FAQ TrackTesting

Q1: What is TrackTesting and what do I get out of it?
Q2: What does it cost to use TrackTesting’s services?

Q3: How do I upload my songs?
Q4: What’s a soundbite?
Q5: I am having some problems creating a Soundbite
Q6: When I try to upload my tracks, I am told that they are not 44.1 KHz?
Q7: Can you get us a record deal?
Q8: I didn’t sign up to rate other people’s music
Q9: How long does a test usually take?
Q10: Can you help me if I can sing or rap, but do not have any recorded tracks?
Q11: Can I upload a cover song?
Q12: I cannot upload my WAV-file

Q13: I cannot use my gift card at Amazon.com^®
Q14: How come one or more of my gift certificates have disappeared?
Q15: When have I earned a gift certificate?

General questions

Q1: What is TrackTesting and what do I get out of it?

TrackTesting offers a unique service for unsigned bands and artists. You get the opportunity to upload your music for testing, which means that your track is sent to 200-300 of our many thousand testers from all over the world. The testers listen to your song and give it a score and a comment, and you will receive a full test report with invaluable information. The strength of the test report comes from the segmentation of our testers, who are divided according to age, gender, geographical location, music taste etc., which gives you, as a musician, a detailed overview of what you can do even better with regard to your music and who your greatest fans are.

Furthermore, TrackTesting can handle putting your music up for sale online, and each week, the tracks with the best ratings will be sent to A&R people at leading record companies. If your music receives a good rating, your music has already been given a seal of approval by a wide selection of the population and has therefore gotten a commercial rubber stamp.

Q2: What does it cost to use TrackTesting’s services?

We have made a point of you being able to use TrackTesting without being put under any financial obligation. On the other hand, you probably have an idea of what is behind the service we offer in the shape of technical equipment, monitoring and expenses related to for example testers, distribution channels etc.

Therefore, we request that you make a small voluntary contribution that you find fitting for coverage of our expenses.

By clicking on the link below, you can make a contribution of 5,10,15 or 20 USD in accordance with your financial situation and your satisfaction with TrackTesting’s work. You pay with credit card right away.

We urge you to use this opportunity in order for TrackTesting to be able to maintain an open environment with room for everyone in the future as well.

Thank you in advance for your understanding,

Go to VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION SHOPPING BASKET

Artist & Band issues

Q3: How do I upload my songs?

Simply go login to your account (press here http://www.tracktesting.com/TestCustomer/DefaultAnB.aspx) and choose the upper-left link in the menu: "Create new testjob", and you will be guided through the process.

Q4: What’s a soundbite?

A soundbite is a sample of your song of 30 seconds of length, that will be send out first amongst other tracks. The TrackTesters will then rate the soundbite/sample of your song, and if it’s rated good enough, your whole track will then be send out to our TrackTesters. This is done to ensure the quality of songs and Tracks at TrackTesting.

Q5: I am having some problems creating a soundbite:

You can find our guide for creation of soundbites here:
http://www.tracktesting.com/TestCustomer/Guides/MakingSoundbites.aspx

Q6: When I try to upload my tracks, I am told that they are not 44.1 KHz?

In order to make sure that your tracks have the right sound quality, we require that they have a sampling rate of 44.1 KHz. This is a preference that you can for example set in your preferred music program when exporting your music to files.

Q7: Can you get us a record deal?

TrackTesting is not a record company, but offers a unique service that can work as a lever for you when you are trying to get a record deal.

Q8: I didn’t sign up to rate other people’s music

TrackTesting offers a free service for you as an artist & band, and we hope that you want to help us and yourself by testing other people’s music as well. Technically a test could be done in a day, and you could receive your test results 24 hours after submitting your track. But that would require more testers than we have right now, who will listen to new tracks and rate them, so you can help yourself getting your test-results back faster, by rating other people’s tracks as well.

Q9: How long does a test usually take?

The test period is usually 14 days for a soundbite test and 14 days for a full test. However, it may sometimes take longer, if we have many tracks that we have to test, as we have to put the tests in line in order to avoid overloading our TrackTesters, but we are constantly working on getting you your results as quickly as possible.

You can help make the testing go even quicker by joining as a TrackTester, if you have not already, or by encouraging your friends to become TrackTesters. (It is free, and you receive points for each test you participate in. You can download any music you like with these points).

Q10: Can you help me if I can sing or rap, but do not have any recorded tracks?

We would like to help you as an unsigned artist, but in order for us to be able to do that, you have to have at least one recorded track that you can upload for testing. However, we cannot accept pure a cappella recordings.

Q11: Can I upload a cover song?

No, you can only upload music that you have the copyright for.

Q12: I cannot upload my WAV-file

First of all, please ensure that your WAV-file is "16 bit 44.100 Hz".

If you have problems with uploading large files, it may be because the Internet connection is unstable (if the connection drops).

If uploading fails after more than one retry, you can try to upload your WAV-file through a "file transfer website" like this one :

Instructions for a file transfer for www.sendspace.com

- Enter Description: (the Title of your track)
- Enter Recipient's email: "upload@tracktesting.com"
- Enter Your email: (the email address you use for login to tracktesting)

You will then receive an email from us within 24 hours, as soon as your upload has been processed by our staff. At that point you can "Edit" your track and just continue from the point where you were asked to upload, and you will find that your track now has been uploaded by us.

TrackTester issues

Q13: I cannot use my gift card at Amazon.com^®

Amazon MP3 downloads are only available to customers located in the United States. However, your Amazon.com Gift Card can be used towards millions of other eligible items on Amazon.com.

If you still can’t use your gift cards... You may be trying to use a gift card from the old mp3-download provider (TDC-music), and the gift cards are not redeemable at Amazon.com^®.

Q14: How come one or more of my gift certificates have disappeared?

When you receive your gift certificate, you have to remember to activate it – not necessarily use it – but activate it on your list of gift certificates within 30 days. The reason that the system automatically removes gift certificates that have not been activated is that we pay for the gift certificate as soon as you have participated in a test, regardless of whether you use the gift certificate or not. This means that if the gift certificate is not activated within 30 days, the system automatically removes it, assuming that it will not be used.

Q15: When have I earned a gift certificate?

When you have participated in a complete test, you receive a gift certificate. A test can either consist of 10 soundbites of 30 seconds or 5 full-length tracks.