Guide to Audio Formats

2496 - 24-bit/96kHz  or  2488 - 24-bit/88.2kHz

• Ideal for clients looking to release their music on high-definition digital releases, and streaming platforms that support high-resolution audio.

• This is the sample rate at which mastering is performed.

  • When I receive mixes at 48kHz or lower, I upsample them to 96kHz.

  • While this doesn’t increase the resolution of the audio, it can reduce aliasing distortion and improve the performance of some digital processing plugins. I believe these benefits outweigh any potential artefacts from upsampling, which I perform using iZotope RX's high-quality resampler.

• However, not all distribution platforms and playback systems support 96kHz sample rates. Streaming services may downsample these files to 44.1kHz or 48kHz. Every distributor and streaming platform handles this differently, using various software, so it’s difficult to make a definite statement about how or if this affects your final product. I would be surprised if there were not rigid enough practices in place to make any downsampling used inaudible to the average listener.

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2448 - 24-bit/48kHz:

• This format is the standard for audio in video production, making it compatible for use in film, TV, and other multimedia projects.

• It’s also widely accepted for digital distribution and streaming platforms, offering a good balance between high quality and compatibility with industry standards.

• For clients licensing their music for sync purposes, it's generally advisable provide this to the publisher/library, possibly alongside an MP3 for reference.
   

2444 - 24-bit/44.1kHz:

• A very common format for digital music distribution, very widely supported across various platforms, e.g., Spotify.

• Spotify, for example, uses its own form of compression, but there may be some benefits

• This format is often used in the 'standard tier' for streaming services, which could help avoid unnecessary sample rate conversion during distribution.

• However, there is no ‘need’ to use this sample rate, as distributors and platforms can handle higher sample rates, or are equipped to downsample them to a compatible one.

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1644 - 16-bit/44.1kHz:​

• CD Baby still requires this format if you’re using their platform.

• While 16-bit doesn’t offer the same dynamic range as 24-bit formats, the difference may not be significant for the average listener. However, 24-bit is generally the standard for most modern digital releases.​

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MP3 / M4A

• These are great for sharing music with fans, using on download cards, and for social media due to their small file size.

• Due to the data compression used, there is a loss in audio quality, introducing artifacts, especially in high frequencies.

• They should never be used as master files for streaming services or digital stores.

• Warning: Some distributors (e.g., Distrokid) allow you to upload an MP3/M4A as your master file. Do not do this - These are compressed files that contain artefacts, that could distort your music when released to streaming services.

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A Final Note:

I apologise that there's no definitive answer for which master file to use across all platforms. It really comes down to a
personal choice. Ideally, you would be able to select the best file format for each platform, but this option is often unavailable to independent artists using distributors. Record labels may have more flexibility in this regard. However, you can’t go wrong if you choose a 24-bit WAV file (or 16-bit if absolutely necessary).​​

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