Sound File Upload Requirements

This article serves as a reference for some of the common questions/requirements that exist when uploading new sound files to your Sharpen environment!

NOTE: Logic+ Sound Files have a different set of requirements available here.

What file format should a sound file be in, before I try to upload it?

• Mono channel

• 16-bit PCM

• MP3

What should I name my sound file, especially if i’m trying to upload new verbiage for an existing resource?

• Simple filenames are best; using something like “Main Greeting”, or “Holiday Messaging v3” work well for establishing the intended use of the sound file and what version of the message has been uploaded to the system

  • While the name field of the sound file is hard-coded with a maximum of 200 characters, a sound file has a timestamp and file format appended to it during the conversion process

• make sure to avoid symbols in the file name

  • Because of how the filename gets converted and stored (as a reference path in the database), using characters like “/” or “.” will cause the upload process to fail. Stick to using spaces or underscores if you’re trying to add formatting to the name of your sound file

I'm not sure how to convert a sound file’s format? Are there any tools I can use to meet these requirements?

Operating systems like Microsoft Windows and Apple OSX provide some default sound file tools (like Windows Media Player or Garage Band), but you may want to download a 3rd party sound file editing application that has a more-robust toolset. “Audacity” is one such tool that can be used to check if these requirements have been met, and can also export the sound file as a properly formatted MP3 if you also install the LAME library. You can find Audacity HERE

• *Please Note: We cannot offer support for the application Audacity, we simply recommend this as it is open source and relatively easy to use.**

What happens if I upload a sound file and it does not meet these requirements?
Sound files that do not meet our recommended system requirements may encounter issues when you attempt to call into an auto attendant, processing queue, or other system location that references the freshly uploaded file.

• Note: Playback of the file may work in the Sharpen application directly in the Sound Files menu, but this is because the browser is executing the playback of the file.

  • Browsers have a far wider reach in terms of file formatting support (mp3, mp4, FLAC, etc) than traditional telephony carrier systems.

Help! Where is the sound file I just uploaded?
All uploaded sound files are viewable in the Sharpen Admin → configuration tab → Sound Files container within the application

• After an upload is initiated, it should only take ~5-15 minutes (depending on the size of the audio file) to finish the conversion process

Once uploaded, make sure that the sound file eventually reflects a "Deployed" status. This means that the sound file is ready for use throughout the application!

• If the sound file indefinitely shows a “Converting” or “Failed” status indicator, then something errored out during the upload/conversion process and the file will need to be uploaded again

Open

This particular item failed to convert, due to having a restricted “.” character in the filename

• In the event you’re seeing files stuck in “Converting” or “Failed”, and want to upload a new attempt using the same filename - please reach out to the Care team and we can remove stuck/failed files from your environment!