How to Send Your Recording
(Please ask in the forum with questions and/or make changes right into the page)
How to Send Your Recording
- Read instructions in the top post for your project (usually 8. "Transfer of files")
- Put your file on a server (see "Recommended uploader" below)
- Post a link to your file on the project thread (the BC or MC takes it from there); if you don't know the link, post to the project thread and explain what you've done, and you'll get help figuring it out
Recommended uploader
Unless your project specifies a different method (check the top post in your project), please use the LibriVox Uploader. This uploader uses the same server used for cataloguing and speeds the process. This uploader is for LibriVox projects only.
| LibriVox Uploader http://upload.librivox.org/
|
How To Save and Upload a File to Librivox This is a more current video made in 2011 that includes choosing the correct MC
- The uploader displays a long-term link when the upload is complete
- Video guide to the LibriVox uploader.An earlier video
Please use this uploader rather than yousendit or any other file service that doesn't give very-long-term links. The LibriVox uploader is preferred even to your own server; if you do use another server, be certain your files can remain there for several months (till the project is catalogued).
We urge all BCs or solo readers who keep project files on their own hard drive to consider keeping them also on the LibriVox Uploader as a back-up. It is SO SAD when a computer crashes and destroys all the files of a whole project.
Overview of the process
If you look in the project threads, you'll see folks making posts like:
"Here's chapter 3: http://www.server.com/file.mp3"
The Book Coordinator (BC) will link to that file in the "Magic Window" in the top post; prooflisteners will use that link to download and listen to the file, and so on. When all the project files are collected and corrected, the Meta-Coordinator (MC) will upload the files into the cataloguing thingy, which places them in a massive server called archive.org, which serves up all the LibriVox catalogued works. All the previous, individual files can then be erased. Here it is again, in slightly finer detail:
1. You claim your chapter and follow top post instructions, you record it and make the mp3 file - and there it is, sitting on your computer. Let's call it recording.mp3. 2. You put your mp3 file on a server - ideally the LibriVox Uploader (unless the project's top post specifies otherwise) - and you receive a link. Now you return to the project thread and post that link so others can download your recording. 3. The BC spots your post in the project thread and puts your link into the "Magic Window/Box" in the project's top post. 4. Each project file is "prooflistened" - a listener volunteer uses the link to download and listen to your recording. If corrections are needed, they should be made before the project goes into the catalogue. 5. When the project is complete and correct, the MC uploads all the project files into the catalog server (archive.org), where they're stored forever; when folks download an LV audiobook, they're downloading it from archive.org.
Alternative methods
Check the top post of your project to see what server the BC has chosen. If none is specified, please use one of the "The recommended uploader" (see above).
The Uploader (see top of this page) is the preferred solution. It only became available around August 2007, so several other methods are still in use.
When the LV Uploader is fussy (rarely), an alternative route is handy.
Other Uploaders
Some MCs have server space with an "uploader," which allows folks to upload without special software. The MC will provide
- --a link to the uploader
- --a password
and then the uploader allows you to upload the file from your computer to the server.
Ask the MC what your link will be (e.g., http://thatmcserver.com/somefoldername/yourfilename.mp3)
Using ftp software
- (ftp = file transfer protocol)
Some MCs have server space accessable through ftp software. The MC will provide
- --an ftp or sftp address
- --a user name
- --a password
Ask the MC what your link will be (e.g., http://thatmcserver.com/somefoldername/yourfilename.mp3)
Free ftp software is available:
Got Firefox browser? They have a free ftp add-on ... "free, easy to use (runs in a new tab within firefox) and has good documentation"
For PC, SmartFTP is very nice, especially because the tutorials are very good.
For Mac, Cyber Duck is very nice
Several free Mac programs are listed here:
http://www.pure-mac.com/ftp.html
Use FTP software to upload files to a specific server; you'll need to enter this info first: --host---usually ftp.somethingorother.com or 123.45.67.8910 kind of thing --user/login---this is usually something like a name, typically LibriVox :D --password---often a combination of upper and lower case letters and numbers Pay Attention To Capitalization for all three: host, user/id, password. No leading spaces. 10 times out of 9, people can't connect to a server because of a typo or leading space.
Get all the server info from the top post in the project thread, or from the BC/MC.
If you have your own server, you probably know how to use it. If you don't, you'll need to look at the online instructions for your service, and then poke around, and then call tech support (in that order). The link will be http://www.yourserver.com/afolderyoumadeforLVfiles/recording.mp3
Free commercial services
One free service for sending large files is pretty handy for LibriVox projects:
mediafire.com/ - unlimited file size, no time limit - no registration required.
The other services don't keep files long enough for our project purposes, and we hope folks will stop using these now that we have two great uploaders available (see top of page).
gigasize.com files up to 1GB, link expires after 45 days - no registration required.
mailbigfile.com (please don't use) files up to 512MB, link expires after 5 days - no registration required.
yousendit.com (please don't use) files up to 100MB, link expires after 7 days.
dropload.com (please don't use) files up to 100MB, link expires after 7 days.
Back-up advice
When convenient for you, make a high-quality back-up your file by exporting/saving it as a .wav file on your computer; for convenience, keep only your .mp3 and your .wav file, and free up computer space by deleting the hefty editing files (for Audacity that's the folder of files that goes with your .aup file).
That way, you reclaim computer space, but if your file is lost on the Internet, you've got the .mp3 file handy for re-uploading. If you need to edit a bit more, you've got a high-quality source file (the .wav) to edit from. Editing an .mp3 file and resaving as an .mp3 file is like Xeroxing a Xerox -- you lose quality (although 2 or 3 resaves will be okay, so don't fret much). See this forum thread for more discussion on the "Xerox effect"!
Want to help VoxForge?
Please consider helping out our friends at VoxForge (open source speech recognition): send them your .wav or .aiff along with text. Find out how to upload for VoxForge.
