# How SoundCloudRips Verifies Audio Quality
HTML: https://soundcloudrips.com/enAQ/audio-quality-methodology
> See how SoundCloudRips tests MP3, WAV, and FLAC outputs with licensed SoundCloud inputs, ffprobe inspection, metadata checks, source limitations, and reproducible commands.
Last tested: August 3, 2026. A SoundCloudRips output label tells you the downloaded file's container or codec and encoded bitrate. It does not, by itself, prove that the SoundCloud source was lossless or originally had the same bitrate.
## What We Tested
We used two public, openly licensed SoundCloud tracks: “Structure |CC-BY|” by Leonard Richter (CC BY 4.0) and “Suspenseful Clock Ticking Sound! 60 Seconds” by Free To Use Sounds (marked CC BY on SoundCloud). We converted each track through the public SoundCloudRips interface to MP3, WAV, and FLAC, then inspected every file with ffprobe 6.1.1.
For a source-side comparison, yt-dlp 2026.06.09 reported anonymous SoundCloud renditions for both tracks at MP3 128kbps and AAC 96/160kbps. It also reported that the creator's original download required a registered SoundCloud session. These observations apply only to the test date, region, account state, and inputs.
## Observed Output Results
InputSelected outputObserved audio streamDurationFile size
Structure |CC-BY|MP3MP3, 320kbps, 44.1kHz, stereo110.576s4,979,761 bytes
Structure |CC-BY|WAVPCM signed 16-bit LE, 1,411.2kbps, 44.1kHz, stereo110.550s19,501,300 bytes
Structure |CC-BY|FLACFLAC, 24-bit raw sample depth, 44.1kHz, stereo110.550s20,321,870 bytes
Clock TickingMP3MP3, 320kbps, 44.1kHz, stereo63.425s2,609,133 bytes
Clock TickingWAVPCM signed 16-bit LE, 1,411.2kbps, 44.1kHz, stereo63.390s11,182,366 bytes
Clock TickingFLACFLAC, 24-bit raw sample depth, 44.1kHz, stereo63.390s9,580,289 bytes
## How to Interpret WAV, FLAC, and 320kbps
- MP3 320kbps: ffprobe confirmed a 320kbps MP3 output for both tests. That is the output encoder's bitrate; it cannot recreate detail missing from a lower-bitrate or lossy source rendition.
- WAV: ffprobe confirmed 16-bit/44.1kHz PCM. WAV is convenient for editing, but a PCM container does not prove that the upstream source was lossless.
- FLAC: ffprobe confirmed valid 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC streams. FLAC compresses the PCM supplied to its encoder without further lossy compression, but converting a lossy stream to FLAC cannot recover discarded information.
Conclusion: the six files matched their selected output formats. This test does not support calling them source-lossless, original-master, or quality-enhanced downloads.
## Metadata Preservation
FieldMP3WAVFLAC
Title and artistPreserved in both testsPreserved in both testsPreserved in both tests
Source SoundCloud URLPreserved as commentPreserved as commentPreserved as comment and URL field
Date and genrePreservedPreservedPreserved
ArtworkEmbedded MJPEG artwork observedNo artwork stream observedNo artwork stream observed
Long descriptionPresent for one inputNot observedPresent for one input
Metadata support varies by input and container. Do not assume that comments, artwork, licensing text, or every creator-supplied field will survive conversion.
## Reproduce the Inspection
- Choose a track you own, a track with creator-enabled downloads, or an openly licensed test track. Record its URL, license, access state, date, and region.
- Use the public SoundCloudRips interface and save each output without renaming it.
- Run ffprobe -v error -show_streams -show_format -of json FILE on every file.
- Record the codec, container, sample rate, channel count, audio bitrate or bit depth, duration, file size, metadata fields, and SHA-256 checksum.
- Run yt-dlp --no-playlist -F URL only as a dated observation of anonymously available renditions. Do not treat that list as proof of which upstream rendition a separate service used.
- Repeat the test after material converter or SoundCloud changes. Keep raw JSON and checksums so another reviewer can audit the table.
## Limitations
- This is a small, two-track test of public single-track URLs, not a claim about every SoundCloud upload.
- We did not test private tracks, playlists, geo-restricted tracks, logged-in creator downloads, or SoundCloud Go+ playback.
- We did not have a documented chain from SoundCloud's original upload to the converter input. Container, codec, bitrate, sample rate, and bit depth describe the file we received—not its full provenance.
- We did not use listening impressions or spectral cutoffs to label a file lossless. Those checks can be useful diagnostics but are not conclusive provenance evidence.
- SoundCloud and conversion providers can change renditions or encoding behavior. Results should be treated as dated and retested quarterly.
## Sources and Rights
SoundCloud documents that uploads are transcoded for streaming and that creator-enabled downloads can provide the original uploaded file. See [SoundCloud's uploading documentation](https://help.soundcloud.com/hc/en-us/articles/46021990888219-Getting-started-with-Uploading). The inspection fields come from [ffprobe documentation](https://www.ffmpeg.org/ffprobe-all.html).
Test media was used under the creator's stated license. Only download material you own or have permission to use. “Structure |CC-BY|” is credited to Leonard Richter under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); conversion for this test modified its container and encoding. No creator endorsement is implied.