File Download and Metadata Automation Settings

DISCO offers a range of tools for tailoring file downloads and automating metadata. Users can set default file formats, create custom file names, and organize playlists according to their preference. Additionally, DISCO seamlessly incorporates track tags and writer splits into track metadata. This article provides an in-depth exploration of these capabilities as well as an overview of the preview function, which serves as a final editing checkpoint before sharing content.

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Set Formats for Download

Since you can store multiple formats on one track (WAV and MP3, or AIFF and MP3, etc.), you can also set which format gets downloaded by default.

The two options are:

Include original formats in the main playlist download
Send only optimized formats

Optimized = MP3 (compressed lossy format)

Original = WAV, AIFF, FLAC, etc. (high-res lossless formats)

The reason for each of these settings is that some companies only share high-res files (WAVs or AIFFs) and do not want the default download to include MP3s. Others never send high-res files initially and only provide MP3s to encourage their clients to request the WAVs or AIFs.

Write New File Names on Download

Set your own file naming convention by combining different attributes: Artist, Title, Album, Year, Original Filename, Business Name, etc.

The file name will be written the designated order, set with a dash (-) between each attribute: e.g. "artist - title - year - originalfilename.wav"

Track download file name reordering dropdown

Retain Playlist Track Order After Download

By default, DISCO prepends numbers to filenames to reflect track order when a playlist is downloaded.

You can switch this function on and off in the Business Settings: Include order number prefix on track filenames

Examples:

Playlist order in DISCO:

01-MilesDavis-SoWhat.aiff

02-BobMarley-OneLove.wav

03-Lorde-Royals.mp3

04-Meatloaf-Batoutofhell.wav

Playlist order after download (without order number prefix turned on):

BobMarley-OneLove.wav

Lorde-Royals.mp3

Meatloaf-Batoutofhell.wav

MilesDavis-SoWhat.aiff

When the downloaded folder is opened, files will be arranged in alphabetical order.
By adding the order numbers in front of the track file names, your playlist appears in the order that you intended.
Without the numbers, the tracklist will automatically rearrange into alphabetical order.

This setting will immediately take effect on the next download, no matter which team member creates and shares the playlist.

Include Track Tags and Writer Splits in Metadata

When tracks are downloaded or saved to DISCO, an automatic process can write track tags into the Comments metadata field and Writers tab data into the Composer metadata field.

Include Tags in Comments Metadata Field

This function compiles Track Tags into a text string and appends it to existing text in the Comments metadata field.

Including track tags in the Comments metadata field makes your tracks more searchable when they are added to other DISCOs or systems.

Write tags to comments on download settings

Before download:

After download:

Include Writers Tab Info in Composer Metadata Field

Similar to the function above, all the information from the Writers Tab (e.g. Writer 1, Split 1, Publisher 1 and PRO 1, etc.) can be automatically written into the Composer metadata field as tracks download.

Include writers tab splits in composer field on downloaded tracks

Preview Track Information that Downloads

The Metadata and Lyrics tabs write to files as they are shared and downloaded.

Utilize the Track Information Preview to double check exactly what information will be present in your track's metadata after it is shared.
Open the Track Info editor
Open the Copy Track info menu
Select Preview track info‍
One tab shows metadata that will write, and the other shows metadata that won’t write‍.

Note: These metadata settings only take effect on playlists you share. Other team members have to adjust these settings independently.