About your Media Library
The Media library located in the Artist dashboard of your Winamp account is the where you can upload and manage your audio files, as well as add your music's metadata.
Audio File Formats
To guarantee optimal sound quality, especially if you intend to utilize monetization services, specific audio file requirements and limitations are enforced.
Winamp for Creators supports:
- WAV, PMC, MP3, AAC, but we recommend FLAC files for best quality
- Bit depth: 16 or 24
- Sample rate: 44.1 or 48 kHz
- Mono or stereo
- Maximum size of a single file is 100 MB.
Any other media format will not be uploaded correctly.
WinTip
It's always a good practice to upload audio files with the best quality.
While we accept WAV, PCM, MP3 and AAC formats, we recommend uploading FLAC files for the best quality.
Uploading Audio Files
Start by clicking the Media tab from the navigation bar. To upload a media file, click on the Upload media button, then browse and select an audio file from your local storage.
If your files meet the upload requirements, a progress bar will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen, showing the status of your upload.
Once the upload is successfully completed, proceed to adding your track’s metadata.
WinTip
Don't underestimating adding the right metadata to your tracks before submitting them to Winamp's monetization services! It's an essential step that boosts your chance in getting your tracks approved more quickly.
Track Metadata
Adding your the right metadata for your media tracks is essential, as it might impact whether your track will be accepted for a specific monetization program or not.
To add your metadata, click on the three dots right next to your track and click the Edit button.
Below is an overview of all track metadata fields and their description.
Field | Description |
Ownership Type | You can choose between:
You have to own the rights to the track to be able to submit it for one of our Monetization Programs. |
Spotify URL | If your tracks are already published to Spotify, you can add a link to them and we will automatically pull the available track metadata into our system. |
Track title | The title of your track. We recommend using our Beautify tool to ensure the title doesn't include non-standard capitalization, numerical or special characters. Your title should not contain any of the characters below as it might not be accepted by our Distribution partners.
|
Version | The version of your track:
|
Genre & Subgenre | Selecting the right genre & subgenre is one of the most important things to do on when editing your track. Choose the genre & subgenre from the dropdown menus on a track level. |
Vocal Performance | The performance type of your track allows you to indicate whether there is a Vocal Performance, and if so, you can choose a type:
|
Audio Language | If your track has a vocal performance, use this field to specify the language of the audio. |
Content Rating | You can choose between:
If your track is Explicit or Censored, you will not be able to submit it for Distribution, Licensing or Fanzone. |
License Type | You can choose between:
|
ISRC Number | An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is an international identification system for sound recordings and music video recordings. Each track has their own ISRC number and if you don't have one, we can automatically provide one for you. If you already distribute your tracks to the mainstream streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, etc) through a distributor ( Distrokid, CD Baby, TuneCore, Ditto, etc.), then you already have an ISRC code. To get your ISRC, simply visit the website of your distributor to discover what ISRC codes are assigned to your tracks and enter them in Winamp for Creators. |
Credits | Use this section to add the collaborators of your track, including their role. Crediting your collaborators is especially important if you're looking to submit your track for out Copyright and Distribution service. |
Artists | Normally auto-populated with the name of the artist under whose profile the track was uploaded. |
Songwriters | For each collaborator in this group, you can select a rolefrom the Role dropdown menu. Additionally, you can select the collaborator from the list of artists and collaborators associated with your account/label or add a new collaborator that is not part of your account yet. You can add multiple collaborators with different roles, including:
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Producers and engineers | For each collaborator in this group, you can select a rolefrom the Role dropdown menu. Additionally, you can select the collaborator from the list of artists and collaborators associated with your account/label or add a new collaborator that is not part of your account yet. You can add multiple collaborators with different roles, including:
|
Musicians | For each collaborator in this group, you can select a roleand instrument from the Role dropdown menu. Additionally, you can select the collaborator from the list of artists and collaborators associated with your account/label or add a new collaborator that is not part of your account yet. |
Artwork | Adding Artwork to your tracks helps capture the listener's attention, convey the theme or mood of the music, and brand or identity for the artist. We recommend always adding artwork to your tracks, but this required if you're seeking to use our monetization programs. Artwork Requirements:
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Copyright Scan
Every track that gets uploaded on Winamp for Creators will undergo a copyright scan, which entails comparing your track to a broader database of registered tracks.
If your track doesn't pass the copyright scan, your track will be flagged as as potential copyright infringement and receive the status "Copyright Check". As a result, your track will not be accepted in any of our monetization programs and you will be asked to delete the track.
To avoid receiving a “Copyright Check” status, ensure that you only upload music that you have created yourself and for which you possess the rights, or that you represent the rights holders of all the music you upload on Winamp for Creators.
Copies, covers or remixes are not allowed on Winamp for Creators.
Common Reasons for Failing the Copyright Scan
If your track has failed the copyright scan and received a "Copyright Check" status, here are some of the reasons why this may have happened.
- You don't have rights to the track.
- Your track is a cover or a remix of someone else's track.
- Your track is a free sample registered by a different artist.
- Your track is based on a classical piece of music.
- Your track contains a watermark.
- Your track is a royalty-free sample that was already registered by another artist.
If none of the above applies to your track, you can request to be contacted by our Support team by clicking the Copyright Check status and select Get contacted by Support button.
Our team will reach out and assist you.
General Media Statuses
Once uploaded, your track will be given a status. Here is a brief explanations of what each status means.
Status | Description | What to do |
Upload Failed | Your track couldn’t be processed successfully. | You can delete the uploaded audio file, and try re-uploading it. Make sure the track complies with the accepted file formats. |
Copyright Check | Winamp for Creators has identified your track as matching copyrighted material. | If the audio file you uploaded is flagged as Copyright Check, that means that you don't own the rights to that piece of music and you are not allowed to monetize it. You need to delete the track from your account. |
Edit | Information or specific metadata is missing before you are able to submit your track for any of Winamp's Monetization Programs. | Edit your track and fill in the missing metadata. |
Ready | All metadata has been completed and the track has all the necessary information to be used for the selected service. | Submit your track for one or more of Winamp's Monetization Programs. |
In Use | The track is currently being used in the service line for which all metadata has been completed and the track has been published. |
Collections
A group of tracks can be organized in a Collection in the Media tab.
To create a Collection, after you've uploaded your audio files, navigate to the Media tab and select the tracks you'd like to include in a collection.
After selecting the desired tracks, click on the small folder button as shown in the screenshot below, then click Create a new collection. A new screen will appear, prompting you to provide a name for the collection and upload a cover picture.
Once the collection is created, it will appear in the Media library under the Collections tab.
From the Collections section of the Media tab, you can submit your collection for Distribution or add it to your Fanzone.
WinTip
Before you add your tracks to a Collection, we suggest that you finalize the metadata. Only consider including tracks that are marked as "Ready," as this may influence your submission for Distribution.
Deleting a Track
To delete a track, navigate to the Media tab of your Winamp for Creators account.
Click on the track you wish to delete.
In the top right corner of the screen, click on the more icon and select Delete this audio. On the pop-up screen, confirm your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your track has received a Copyright Match status, please make sure to reach out via our contact us and provide the following information.
- Your artist name on Winamp for Creators.
- The title of the track that has been flagged.
- Reason why the track's copyright check should be reevaluated.
- If you have purchased a sample for this track, provide the receipt, and terms of use of that sample.
- Any further information that helps prove that you are the rights holder of that track.
You cannot modify the track metadata during the moderation process, as the information you provided is actively being used to assess your track's eligibility for the monetization service you submitted it to.
It is not possible to delete a track that has been submitted and is actively being used in any monetization services. In some cases, like for example Distribution, in order to delete a track, you first need to request a take down.
If your track is already being used for one of our monetization services, navigate to the knowledge base of the relevant monetization service to learn how to take down and delete your track.
If you are facing problems uploading your tracks, it is probably due to a technical issue or because a copyright check needs to be made.
You may encounter one of the three following error messages:
- Unsupported file type:
Be sure the track respects the formats accepted: - WAV and FLAC
- 16 or 24 bit
- 44,1 or 48 kHz
- Mono or stereo
- Max 480 MB
NOTE: AIFF, MP3 and M4A are not supported formats.
- Track upload failed:
The track couldn’t be uploaded successfully as a result of a potential internet connection issue. Try uploading the track again but first make sure to delete the track that failed to upload. - Track processing failed:
The track couldn’t be processed successfully.
This error message means something happened when you tried to save your track in your library. Try uploading the track again but first make sure to delete the track that failed to upload.
If you're still experiencing issues uploading your track, please make sure to contact us.
There are a few reasons why you may not be able to publish your track.
- The status of your track is “Incomplete”
You have filled in most of the details, but the website still indicates that your track is not at 100% edited. Most of the fields are mandatory, so make sure that you have filled in all the required information, including Track Info, Artists/Contributors and Legal.
If the status of your track is now “Ready” you can publish your track. - The status of your track is “Copyright Match”
You cannot release this track as it may contain copyrighted material. In this case, the track is uploaded, but during the scan it matched with another track from another artist, published on other DSPs.
Are you the copyright owner of the track? You will be able to challenge the match by clicking on the “Challenge Copyright” button. The status will switch from “Copyright issue detected” to “In review”.
Our moderation team will review it. If they confirm that you are the copyright owner, the track will be accepted. You will receive a message, then the status will change from “In review” to “Completed”. - The status of your track is “In review”
You challenged a copyright match. Our moderation team is currently reviewing it. You will receive an email with explanations, details of the match(es), and the decision of the moderation team soon. - The status of your track is “Rejected”
You challenged a copyright match, our moderation team reviewed it and found out that you used copyrighted material. You will receive an email with some explanations.
Winamp has locked the track, it can’t be used. If you want to clarify the match after rejection, no worries. You will be able to explain your situation and provide our moderation team with some proof by answering to the email you received.
- Navigate to the Media tab.
- Double-click on the track you wish to manage.
- Scroll down to the Artwork section.
- Double-click on the image you've already uploaded.
- Select a new image from your local storage and wait until it's uploaded.
- Save your settings.
If your track has already been released through Winamp Distribution or is part of a Collection, please contact us so we can help you change your artwork.