How Does DISCO Handle WAVs and MP3s for the Same Track?
DISCO is designed to store two audio file formats (e.g. one WAV or AIFF, and one MP3) together as a single track.
By storing both formats in DISCO, you'll be able to respond much faster to file requests. And why not keep all your assets together in one place, anyway?
When you upload a WAV, DISCO automatically creates a corresponding MP3.
Hover over the Track Info icon to see available formats (you can customize the info visible on the hover):
When you upload MP3s, DISCO will NOT create a WAV. But you can add a WAV to the MP3 later (see option 2 below).
What's the difference between WAVs and MP3s?
- WAV = High Quality. Can be slow/impossible to stream, DOES NOT generally carry metadata.
- MP3 = Lower Quality. Easy to stream, and DOES carry metadata.
Upload Options to Get WAVs and MP3s Into DISCO
Option 1: Upload WAVs first
DISCO automatically creates MP3s. There won't be any metadata on them, but you will be able to fill in metadata in the next section.
Option 2: Upload MP3s first
If you have MP3s with metadata on them already:
- Upload the MP3s.
- Go to each track's menu and click "Manage files and formats."
- Click "+ Add format" and upload the corresponding WAV.
Option 3: Upload WAVs & MP3s at the same time
If you've already uploaded a WAV and MP3 for the same recording, you can merge them together.
- Select the tracks by holding Shift or Command (it can be helpful to drag the tracks next to each other in the Playlist Creator first).
- Click the Merge icon from the Actions menu at the bottom of the screen. (It appears when multiple items are selected).
- In the Merge tool, select the MP3 with metadata, and then select the WAV.
- Click "Merge tracks."
Notice there is an MP3 paired already with the WAV, this was created when the WAV was first uploaded and will not have any metadata on it.
Wrap-Up
Repeat the processes above until you have a beautiful clean set of tracks in your DISCO. Each track should have a high quality file (WAV or AIFF), an mp3, and metadata filled out.