The last export is where weeks of work can quietly go wrong. A click at the end, a clipped chorus or a file called "final_v7_REAL" can turn into a requested change or, worse, a release you have to take down and redo. Here is what a clean delivery file looks like.
Sample rate and bit depth without the myths
Most streaming deliveries are fine at the classic CD standard of 44.1 kHz and 16-bit. Many distributors and platforms also accept 24-bit and 48 kHz, and if your mastering engineer gives you a 24-bit file, there is no reason to throw that away. Check what your distributor accepts and send the best version that fits.
A few rules matter more than the numbers themselves:
- Stay at the rate you worked in. If the project ran at 44.1 kHz, exporting at 96 kHz adds nothing but file size. Upsampling does not create detail that was never recorded.
- Dither once, at the end. If you go from 24-bit down to 16-bit, apply dither in that final step and nowhere else.
- Never rebuild a WAV from an MP3. Converting a lossy file to WAV keeps every loss and just makes the file bigger. If the only copy you have is an MP3, find the original session and bounce again.
- Stereo, one file. Deliver one stereo WAV, not separate left and right files.
Headroom and clipping
A clean master does not clip. Listen to the loudest chorus on headphones and watch the meters. If the peaks are stuck at the ceiling and the transients sound flattened or crunchy, go back to the master.
Many engineers leave a little true-peak headroom below 0 dBFS, because conversion to the compressed formats that platforms stream can push peaks over the top. Ask your mastering engineer what they aimed for.
There is also less reason to chase loudness than there used to be. Major platforms adjust playback volume so tracks sit at similar levels, which means a crushed master simply gets turned down and keeps the damage. Aim for a level that serves the song.
The start and the end of the file
Edges are where most avoidable problems live.
At the start, trim long silence, but do not cut into the first note. A tiny gap before the downbeat is fine; several seconds of nothing makes listeners think the track is broken. Zoom in and make sure the first transient is whole.
At the end, let reverb and delay tails ring out completely, then fade to true silence. A hard cut while something is still sounding leaves a click. If the song fades out, do it in the master instead of hoping someone will trim it later.
Avoid long stretches of silence at the end and hidden tracks after a minute of nothing. They confuse listeners and can raise questions during review.
If an album has songs that flow into each other, split the files exactly at the transition points and listen to the joins in order. Keep the album session so you can redo a split if needed.
Names and versions
Stores do not read the name of your file, but you and everyone you work with will. A clear system saves you from uploading the wrong mix.
- Use plain letters, numbers and hyphens or underscores: LalaNova_YayGecesi_Master_24bit_48k.wav.
- Put the version in the name: Master, Clean, Instrumental, Acapella.
- Delete or archive old masters so that only one file says Master.
The tags embedded in a WAV are not what platforms use. The title, artist and credits come from what you enter during submission, so take care there too. In CULT you upload the audio as WAV and fill in artist details and credits in the same flow, which is a good moment to compare the two side by side.
What to keep after release
The upload is not the end of the file's life. Keep a folder for each release with:
- the final master WAV at the highest resolution you have;
- an instrumental and an a cappella, if they exist;
- stems or the multitrack session, for remixes, live use and sync requests;
- the unmastered final mix, in case you ever need to remaster;
- the artwork, lyrics and split sheet.
Store it in two places, for example an external drive and cloud storage. Years later, a request for an instrumental or a remix is much easier to say yes to when the files are one search away.
A final listen
Before uploading, play the exact file you are about to send from start to finish, once on headphones and once on speakers. Listen for clicks, dropouts, the wrong version and anything cut off. It takes a few minutes and can save weeks.