The seven checks
| Check | What a streaming master usually needs |
|---|---|
| Sample rate | 44.1 kHz or more |
| Bit depth | 16 or 24-bit |
| Lossless | WAV, AIFF or FLAC, never an MP3 or AAC |
| True peak | At or under −1 dBTP |
| Clipping | None |
| Silence | No long silence at the start or the end |
| Loudness | As agreed with the label or client |
The first six are DropWave's Streaming master spec, the one it checks every file against by default; the loudness it shows alongside. A label or client with other numbers gets its own spec in Settings.
The classic mistake
The same song, two files, as DropWave reads them: 01 Low Orbit.wav passes, at 48 kHz and 24-bit, −1.1 dBTP and no clipping. 01 Low Orbit.m4a, an AAC export of the same master, gets flagged: Lossless: AAC, lossy. Same name, same music, the wrong file to send. It's the mistake that gets a release sent back.
Check a whole release at once
Drop the folder on DropWave, on a Mac or a Windows PC, and every file gets a Delivery column in the table: passes, or how many issues. Open a file for the details. On a Mac, a PDF report of one file or the whole list goes to the label, artist or client with the files.