[Fmpro] audio cd's and UK compatability

[info]

Hi Andrew, 

No geographical incompatibilities for CDs as there is with DVDs. There are minor considerations based on what OS and software your audience has available. 

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Audio Format:
1. Audio Red Book format (standard manufactured CDs - 44.1k/16b) can be played on any commercial audio CD player (including computer audio CD players). 

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Data Format:
1. AIFFs - pretty universal on macs,  depends on available software for PC. 
2. WAVs - pretty playable by almost anything on PC and any modern mac. Depending on software used to create and to read the WAV, you may run into byte-ordering issues (big-endian vs. little-endian). rare, but I've run into it. 

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Sample Rate:
44.1k is very safe. 48k may not be playable on a few rare older sound cards. (but if these guys are making films, they should be able to handle 48k). 

Your odds of reaching your audience are very high if you send any of these formats. The compatibility issues I've mentioned are rare anymore and become even less important with every new OS or software release. However, if you can stand the postage, play it safe and send several CDs. One audio (standard audio red book) and one data (with well-labeled wave and aiff files).  

Good Luck, 

Doug


>Guys (and ladies), 

>I'm getting ready to send a film production an audio cd.  The thing is, I'm in the US and the guy I'm sending it to is in Scotland.  Does >anyone know of any incompatability between audio discs burnt with a regular mac G4 I purchaced in the US and audio players or >computers in the UK?   I know there are DVD regions, but haven't heard of any audio CD regions.  

>This may seem a silly question, but right now the guys are loving my demos from my website and I offered to send a CD so they can hear >more stuff in all its 44.1k 16bit glory.  I'm also digging their story and see this as a good opportunity to write the type of music I actually >like writing on a film I would actually enjoy watching.  I don't want little things like regional incompatbility to get these guys to change >their mind about working with someone over seas.  

>I'm also asuming things like aiff files and waves are universal formats and 48k is common on UK versions of editing software.  Seems I'm >universally paranoid when I actually find a job i want to do!   

>Thanks, 

>A Fez