Publishing platform requirements

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While most platforms have similar “minimum” requirements, they differ in how much high-resolution data they can actually handle.

Here is a breakdown of the requirements for the most popular distributors as of 2025.

Comparison Table: 2025 Audio Specs

Platform Best Format Bit Depth Sample Rate Max File Size
CD Baby .wav Strictly 16-bit Strictly 44.1 kHz N/A
DistroKid .wav or .flac 16 or 24-bit 44.1 up to 96 kHz 1 GB
TuneCore .wav 16 or 24-bit 44.1 up to 192 kHz N/A

Platform-Specific Nuances

💿 CD Baby (The Most Strict)

CD Baby is the “old school” gatekeeper. Because they still handle physical CD manufacturing, their system is hardcoded for CD standards.

  • The Trap: Even though their uploader might allow you to select a 24-bit file, it often fails during processing or forces a conversion that can introduce artifacts.

  • Naming: They are extremely sensitive to special characters. Keep filenames to just letters, numbers, and underscores (e.g., track_01.wav).

🚀 DistroKid (The Most Flexible)

DistroKid is generally the most “modern” in its handling.

  • High-Res Support: They happily take 24-bit/96kHz files and will transcode them correctly for Apple Music’s “Lossless” and “Hi-Res” tiers.

  • Length: They support tracks up to 5 hours long, provided the file is under 1 GB.

🎸 TuneCore

TuneCore sits in the middle but leans toward high quality.

  • Recommended Spec: They officially recommend 24-bit / 192 kHz for the best results on high-end streaming platforms, though they still accept 16-bit/44.1 kHz.

  • Conversion: Unlike CD Baby, they encourage higher sample rates to future-proof your music for “Master Quality” streaming tiers.

Universal “Golden Rules” for All Platforms

Regardless of which one you use, follow these rules to avoid the “Rejected” email:

  1. Stereo Only: Never upload Mono files. Even if the song is just a single vocal, export it as a Stereo Interleaved file.

  2. No MP3s: While some allow it, the platform will compress your file again into a lower-quality format for the listener. Uploading an MP3 results in “double compression,” which makes high frequencies sound “crunchy” or “watery.”

  3. Lead-in/Lead-out: Ensure there are at least 200ms of absolute silence at the very beginning and end of your track to prevent the player from “clicking” or cutting off the first transient.

  4. The “Hidden” Meta-Data: As we found with your Cubase issue, uncheck “Broadcast Wave” and “iXML” for every platform. These are meant for film/post-production, not music distribution.

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