Discover SoundCloud in Lossless Formats
Using lossless file formats will retain the original audio details. However, to save on space you can also use a lossy format like MP3 or AAC soundcloud to mp3 which compresses the data by filtering out inaudible values.
SoundCloud uses various codecs to process your music when you upload it. This is to enable your music to be played back across a range of devices and internet bandwidth limitations.
Lossless Formats
Lossless audio file formats are considered the best for music quality. These include FLAC, WAV and AIFF. They are uncompressed and retain all the original signal components of a recording without losing any data, unlike MP3 which compresses the information into smaller file sizes by removing signal components. These files can be quite large, a CD recording at 44.1 kHz and 16-bit will take up around 300MB. They are used in studio recordings, mastering and by streaming services to ensure their sound quality is high.
Streaming music services have become very popular in recent years. They have made it possible for people to enjoy music anywhere and anytime with no need to download a track or buy a physical copy of it. Streaming services typically use compressed lossy audio files such as MP3 or AAC to reduce transmission bandwidth and storage requirements. While these formats can be very good for streaming, they do not preserve the original quality of a song or album. This is why more and more music lovers are turning to high-resolution lossless audio files, such as FLAC or WAV.
SoundCloud is the most popular online music streaming platform. It offers free and paid tiers with different benefits. The most expensive tier, SoundCloud Go+, offers access to 256kbps high-quality audio streaming.
For the best SoundCloud audio quality, upload your music as a.FLAC or a.WAV file. While SoundCloud does accept more standard files such as.MP3, they will not sound as good.
If you want to improve the sound of your tracks, you can try out SoundCloud’s in-app mastering feature. It allows you to experiment with various mastering techniques and test their effect on your music. It can help you make your tracks sound more professional, save time and money, and enable you to share your music with your fans in the highest possible quality.
It is also recommended that you upload your music in a lossless format before converting it to a lower-quality file for streaming and downloading. This will prevent the audio from being re-encoded into a higher-quality file, which can cause artifacts and degradation in sound quality.
File Size
The file size difference is the biggest deciding factor between FLAC and WAV files. FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec and is uncompressed, meaning that all of the original data in a sound clip is preserved. This allows the file to have an extremely high-quality sound, despite its large size. In contrast, WAV files are not compressed and can take up a lot of space.
Both formats have their pros and cons, and the choice ultimately comes down to what you’re going to be using it for. If you’re a music buff, you’ll probably want to use FLAC files. Its superior sound quality makes it the ideal choice for archiving rare and historical recordings, or for professional applications like recording and editing. It also has a higher compatibility rate with streaming services and video production.
On the other hand, if you’re a casual listener who is just looking for a convenient way to play your favorite songs, then WAV files may be more appropriate for you. Besides having a smaller size, these files can also be streamed without much hassle on most devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Another difference between the two formats is that WAV files cannot retain metadata. This means that you won’t be able to have track names, album titles or lyrics embedded into the file. FLAC, on the other hand, can preserve this information and is easily compatible with most audio players.
When it comes to ripping CDs, most people will choose to use the FLAC format. This is because it can save up to 70% of storage space while maintaining the same quality as a regular CD. This is a huge advantage for people with limited storage space on their devices, particularly mobile ones.
However, the most significant difference between FLAC and WAV is that FLAC is compressed whereas WAV is uncompressed. Compression is the process of reducing an original file size by removing data that doesn’t change the audio quality. This is why many people favor FLAC, as it can be up to 70 percent smaller than a WAV file without losing any of its audio quality.
Downloading
Regardless of the file format used, SoundCloud converts all uploads to a lossy codec for streaming purposes. This compression removes the audio data but does not affect the quality of your tracks or songs and is a necessary part of today’s internet bandwidth limitations. This allows you to share your music with your fans without worrying about them running out of downloads.
However, if you have the option, it is recommended that you create your files in a lossless format like WAV or FLAC and enable downloads for listeners on a track-by-track basis through your Permissions settings. This will allow your listeners to get a high-quality copy of your track or song to play offline and on their favorite devices.
Lossless formats are ideal for creating and storing music in a studio environment or for archiving purposes. They take up much more space than compressed files and require a higher-speed storage device to play back. Nonetheless, they offer a great balance between file size and audio quality and are a good choice for the majority of users.
WAV (Lossless Uncompressed Audio)
Typically, the resulting wave file is encoded with a bit depth of 16 or 24 bits to capture a greater range of audio frequencies. This is also the best option for ensuring compatibility with most playback devices.
FLAC (Lossless Compressed Audio Codec)
FLAC is a great alternative to WAV as it offers the same audio quality as WAV but takes up half the space. It also supports metadata i.e. information about the track, artist etc. This is why it’s a popular choice for companies and services that prioritize better sound quality over hyper-compressed MP3 culture, such as Bandcamp, Pono and Spotify.
MP4/M4A (MPEG-4 Audio)
While not considered a true lossless format, this is still a very common file format. It uses the MPEG-4 audio compression algorithm which is similar to the AAC one but allows for additional data, such as album art, to be stored along with your music files.
Regardless of the file format you choose, you can always increase your upload limit by upgrading to one of our Next Plans. This way, you can continue to share your best work with your fans and not worry about running out of upload time.
Streaming
SoundCloud has a lot of amazing features for both creators and listeners. For example, it allows you to upload your music in high-quality formats and it also provides an ad-free listening experience for its members with its Go+ service. But when it comes to streaming, SoundCloud’s maximum audio quality is 128kbps MP3.
If you want your music to be streamed at a higher fidelity, you need to export in a lossless format such as FLAC or WAV. Otherwise, your files will be re-encoded to a lower format such as MP3 on SoundCloud’s server which degrades the quality of your music.
This is why it’s best to use a lossless format from the start. You can choose whether you want to make your tracks public or private, and you can change the privacy settings at any time.
The downside of using a lossless file format is that it takes up more storage space than an uncompressed one such as a CD recording. If you’re not an audiophile, it may not matter to you, but for those who like to listen to their music collection on portable devices or online, you need to keep the file size in mind.
You can also increase the audio quality by mastering your track. The process of mastering seeks to achieve tonal balance, enhance the dynamics and restore any distortions and artifacts from the recording process. This is a vital step to ensuring your track sounds great and it can help you stand out from other artists in the same genre and improve your chances of attracting a wider audience.
SoundCloud has an in-app mastering feature which accepts files from a wide range of formats, including lossless, but the best way to get the most out of it is to have your music professionally mastered before you upload it to the platform. This will not only ensure that your tracks sound fantastic and professional, but it will also help you build a long-term audience and impress fellow musicians and industry professionals. You can find professional mastering services from a number of companies online.