Sample rate is how many times per second digital audio measures the sound (44.1 kHz is 44,100 times), and bit depth is how finely each of those measurements is recorded (16-bit or 24-bit).
Check a file's sample rate, bit depth and format against Spotify's rules.
Also used in: Episode Ready Checker
Together they decide the quality ceiling of a file and whether a platform accepts it. Spotify asks for 44.1 kHz or higher and prefers FLAC at 24-bit; it takes 16-bit only when no higher bit-depth master exists.
Apple Podcasts accepts WAV, FLAC, MP3 at 44.1 kHz or more. A file below the minimum can be rejected; a file converted up from a lower rate gains nothing, because the detail was never recorded.
A band exports their album at 48 kHz, 24-bit from the studio session, then their distributor asks for WAV or FLAC. Both values are above Spotify's minimum, so the files are accepted as they are.
A demo bounced as 22.05 kHz to save space, on the other hand, sounds dull at the top end and fails the 44.1 kHz minimum; converting it up won't bring the missing treble back, so it has to be bounced again from the session.
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Audio ready? Spotlight turns the episode or the release into posts for every platform.
Spotlight, CAPTD's workspace for promoting your work, is part of CAPTD's paid plans — see pricing.
Open SpotlightRelated terms