Platform Audio Specs

This page lists the audio file requirements published by Spotify, Apple, YouTube, SoundCloud and Bandcamp, in one place, with a link to the source and the date each page was read.

Last checked 20 September 2026. Every entry below was read at the platform's own page. Requirements change and distributors often add their own rules, so check the linked page before a delivery that matters. Not sure what your file is? Use the audio file inspector.

Spotify Read at source

Preferred formatFLAC. WAV is accepted if it meets the same specs

Sample rate44.1 kHz or higher

Bit depth24-bit for native masters. 16-bit only if no higher bit depth master exists

ChannelsStereo only

WAV detailFormat code 0x0001 (PCM), valid fmt and data chunks, only audio data after the data chunk starts

Delivery adviceDeliver as mastered. Do not downsample, reduce bit depth or send two versions of one track

Spotify for Artists: Audio file formats

Apple Music (Apple Digital Masters) Read at source

Source files24-bit, at the highest resolution master available for the project

UpsamplingDo not upsample or pad bits. Send the native sample rate

HeadroomAt least 1 dB, to avoid clipping after conversion

Sound CheckListeners may enable loudness matching. Apple says to focus on the intended sound

Apple Digital Masters guide (PDF). No list of accepted sample rates was found in the part that was read, so check the PDF for those.

YouTube (recommended upload settings) Read at source

ContainerMP4

Audio codecAAC-LC, Opus or Eclipsa Audio

Channel layoutsStereo, or stereo plus 5.1

Sample rate48 kHz

BitratesMono 128 kbps, stereo 384 kbps, 5.1 512 kbps

YouTube Help: Recommended upload encoding settings. The page gives no loudness figure.

SoundCloud Read at source

Accepted formatsWAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis and several others

Limits4 GB per file, 24 hours per track

RecommendedStereo, 16-bit / 44.1 kHz or better, and lossless where possible

Headroom−0.5 to −1 dBFS

SoundCloud Help: Upload requirements

Bandcamp Read at source

Lossless formatsFLAC, WAV, AIFF and ALAC

Bit depth16-bit and 24-bit. 32-bit is not supported

ALACMaximum sample rate 48 kHz

HeadroomAt least 0.5 dB when uploading higher sample rates

Bandcamp Help: Can I upload higher resolution audio?. Check the page for the rules on sample rates above 48 kHz.

TikTok and Instagram No official spec found

No official audio specification from either platform was found, only third-party guides, so no figures are listed here. Check the platform's own help pages or the export presets in your editing app.

Questions

Are these the rules for distributors too?

Not always. If you deliver through a distributor, follow the distributor's own upload rules, which can be stricter than the platform's.

Which loudness should I aim for?

See the loudness target page. Loudness and file format are separate rules.

Is anything uploaded?

No. This is a reference page with nothing to upload.