Inkipedia:Proposals/Passed/Audio Guidelines

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Currently, Inkipedia doesn't have any guidelines for audio. This results in differences in the sourcing, naming, as well as the format and quality of audio files, which causes issues for users with devices that don't support the OGG/OGA formats as discussed here. This proposal aims to standardize audio on the wiki by creating specific guidelines for audio uploads to ensure consistent quality and compatibility with all devices. The full guidelines can be found here, with the main points being:

• Audio must be converted directly from the game files or the highest quality source available.
• The audio should be converted with two loops and a 10 second fade-out and normalized to a peak volume of -1 dB (see the full guidelines for exceptions).
• The audio must be in MP3 format with a bitrate of 160 kbps. The files must contain no metadata.
• The files should be named as: game abbreviation (or origin) + title, e.g. "S3 Big Betrayal.mp3" and "RotM Seep & Destroy.mp3" (see the full guidelines for exceptions).

The replacement of existing OGG/OGA files will be handled as part of the MP3 Reupload Project.

Shdwdogg0 (talk) 18:21, 16 February 2024 (UTC)

Start date: 16 February 2024

End date: 8 March 2024

Support

1. Been following the discussion and progress of this project closely in the Discord and I have no reason to believe that this policy cannot be an improvement for us. Easy support! :) Driftin Soul (talk) 18:29, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
2. Support this as good guidance without conflating the copyright issues. Slate Talk Contribs 19:22, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
3. kris(talk) 20:36, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
4. Supported the previous audio-related proposal, so I support this one as well. Anemoia [Talk!] 20:38, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
5. I have also been following the discussion for this and I agree this is an easy support! FancyRat 20:43, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
6. Olivia (talk) 21:12, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
7.  GX_64 (talk)  23:41, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
8. Support, the wiki needs to standardize its miscellaneous somewhat messy at the moment audio files. The attached cleanup project sounds promising! Yoshifan52 (talk) 01:42, 17 February 2024 (UTC)
9. Thumbs up emoji Trig Jegman - 04:49, 17 February 2024 (UTC)
10. — Exaskliri _(they/them) (talk | contribs) 08:46, 17 February 2024 (UTC)
11. Cackle (talk) 13:31, 17 February 2024 (UTC)
12. Easy support. Much less controversial points than the last audio proposal. I disagree with banning the official OST CD as a source, but the result will be the same anyways. Heddy (talk) 05:53, 18 February 2024 (UTC)
13. I've long supported changes to our audio issues and this seems like a set of logical first steps! GloverMist (talk) 15:08, 18 February 2024 (UTC)
14. Full support OrderSquid38 [Talk] 15:09, 18 February 2024 (UTC)
15. Support, this adds very needed audio guidelines and that is awesome. WaferCaken (talk) 17:12, 18 February 2024 (UTC)
16. Support. This sounds like a good way to ensure consistent quality. Lyichir (talk) 00:13, 23 February 2024 (UTC)
17. Hands down, support. Looks unanimous so far, really no reason to support. Flawless policy proposal, would like to see it carried out. Good job Shdwdogg0! Stay Fresh!NewSquidbeakSplatoon (talk) 00:42, 23 February 2024 (UTC)
18. Support, this will be very helpful Enchanting 09:14, 24 February 2024 (UTC)
19. MP3 is a lossy format meanwhile WAV is a lossless format, which means that you basically don't lose audio quality. Unless there is some issue with the reproduction of WAV files, I would recommend you to set it as the standard, and set MP3 as an alternative if the original audio is in such format. – 17:44, 28 February 2024 (UTC)
    EDIT: As discussed below I think it would b okay to upload a less quality converted MP3 file as long as we either link to the official, openly accessible, original, full quality file if avaliable; or indicate where the file comes from if it's not officially and openly accessible on the internet. wmyttmlimvty (talk) 18:33, 29 February 2024 (UTC)

Discussion

• What do they mean by two loops? As in it loops twice, like City Of Color going around twice? — Preceding unsigned comment added by NewSquidbeakSplatoon (talk • contribs) 11:56, 17 February 2024 (UTC)

The game's audio files have loop data so that the file can be played back continuously, like in the jukebox or squidbeats. During the initial conversion from the game's proprietary format, the audio should be set to loop twice. Shdwdogg0 (talk) 13:35, 17 February 2024 (UTC)

• @wmyttmlimvty Being lossy is in fact (part of) the point; our aim is to not present game audio in the best possible quality, as it invites increased risk of being targeted for copyright violations. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Driftin Soul (talk • contribs)

  Furthermore, uncompressed audio is significantly larger than compressed audio which would slow down the end users' experience by seconds to minutes depending on how much they are loading. The difference between a 5mb file and a *500*mb is not light. The amount of compression being applied was chosen specifically because the vast majority of listeners would not be able to perceive differences. Trig - 18:32, 28 February 2024 (UTC)

  Well, that sounds fine as long as we document the source accurately, and in case an official download / original audio file can be found somewhere, we link to it on the source. Otherwise we would be damaging audio without any documentation on where the full quality original version of that audio came from / can be found at. — Preceding unsigned comment added by wmyttmlimvty (talk • contribs)

  We can't provide links to downloads of the game files or Splatune rips since that would be a copyright violation. Shdwdogg0 (Talk) 20:33, 28 February 2024 (UTC)

  Welp that's why I said official. 😅 — Preceding unsigned comment added by wmyttmlimvty (talk • contribs)

  I might be misunderstanding, but if a file was ripped from the game files, shouldn't the source reflect that? If an official download is available, it can be linked to on the music page or on the article for the respective track. Shdwdogg0 (Talk) 00:42, 29 February 2024 (UTC)

  I personally dont know what the source should be if the music is ripped from the game files bc idk much abt how the copyright works in such cases. What I said about linking the original source file just applies if the original file is officially and openly accessible on the internet. But no idea abt game file rips.
  
  In case we can indicate file rips, the source should always be the max quality avaliable, for example: If we have an official online file in mp3 and know that the file can be obtained via ingame files with a better quality, we should indicate that as well on "source" imo. wmyttmlimvty (talk) 18:57, 29 February 2024 (UTC)

  I don't think it's necessary to put that in the source since it should accurately state the origin of the file. In case it was ripped from the game files by the uploader, the source should be "source=self" or "Ripped/extracted from the game files by uploader". Shdwdogg0 (Talk) 21:19, 29 February 2024 (UTC)