---
title: Sheet music files
description: How Church Music Locker uses a PDF to fill in a piece, then discards the file instead of storing the score.
---

Church Music Locker does **not** keep a copy of your sheet music. A PDF is uploaded only so OCR can read the printed score; once that finishes (successfully or not), the file is discarded. You cannot view, download, or attach a PDF on a piece afterward.

## Scanning a PDF

From **Library → Import**, upload a PDF. That's the main way to fill in a piece from a score. See [Scanning a PDF](/docs/importing-music/scanning-a-pdf).

## Scanning again from a piece

From a piece's detail page, use **Upload PDF** to run OCR again. You'll be asked to confirm first, because the new scan overwrites OCR-extracted details (composer, voicing, lyrics, and so on). For a multi-movement work, the new scan also replaces its movements.

Only PDF files are accepted. The uploaded file is discarded after it's read.

## What stays in the library

The catalog row stays — title, credits, lyrics, liturgical fields, quantity owned, and any [external link](/docs/library/adding-and-editing-pieces) you add. Collections can still have their own attached PDF (a cover or table of contents for a physical book); that's independent of pieces. See [Collections](/docs/library/collections).