Frequently Asked Questions about audio uploads

If you have a question about uploading audio clips to The Production Village, please read these FAQs before emailing us.

1) What file format should I use?

We use an audio player on the site that plays MP3 format files. If you have a clip, but no means of converting it to MP3, upload it and we'll try to convert it for you, but turn-around time may be longer, and you won't have control over the quality of the file.

Our audio player doesn't allow direct downloads to external computers, but a determined listener could always take an audio recording if they like your material that much. We'd recommend that you only upload edited samples of your material, short sections to give the listener a taste of what you sound like. These are also faster to upload as well.

Currently, our uploading process doesn't itself limit filesize, unless you're trying to upload a ridiculously high quality / long audio file. However, we do offer these guidelines:

• Keep the bitrate to 64Kbits /s. This will allow files to download quickly for those on low bandwidth connections, and prevent any pauses in playback. It's also an effective deterrent against copyright theft, since this is pretty low quality compared to CDs.
• Keep the clip short. People are generally listening to the clips to get an impression of you, so make it short and to the point. Again, an abridged clip makes the audio pretty much useless for copyright thieves.

4) The upload page doesn't work for me. Why??

The upload page includes a progress bar so you can monitor how the upload is going but this requires you to have Javascript enabled in your browser. Check that the browser you're using supports this facility.

Even without JavaScript your files should still upload providing that they are smaller than our maximum file size - they might just take a while longer. Consider making the files smaller or using a different browser.

5) I've uploaded a file, but it's not appearing in my profile. Why?

Certain types of content that you upload to The Production Village must receive editor approval before they are visible to the general public. This is so that we can try to prevent abuse. If your content doesn't go live within 24 hours of your upload, then please use the contact page to escalate your enquiry.