Submission Guidelines
We do not have strict editing requirements but we do have some recommended guidelines. Our participants enjoy easy to find sounds, and properly edited and named files make everyone's life easier! We don't delete files if people don't strictly follow these guidelines but we strongly advise to consider them.
Files Specs
- 24/48k or 24/96k BWAV are usually preferred
- Mono, Stereo or surround files
Editing Requirements
- Avoid any unnecessary extended silence
- Remove any slates (verbal identification recorded before or after a take)
- Edit mic bumps or unwanted sounds
- Master your sound to a usable volume in relation to the sound source
File Naming and Metadata
When sending the monthly rewards to our participants we separate files named after the structure of the Universal Category System (UCS) and those that don't. Non-UCS is fine by us, we just separate files for practical reasons. If you decide to adhere to the UCS, please follow its file naming convention.
More information about UCS file naming convention can be found HERE.
Quick Notes on UCS
When following the UCS, please adhere to the following file naming structure:
CatID_FileNameHere_Your Name_SourceIDYou can find the appropriate CatID, under the 3rd column HERE.
- Please name your file using about 6 to 12 words. This isn't a full length description but something short that should give a decent idea of what the sound is before playing it. If submitting multiple variations of a single sound, the numbering can be done in this section too.
- Please do not use dashes, underscores, commas, or any other separators in your FX name. Spaces only.
- Title case only the first letter of each word in your name.
SourceID & Examples
Additionally the SourceID is used to reference the project, library or show name. Since you're submitting for the SFX Swap it would make sense to add a reference to the month you're participating to as a project name. If you do so please add it as so:
For those who are participating in our UCS monthly challenge, please thoughtfully follow these guidelines, as it is very important to us to see the CatID and your name appear clearly.
- DSGNDron_Swinging Light Saber Loop 01_Luke Skywalker_SFXSwap2503
- CREAHmn_Dwarf Scream Hot Dogs_Donald Trump_SFXSwap2601
Additional Metadata
Additional metadata isn't currently required but encouraged. This usually includes a longer description of the sound, the microphone used or some additional information. Those informations should not appear in the FileName. For more info on metadata we strongly recommend Kai Paquin's approach, take a look HERE.
Helpful Tools
A few tools exist to make this whole process easier. If you're using Reaper HERE is one from Aaron Cendan.