CSV Data Export

Record Muse data to CSV files for offline analysis and research.

Enabling CSV Export

1. Open Settings → Output
2. Find the CSV Export section
3. Click Choose Folder to select where files will be saved
4. Toggle Enable CSV Recording

Subscription Required

CSV export requires a Standard or Advanced subscription.

Settings Persistence

Your recording output directory is automatically saved and will be restored the next time you launch the app.

Output Files

When recording, Petal Metrics creates separate CSV files for each data type:

File	Contents	Sample Rate
{timestamp}_eeg.csv	EEG data (4 channels)	256 Hz
{timestamp}_acc.csv	Accelerometer (3 axes)	52 Hz
{timestamp}_gyro.csv	Gyroscope (3 axes)	52 Hz
{timestamp}_ppg.csv	PPG data (3 channels)	64 Hz

Files are named with the recording start time: 2026-01-27_15-30-45_eeg.csv

File Format

EEG CSV

timestamp,tp9,af7,af8,tp10
1706365845123,-12.5,8.3,-5.1,15.2
1706365845127,-11.8,9.1,-4.8,14.9
1706365845131,-13.2,7.6,-5.5,16.1

Column	Unit	Description
timestamp	milliseconds	Unix timestamp
tp9	µV	Left ear electrode
af7	µV	Left forehead electrode
af8	µV	Right forehead electrode
tp10	µV	Right ear electrode

Accelerometer CSV

timestamp,x,y,z
1706365845125,0.02,-0.98,0.15
1706365845144,0.03,-0.97,0.14

Column	Unit	Description
timestamp	milliseconds	Unix timestamp
x	g	Left/right acceleration
y	g	Forward/back acceleration
z	g	Up/down acceleration

Gyroscope CSV

timestamp,x,y,z
1706365845125,1.2,-0.5,0.8
1706365845144,1.1,-0.6,0.9

Column	Unit	Description
timestamp	milliseconds	Unix timestamp
x	°/s	Pitch rotation
y	°/s	Roll rotation
z	°/s	Yaw rotation

PPG CSV (Muse S only)

timestamp,ambient,ir,red
1706365845120,1250,3400,2800
1706365845136,1248,3395,2795

Column	Description
timestamp	Unix timestamp (milliseconds)
ambient	Ambient light level
ir	Infrared reflection
red	Red light reflection

Starting and Stopping Recording

Recording controls are located in the sidebar at the bottom of the screen, in the Recording section.

Start Recording

1. Ensure CSV export is enabled in Output settings
2. Connect to your Muse headband
3. Start streaming by clicking the green Play button in the sidebar (under "Stream")
4. Once streaming, click the red Record button in the sidebar (under "Recording")
5. The button will pulse and show elapsed time while recording

Stop Recording

1. Click the Stop button in the Recording section of the sidebar
2. Files are automatically saved to your chosen folder
3. The elapsed time resets

tip

You can start and stop recording multiple times during a single streaming session. Each recording creates a new set of CSV files with unique timestamps.

Analyzing CSV Data

Python (Pandas)

import pandas as pd

# Load EEG data
eeg = pd.read_csv('2026-01-27_15-30-45_eeg.csv')

# Convert timestamp to datetime
eeg['datetime'] = pd.to_datetime(eeg['timestamp'], unit='ms')

# Calculate mean of each channel
print(eeg[['tp9', 'af7', 'af8', 'tp10']].mean())

# Plot the data
eeg.plot(x='datetime', y=['tp9', 'af7', 'af8', 'tp10'])

MATLAB

% Load EEG data
eeg = readtable('2026-01-27_15-30-45_eeg.csv');

% Convert timestamp to datetime
eeg.datetime = datetime(eeg.timestamp/1000, 'ConvertFrom', 'posixtime');

% Plot all channels
figure;
plot(eeg.datetime, [eeg.tp9, eeg.af7, eeg.af8, eeg.tp10]);
legend('TP9', 'AF7', 'AF8', 'TP10');
xlabel('Time');
ylabel('Amplitude (µV)');

Excel

1. Open the CSV file in Excel
2. Select the data range
3. Insert → Chart → Line chart
4. Format as needed

Storage Considerations

Approximate file sizes per hour of recording:

Data Type	Size/Hour
EEG	~35 MB
Accelerometer	~7 MB
Gyroscope	~7 MB
PPG	~9 MB
Total	~58 MB/hour

Ensure you have sufficient disk space for long recordings.

Troubleshooting

"Permission denied" when saving

• Choose a folder where you have write permissions
• Avoid system folders (Program Files, Windows)
• Try your Documents folder

Files not appearing

• Check the folder you selected in Settings
• Look for files with today's date
• Verify recording was actually started (Record button shows Stop)

Incomplete files

• Recording may have been interrupted
• Check disk space wasn't exhausted
• Ensure the app wasn't force-closed during recording

Availability

CSV export is available on Standard and Advanced subscription plans.

Upgrade your plan →