FAQs – Music Manager

A note about Track Titles

Track Titles should match the titles registered with the societies. .MP3 or .WAV should not be included in the Track Title field.

The audio file I tried to upload failed. What's wrong?

If any of your audio files should fail to upload while using the Soundmouse Uploader for Windows, try reuploading by clicking Upload. When prompted, click Skip to target only those files that have failed. For the Soundmouse Uploader for Mac OS, click Retry or Retry All. If the file fails to upload again – using either the bulk uploader tools or the browser – test to make sure you can play the file on your machine as it may be corrupted. If the problem persists, contact your Soundmouse represtative.

 

I just uploaded hundreds of audio files using the Soundmouse Uploader for Windows/Mac, but they aren't showing up on my Music home screen. Where are they?

While files may have a status of Completed/Uploaded in the Soundmouse Uploader, they may still require internal processing to become visible on the Music homescreen. Users should check the Uploads Manager to view the full status.

Once all the audio files have a status of Completed (Mac) or Uploaded (Windows) in the Uploads Manager, refresh your workspace by clicking on Music. Remember, the default display on the Music home screen only lists 1,000 items, so make use of the filters and the search functionality to locate files.

If the files do not yet have a status of Completed/Uploaded in the Uploads Manager, please note that the performance of the system is based on your own connection speed and the length of the processing queue. If many users are uploading a large volume of files simultaneously it is possible that Soundmouse will not be able to process all files immediately.

What resolution should be provided for album and library artwork?

All artwork should be provided as a square image with as high a resolution as possible. 800 X 800 pixels with 300dpi is recommended.

There are some audio files on the Music home screen that didn't move into the correct library/album after I mapped the corresponding spreadsheet. Why didn't these audio files move?

These audio files are referred to as unmatched tracks. An unmatched track is the result of a mismatch between the audio file name of the track (including the file extension) and the audio file name provided in the spreadsheet OR the absence of the track in the spreadsheet entirely. Generating an Error Report prior to signing off on a spreadsheet will highlight where these errors exist.

I can't seem to sign off on my data. What went wrong?

If the system is not allowing you to click Sign Off it is likely that there are duplicate audio file names referenced in the spreadsheet. Generating an Error Report will help identify instances where this has occurred.

Any duplicates in a spreadsheet will cause the Sign Off & Complete button to be greyed out. These will be displayed as grey lines in the Error Report. Users must delete all duplicates to be able to Sign Off on the spreadsheet.

I amended an audio file name in my spreadsheet, remapped it and signed it off, but I can still see the incorrect audio file name on the system. How do I get rid of it?

Soundmouse treats the audio file name as the unique track ID. If an incorrect file name is written to the database it will remain there until it is deleted. To delete the unwanted file, first locate it on the Music home screen, check its corresponding tickbox and then click on Actions followed by Delete.

Everyone at Soundmouse keeps saying 'the spreadsheet is key'. What does this mean?

Many users often use a master spreadsheet which they then remap as data is added. Please note: if a track, album or library is deleted manually in Soundmouse but the corresponding rows are not removed from the spreadsheet, when the spreadsheet is remapped all of this unamended/unwanted data will reappear. For this reason, it is best to make changes directly to the spreadsheet then reupload and remap it. The spreadsheet should be treated as the definitive repository of data and should be accurately maintained; misspellings and inappropriate file extensions can result in items being mismatched or incorrectly filed which may cause them to be unavailable on the system.

If you wish, you can delete spreadsheets once they are successfully mapped to the system without error. Spreadsheets can be uploaded in batches, but a 'master spreadsheet' should always be maintained in case you need to refer back to it at any point.

What if I'm a sub-publisher or a label is sub-published?

Generally, library agents or sub-publishers have their own Soundmouse account which they administer directly, tailoring any metadata for their own territory with provision of local society identifiers. The audio files will still need to be uploaded to your account (even if they are being supplied via other agents) along with the Soundmouse Music Manager Template (Excel) that contains the metadata of the audio files uploaded.

In terms of completing the Soundmouse Music Manager Template (Excel), the procedure is the same: ensure the mandatory information is supplied and select the territory in which you operate. Users should write ‘Data Provider is ____’ (insert the parent library name in the blank) in the Library Notes field of the spreadsheet. This information should then be copied down next to all tracks for the labels for which you are providing data.

Sub-publishers can enter their name in the Publisher 1 Name field, CAE/IPI number and Publisher Society. Any additional publishers can be listed in the Publisher 2, 3 etc fields.

Note: it is important that your works are registered with your local PRO so they can identify reported repertoire via local works identifiers and International Standard Work Codes (ISWCs). Their distribution picture is based upon your registered work details.

Can I get a report detailing where my tracks have been used?

No. Soundmouse does not provide reports to content providers.