Archiving Formats
Choose archive formats by whether they still open in ten years
Related
Archiving is not backup
Three years later the session opens but a plug-in is gone. The master survives but the generation log does not. Backup guards against a failed drive; archiving guards against the loss of formats, plug-ins and context. You need both.
Four file types, four formats
| Category | Preferred | Acceptable | Never the only copy | Keep with it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session | DAW project plus frozen stems | Exported tracks | The project file alone | Plug-in list, version, licences |
| Stems | 24-bit WAV at the session rate | FLAC | An MP3 as the only copy | Gain, start point, naming map |
| Master | 24-bit WAV plus DDP | FLAC | A streaming transcode | Loudness, ISRC, checksums |
| Generation log | Plain text or CSV | PDF screenshots | Browser history alone | Tool version, prompts, terms snapshot |
Choose a format by whether software will still open it in ten years, not by whether it sounds professional. WAV and FLAC decoders are everywhere; session files depend on a DAW version, and plug-ins are more fragile still. That is why a session package must include frozen stems, even when it doubles the size.
Checksums, copies and migration
Hash every file with SHA-256 and put the manifest at the top level. Keep two copies on different media, one offsite, and read a sample once a year to confirm it still opens. Migrate every three to five years, or when the OS, DAW or a plug-in loses support, preferring open formats while keeping the originals. Converting a lossy file to a lossless format is not preservation; it only makes it bigger.
When lossless is not enough
If the plug-in maker disappears, frozen audio is the only way back. If a cloud account closes and no local copy exists, everything is gone. If rights evidence is missing, perfect audio still cannot answer whether the work may be used. If metadata was wrong at creation, the archive preserves the error. The goal is not a complete folder; it is being able to answer what this is, how it was made and whether it can be used, ten years from now.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Along the same line
Sources
- Library of Congress, Sustainability of Digital Formats 与 IASA TC-04 关于长期保存格式的建议。
- 母带与分轨交付的位深与采样率实务，参考行业公开资料。
- 校验值与异地备份实践，来自公开档案标准。