What are trac's audio guidelines?
What file format/s are accepted for uploading audio at Trac?
Currently, accepted file formats currently are the following: M4A, FLAC, MP3, MP4, WAV, WMA, AAC.
How long should a single track be in order for the release to be accepted?
A single track should at least be 60 seconds.
NOTE: For EP and album releases, you can have tracks that are less than 60 seconds provided that at least 50% of the tracks are more than 60 seconds long. An example would be, if an EP has 5 tracks, you can have an intro and an outro that is less than 60 seconds provided that 3 out of 5 tracks are more than 60 seconds long.
How do I categorize my audio quality as excellent?
Excellent audio quality should not have the following:
- Too distorted
- Poor quality
- Pitched up/down
- Long amounts of silence (more than 10 seconds)
- Abrupt cuts from the beginning or at the end
- One-sided (only coming out of the right or left speaker)
- non-musical (such as Podcasts, Spoken poetry, Audiobooks, etc.)
- Too generic.
Learn more about what is generic here: Why is my music considered generic?
Can I upload an EP or an album?
Yes, you can! You can upload multiple tracks at the same time.
What is the difference between an EP and an album?
- An EP usually has around 4-6 tracks within the entire release run time is less than 30 minutes.
Any releases that have 7 or more tracks will be considered an album. If you have 1-6 tracks in your release but it goes beyond 30 minutes, this will be considered an album as well.
Can I upload a cover song?
Yes provided that you have a mechanical license. In order for a cover song to be published in different music stores and streaming platforms, the artist covering the song must first obtain a *mechanical license. This is required in order to ensure that the original songwriters are fairly compensated.
You can purchase a mechanical license through a third party. Here are some licensing services that we recommend:
You can learn more about this through our Help Center article here
Can I upload a remix/mashup?
Yes provided that you can provide a Master license validated by the original owner of the recording. Master licenses are a bit more challenging to acquire, as you need direct permission from the owners of the composition and Master recording.
You can learn more about this through our Help Center article here
Can I upload music that uses free beats/samples?
Yes, provided that the beat you used is explicitly "Free for profit". This means that the original creator of this beat has granted permission to any user to use and commercially release music that uses their beat.
If a beat is not free for profit, you will need to purchase a license or a lease agreement to be able to use this beat. Always remember to credit the owner of the beat and give the necessary split mentioned in the license agreement.
If you used a beat that was free before and when you check back on that link and it says "Sold" or "Exclusively Sold", it means that this beat has been sold to another person and that person has all the rights to this beat which means that you cannot use this beat anymore.