
A progress bar will appear while the engine indexes every .chart and .mid file in your directory. Depending on how many gigabytes of custom charts you've added, this can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. Once the scan finishes, head back to the main menu, open Quick Play, and your new tracks will appear in your setlist.
Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting
Even with a straightforward process, small errors can prevent tracks from showing up. If your songs aren't appearing after a scan, check for these common issues:
- Nested Folders: If you extracted a zip file and ended up with a folder inside a folder (like
Songs\MyFolder\MyFolder\notes.chart), Clone Hero will skip it. The required files must be one level deep inside their own folder. - Missing Files: If a download only contains an audio file without a
.chartor.midfile, it's just an MP3 or OGG, not a playable rhythm game chart. You'll need to find a properly charted version. - Corrupted Archives: Occasionally, downloads get interrupted. If a scan hangs or throws an error, delete that specific song folder and re-download the archive from the source.
For official support, community guidelines, and advanced engine documentation, check out the Clone Hero Wiki.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play standard Guitar Hero or Rock Band files in Clone Hero?
Yes. Clone Hero natively supports .chart files and standard MIDI (.mid) chart formats used by older rhythm titles. You can find converted versions of classic setlists online or use tools like Moonscraper to convert them yourself.
Is there a limit to how many songs I can add?
There is no hard coded limit. Many players maintain libraries containing tens of thousands of songs. However, having an extremely large library can slightly increase the time it takes for the game to boot up and complete an initial song scan.
Why does my song have audio, but no notes appear?
This usually happens when the .chart or .mid file is missing from the song folder, or when the files are placed in a subfolder that the game scanner cannot reach. Double-check that your song folder contains all necessary component files together.
Do I need a special guitar controller to play?
No. While guitar controllers provide the authentic experience, you can play Clone Hero using a standard computer keyboard, an Xbox or PlayStation gamepad, or even touch controls if you are running the mobile port.
