Preferred uploading Bit Rate/Depth

[user-removed]

Will Spotify distort a track, or have a track suffer volume-loss in comparison to other audio on the streaming service if it is uploaded at 24bit/96khz?

The preference for most aggregators seems to be 16/44.1khz. However, I have masters of an album in 24/96. Any info on how spotify works with rate/depth in conjunction with uploading would be a huge help.

[MattSuda · Accepted solution]

I don't think it would end up distorted. Spotify gets all different types of audio files sent to them from professional record labels all the way to independent artists.

Spotify usually stores the lossless file that is sent to them and then from that file they also create different compressed versions with different bitrates for streaming.

For example, DistroKid says 24bit/96khz is fine to upload:

https://distrokid.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1283121-what-audio-file-formats-can-i-upload-

It also depends on how the distributor sends over the audio files. If they convert them to 16 bit on upload or send them as uploaded. If you require more info I would suggest contacting your distributor.

[HenrikStevn]

As long as what you send is at least CD-quality, it doesn't make a difference for Spotify, everything will be treated equally.

The codec they use (Ogg Vorbis) is a lossy codec (it's like MP3, but better), so it doesn't have a bit depth as such, so no matter which input, it will get the bit depth (or bitrate) it needs, it doesn't matter if it starts out as 16 bit or 24 bit.

Everything will also be resampled to 44.1kHz, because the whole point of a lossy codec is to remove everything the human ear can't hear anyway, including ultrasonic frequencies.

Spotify is using the same converter and encoder chains that you can download and use on your own PC, and they all handle CD-quality or higher perfectly fine 🙂

In regards to the volume level, it is much more important to master your tracks with proper dynamics (ie. don't squash them with dynamic compression) and to aim for an average level of -14 LUFS (your DAW or audio software should be able to tell you the level).

[jdonyc]

All good info, except for the -14LUFS advice -- -14 is the Spotify target for listening volume, and should not be a loudness target in mastering. If you master the same track at -14 and -7, the -7 track will sound louder and better on Spotify. You can preview the effect at www.loudnesspenalty.com.  Don't master your tracks quietly, they won't compete!

[loveandjapan]

Are you sure about that? I just mastered my tracks at -14 LUFS, -1 dB "true peak" because I read on one of the distro services help pages that that was the target for Spotify. When I tested one of those tracks at your link it showed that all of the services will slightly attenuate my track, so if I'd gone any louder it would only mean even more attenuation. Results were Spotify: -0.6 dB, iTunes: -1.0 dB, Pandora: -0.2.

(p.s. - my early 80s new wave rock project is called Love and Japan; should be on Spotify in a week or so)

[25133006]

All tracks are different. Some need more compression and some more dynamic range. The target of Spotify is not something to be followed blindly. Rather, it frees the mastering engineers to achieve the sound they want, without worrying about the need to be as loud as other tracks for competition. 

[Smurf777]

Spotify will turn down the -7 track to match the -14 listening loudness. How on earth do you come to the conclusion that the squashed track still will sound louder, let alone better?

[jdonyc]

Simple, there’s a phenomenon called *perceived* volume/loudness which has much more to do with average/RMS volume than it does peak volume… A track mastered to -8 LUFS and then remastered at -14 LUFS will still feel bigger and sound louder at -8 LUFS, even when turned down 6 dB. There’s software that makes this easy to see for yourself — just master a track at -8 and -14, and run both through loudnesspenalty dot com… You’ll see exactly what I mean. Best of luck and be well.