User:Shdwdogg0/Sandbox
Audio Guidelines proposal draft
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.
Music ripping guide
The guide has been moved here.
Guidelines
New audio uploads for the MP3 reupload project (and in general) should follow these guidelines.
- In-game audio must be converted directly from the game files. Avoid sources like youtube, Splatune, or the lossy files already present on the site. For audio not directly present in the game files, use the highest quality source available. Audio extracted from user-made recordings of gameplay should be avoided/is not allowed in cases where alternative sources are present.
- The audio should be converted with 2 loops and a 10 second fade-out. Not all files will have loop data.
- Most audio should be normalized to a peak volume of -1db. If a certain track is significantly louder than the rest, reduce the peak volume to match it with the others.
- The audio must be in the MP3 format with a bitrate of 160kbps. Use of the LAME MP3 encoder is recommended.
- The files must contain no metadata.
- The files should be named as game abbreviation (or origin) + title, eg. "S3 Big Betrayal.mp3", "RotM Seep & Destroy.mp3". If there is no official title for the track, use of a conjectural name is allowed. If a track is split into multiple phases (pairs of channels), the phase number should be added to the name, eg. "OC Octarmaments Phase 1.mp3", "RotM Sandcastles Phase 3.mp3".
Converting the game files
To convert the in-game audio files to a usable format, you will need LoopingAudioConverter.
- Add all the files you want to convert. Music will generally be prefixed with STRM or BGM.
- Set the output format to FLAC.
- Set the number of loops to 2 and the fade-out time to 10 sec. These settings won't be applied for files with no loop data.
- Optionally, set the desired output directory. Leave the other settings at their default values.
- Click start to begin the conversion.
You have now successfully converted the game files to a usable format.
Normalize volume and export to MP3
The next step is to normalize the volume of the audio files and export them as MP3. To do this, you can use Audacity (version 2.4.2 is recommended).
- Import any audio file and select File > Export > Export as MP3.
- In the format options, set the bitrate mode to constant and the quality to 160kbps, leave the channel mode at joint stereo.
- Click save, this will save the MP3 export settings. You can delete the exported file afterwards.
- Select Tools > Macros > MP3 Conversion. In the edit steps window you should see two commands, Normalize and ExportMP3. Select the Normalize command > Edit > Manage > Factory Presets > Default and click OK.
- Click Apply Macro to: Files... Select all the files you want to convert and click Open.
- Audacity will now begin processing the files. They will be exported to a macro-output folder in the same directory as the source files.
You have now successfully converted the files to MP3.
Finalizing
Before you do anything else, give each of the files a quick listen to make sure none are disproportionately loud or have playback issues. Files that are significantly louder than the rest will need to be manually converted with a lower peak volume. For example, Endolphin Surge from Splatoon 2 needs to be reduced to around -5db to match the other tracks.
For files with multiple channels that don't have individual phases, generally only the first two channels should be uploaded, unless the other channels are part of the music. If you're unsure, check how the audio is played in-game. For example, the Octo Valley mission tracks have a 2nd set of channels containing a cymbal sound effect that plays when you get spotted, but isn't part of the actual music.
Use a tag editor such as Mp3tag to remove all tags and metadata, then give the file an appropriate name.
The files are now ready to be uploaded. 
