Share Music Files Online: Send Audio in Lossless Quality
Share music files online without quality degradation. Send WAV, FLAC, and other lossless audio formats to collaborators and clients easily.
To share music online without quality loss, send the actual file — not a stream. WAV, FLAC, ALAC, and AIFF are lossless containers; MP3, AAC, and Opus are lossy. Streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp) re-encode everything on upload, which defeats the point of delivering to a collaborator, mastering engineer, or sync-licensing client. A browser-based file transfer preserves every byte. Upload the 24-bit/96 kHz WAV mix, share the link, recipient downloads the same bits that left your DAW.
Lossless vs lossy: what's actually in the file
A WAV file at 24-bit/48 kHz stereo holds roughly 16.5 MB per minute — uncompressed PCM in an RIFF container (RFC-ish, Microsoft spec from 1991). No metadata compression, no audio compression, bit-perfect.
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) gives bit-perfect reconstruction at roughly 50–60% of WAV size by using linear prediction and Rice coding. A 24-bit/48 kHz FLAC of a 4-minute song lands around 40 MB vs 60 MB for the WAV. Decoded, the samples are identical to the source.
ALAC (Apple Lossless) is Apple's equivalent — similar compression ratio, native support in iTunes/Music and QuickTime.
AIFF is Apple's uncompressed equivalent to WAV, used by Logic Pro and Pro Tools.
MP3 at 320 kbps CBR is lossy — perceptual coding throws away frequencies masked by others. Re-encoding or bouncing through MP3 twice compounds damage ("transcoding loss").
Opus is a modern low-bitrate codec (RFC 6716) — great for podcasts at 64 kbps, inappropriate for mastering delivery.
For any professional audio workflow, the hand-off is WAV or FLAC. Never MP3.
Why streaming and messenger apps destroy quality
| Channel | What happens to the audio |
|---|---|
| Re-encoded to Opus ~64 kbps | |
| iMessage | Converted to AAC or M4A at 64 kbps for voice notes |
| SoundCloud free | 128 kbps MP3 transcode |
| Dropbox preview player | Plays original file, but some clients cache reduced versions |
| Gmail attachment | Preserves file (under 25 MB cap) |
| Direct file download | Bit-perfect |
If you export a .wav from Ableton and send it through WhatsApp, the recipient hears an Opus 64 kbps approximation. An A/B test against the original reveals compression artefacts in cymbals, sibilance, and reverb tails instantly.
Typical music file sizes you'll be sending
| File | Size |
|---|---|
| Single track, 24-bit/48 kHz WAV, 4 min | ~66 MB |
| Single track, 24-bit/96 kHz WAV, 4 min | ~132 MB |
| Single track, 24-bit/48 kHz FLAC, 4 min | ~40 MB |
| Full album, 12 tracks, 24/48 WAV | ~800 MB |
| Stems (drums, bass, guitars, keys, vox × 4), 24/48 WAV | ~500 MB – 2 GB per song |
DAW session folder (Logic Pro .logicx) with audio files |
2–20 GB |
| Mastering delivery pack (WAV + stems + session + notes) | 3–15 GB |
The stems bundle is where email and Slack fall down hardest.
Who needs the original file format
- Mastering engineers: require 24-bit WAV or AIFF at the session sample rate. MP3 is a hard no — many mastering studios (Sterling Sound, Abbey Road Mastering, The Exchange) explicitly reject MP3 submissions.
- Sync licensing agents: need WAV for broadcast-ready delivery (EBU R128 loudness, -23 LUFS for EU television, -24 LKFS for US TV per ATSC A/85).
- Film/TV composers: stems delivered at 24-bit/48 kHz WAV, BWF (Broadcast Wave Format) preferred because it embeds timecode.
- Remix artists: need stems at matching tempo/key, usually FLAC or WAV with
metadata.txtdescribing BPM, key, and cue points. - Mix engineers (returning to the artist): WAV print of the final stereo mix plus alt mixes (instrumental, a cappella, TV mix without lead vocal).
A clean delivery structure
Artist_SongTitle_v4_2026-03-18.zip
├── WAV_24-48/
│ ├── SongTitle_Master_v4.wav
│ ├── SongTitle_Instrumental_v4.wav
│ └── SongTitle_Acapella_v4.wav
├── Stems_24-48/
│ ├── 01_Drums.wav
│ ├── 02_Bass.wav
│ ├── 03_Guitars.wav
│ ├── 04_Keys.wav
│ └── 05_Vocals.wav
├── MP3_320/
│ └── SongTitle_Master_v4.mp3 (reference only)
└── README.txt
The MP3 in MP3_320/ is a reference copy — marked as such, so the mastering engineer doesn't accidentally treat it as the source.
Format-specific gotchas
- Pro Tools sessions: include the
Audio Filesfolder andFade Filesfolder, not just the.ptx. Without them, the session opens empty. - Logic Pro: use File → Project Settings → Assets → "Copy audio files" before bouncing, otherwise the recipient opens a session with missing samples.
- Ableton Live: export a Project (not just the
.als), which bundles samples, samples used in Simpler/Sampler, and automation. - Cubase/Nuendo: "Back Up Project" consolidates and optionally removes unused media.
- Sample libraries (Kontakt, Omnisphere): don't include the library files — the recipient needs their own licensed copy. Just send the project file.
Encryption for unreleased masters
An unreleased single is worth money. A leak before release damages chart strategy and streaming playlists. Client-side encryption — AES-256-GCM with a PBKDF2-derived key — keeps the file unreadable on the transfer service's servers. The mastering engineer types the password in their browser, downloads, and the file decrypts locally.
HexaTransfer does this in-browser using the Web Crypto API. The password goes over Signal or a phone call; the link goes over email. The transfer service never holds the key.
Loudness and delivery compliance
If the destination is a streaming platform (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music HD), target loudness matters:
- Spotify: -14 LUFS integrated (normalised for playback)
- Apple Music: -16 LUFS integrated (sound check)
- Tidal: -14 LUFS integrated
- Broadcast (EU): -23 LUFS per EBU R128
- Broadcast (US): -24 LKFS per ATSC A/85
The mix delivery should honour whichever target applies; a mastering engineer adjusts final loudness depending on the destination. Send the file at -6 dB TP (true peak) headroom for mastering, so the engineer has room to work.
Service comparison for lossless audio delivery
| Service | Max size (free) | Preserves bit-perfect | Password | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WeTransfer Free | 2 GB | Yes | No | 7 days |
| SwissTransfer | 50 GB | Yes | Yes | 1–30 days |
| Dropbox link | 15 GB quota | Yes | Pro only | Manual |
| Google Drive link | 15 GB quota | Yes | No | Manual |
| SoundCloud private | 5 hours audio | No (transcodes) | Link | Indefinite |
| HexaTransfer | 10 GB | Yes (with E2E encryption) | Yes | Configurable |
Streaming is for listeners. File transfer is for collaborators.
Try it at hexatransfer.com — free, no account, 10 GB max.
Send large files securely with end-to-end encryption
Transfer files up to 10 GB for free with end-to-end encryption. No account required. Your files are encrypted in your browser before upload — no one else can read them.
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