An mp3 is a digital audio file format which is compressed but without losing too much quality. To get your music on Unearthed we need it in this format:
mp3 : 128kbts/s , 44.1khz in stereo
The easiest way to get your music as an mp3 is to get someone else to do it. If you are recording in a studio ask the audio engineer if you can have a version of your tracks in mp3 format at the above settings. They should be able to give you the mp3s on CD and you can then upload them immediately.
If not, don't be scared! It's really easy to turn your track into an mp3.
We’ll assume you’ve got your music on a CD. You simply need to get this onto a computer and use some software to convert it to an mp3. You should be able to use a free software program to do this. Some programs will offer you a paid version with more features but you do not need this to convert to mp3.
Download the printable version above for specific guides on two popular audio programs:
- itunes
- windows media player
If you would like to use different software use the general guide below.
- Open up your audio program
- Look for preferences or settings for importing/ripping a CD. This can normally be found in the top navigation menu.
- Make sure you are importing tracks as:
mp3 format
128kbts/sec - bit rate
44.1khz - sample rate
stereo - channels
- Look for where the imported tracks are being saved on your computer. In most programs this defaults to a folder called ‘My Music’.
- Insert your CD into the computer and click a button to rip CD/import CD.
- That’s it. Your big CD audio files have been compressed as mp3 files and are ready for upload.
Rule of thumb
A good way to check you are doing everything right is to check the filesize of your mp3.
1 minute of music, encoded at the correct settings = approximately 1mb (file size).
So, if your track is 3 minutes the mp3 should be about 3mb.