Apple Digital Master: What is it and how to submit it?

An Apple Digital Master is a high-quality audio file designed to meet Apple Music's top sound standards. It ensures your music sounds its best on the platform, delivering an exceptional listening experience to your audience. Here’s a streamlined look at what you need to know about creating and submitting an Apple Digital Master.

What is an Apple Digital Master?

Apple Digital Masters are optimized audio files that take full advantage of Apple’s Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format. AAC compressed and encoded digital audio to maintain high quality while keeping the file size manageable. This format has evolved over the years, allowing Apple to provide music with superior sound quality that is nearly indistinguishable from larger digital files.

The importance of high-resolution audio

In digital audio, higher sample rates and bit depths offer a richer sound experience. While CDs typically use a 16-bit 44.1kHz resolution, many modern recordings use higher sample rates (like 48kHz or 96kHz) and 24-bit depth to capture more detail and dynamic range. This high-resolution recording is then carefully downsampled to meet mainstream distribution specifications, such as those used by Apple Digital Masters.

Challenges in high-resolution Audio encoding

When converting high-resolution audio to formats like AAC, the process involves reducing the sample rate and bit depth. This downsampling can introduce noise or distortion, but with Apple Digital Masters, the goal is to minimize these effects, preserving the integrity of your original recording.

How to Submit an Apple Digital Master File

1. Ensure your audio Meets Apple’s requirements:
   • Check that your audio file meets Apple’s specific guidelines for quality. You can find these here.
2. Work with an Apple certified mastering studio:
   • Verify if your mastering studio is Apple certified by checking the list of approved studios here.
   • If your studio isn't certified, send us the following details, and we'll check with Apple for approval:
   • Studio name
   • Location
   • Engineer’s name
   • Phone number
   • Email address

Ready to submit?

If your audio file meets all guidelines, email us at labelrelations@digdis.de with your release details and the Apple Digital Master file. We'll handle the rest, ensuring your music is uploaded with the highest sound quality possible.

Why choose Apple Digital Masters?

By creating and submitting an Apple Digital Master, you’re ensuring that your music is presented in the best possible quality on Apple Music. This enhances the listener's experience and helps your tracks stand out in a competitive market. If you're ready to take your music to the next level, start the process today!