FAQs relating to soundfile uploads

Recordings are used solely for monitoring purposes. They are used to add missing information to existing usage data or to determine previously unidentified uses.

Commercially available recordings are uploaded in the online distribution process and are therefore generally already on hand for monitoring purposes. That is not the case for recordings which are not per se intended for digital distribution, such as advertising music, production music, live-performance recordings or special club mixes. That is why SUISA mostly needs these types of non-commercially available recordings to fill gaps in monitoring.

SUISA currently works with monitoring in the following areas: radio and TV broadcasts, and clubs and discotheques.

Recordings are not passed on to radio stations or TV channels for broadcasting purposes.

The file formats are restricted in line with the service providers’ monitoring requirements.

No. You can skip this step when you register a work. If need be, SUISA can ask you to deposit a copy (e.g. for arrangements of works that are no longer protected, a deposited copy is mandatory).

Recordings must be uploaded without voice-overs. If commercials are uploaded entirely voiced over, they cannot be identified by monitoring systems.

All final recordings of a work can be uploaded. If the recordings only vary in duration, you can simply upload the longest one.

Since recordings are only used for monitoring purposes, you should only upload recordings that are actually used in public. It makes no sense to upload demos or recordings still in the production stage.

Distribution is based on how long a work is actually used and not on the length of the work. However, the length of a recording is relevant in creating its fingerprint for monitoring purposes. That is why the complete recording should be uploaded and not just a short version.

Recordings can only be uploaded by persons or publishers who participate in the work.

Recordings can only be uploaded by the original rightholders. Sub-publishers cannot upload any recordings. SUISA can obtain any required recordings from the international repertoire through exchanges with its sister societies.

CSV is the most common file format for exchanging information between two or more systems. As pure text files, CSV files are easy to read and are generally significantly smaller than XLS files. Moreover, CSV is a universal format and does not require any special software.