What is a Transcode?
Put simply, a transcode is any audio file that wasn't encoded from an original lossless source, such as a retail CD (not created from lossy files) or a properly made lossless
rip. At What, we only allow one lossy step in the lineage of any upload.
Why is transcoding bad?
Whenever you encode a file to a lossy format (such as mp3, m4a(AAC), ogg, or mpc) information is permanently lost. It doesn't matter what you do, it's impossible to get this information back without making a new
rip from the original lossless source. If you reencode it to a different format or bitrate, all you're doing is reducing the quality. This applies to any lossy to lossy conversion, so even if you convert from 320kbps to 192kbps, the final file will still
sound worse than if you had just ripped to 192kbps in the first place.
It's also important to remember to verify that lossless rips actually came from an original source.
People that download lossless expect it to be identical to the original. There's no point in
people downloading a
bigger file just to get another lossy
rip.
So how do I verify that my upload isn't a transcode?
The simplest
way is to
rip and encode it from the original source yourself. That
way, you know that there has been only one lossy step (or that the
rip is truly lossless, if you decided to do a lossless
rip).
You should also check it by using a wave editor (such as Adobe Audition) to look at the spectral frequency display.
