Wav vs 320Mp3

[Greg C]

Okay folks. I have used this forum many a time, but this is my first post. 

I am mixing this massive audiobook with a music score. The amount of storage for this 15 hour audio book is massive. 

We are publishing with PublishDrive, and PublishDrive only allows for MP3s. 

Do you think it wise to bounce the music stems as MP3s instead of wav files? It would certainly save a lot of space. Is there any downside to bouncing the music score stems as an MP3 when the final project needs to be submitted as an MP3? 

Thanks, 
Greg

[Zipfunk]

I’m not sure if you can bounce to wav for a file that long. Don’t quote me but you may have to bounce as aiff. 
 

As far as quality goes are you sending the stems to a mix house? If you are it’s been my experience if you send anything less than 48K and 24bit till be sent back. 
 

I routinely send 320 mp3s to directors for queues in the early stages of post and I know they’ve side stepped mix houses and just printed the 320 to the final product out of a need for speed in delivery. I don’t hear a difference on my set up (which is pretty good as far as speaker arrays go but nothing like the post house sound houses I send wav stems to)

I guess it all depends on the end purchaser. If it’s an audiobook going to audible I’d send wavs. If it’s going to somewhere else maybe not as big (and this isn’t a slight in the quality of your job) I’d upload 320 to get it out, done, and on to the next project.

I’ve heard some audiobooks purchased on Amazon that sound like they were recorded in a dumpster on fire. I’m sure your output sounds 1000x better than some of those  

Sorry for the long winded response. 
 

Drew

Edited March 20, 2023 by Zipfunk