What is Audio Fingerprinting?
Audio fingerprinting creates a unique digital “fingerprint” of your track based on its audio characteristics. Think of it like a human fingerprint — each track has its own unique signature that can be used to identify it. This fingerprint is created automatically when you upload a track and is used to:- Detect duplicates — Prevent the same audio from being uploaded twice
- Protect your content — Identify unauthorized copies of your music
- Enable licensing — Verify tracks for license certificate generation
How It Works
When you upload a track to BeatPass:1
Upload begins
Your audio file is uploaded to our servers.
2
Fingerprint analysis
Our system analyzes the audio and creates a unique fingerprint based on the sound waves.
3
Duplicate check
The fingerprint is compared against all existing tracks in the BeatPass catalog.
4
Verification complete
If no match is found, your track is verified as unique and ready to save.
Upload Status Indicators
During the fingerprinting process, you’ll see these status messages:| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Checking | Starting the duplicate detection process |
| Analyzing | Creating and comparing the audio fingerprint |
| Verified Unique | No duplicates found — ready to save |
| Check Failed | Fingerprinting couldn’t complete (you can still proceed) |
Duplicate Detection
If BeatPass detects that your upload matches an existing track, the upload will be blocked. You’ll see a dialog showing:- Your upload — The track name and artist you’re trying to upload
- Existing track — The matching track already in the catalog
- Similarity score — How closely the audio matches (shown as a percentage)
- Fingerprinted date — When the original was registered
Why Duplicates Are Blocked
Duplicate detection protects:- Original producers — Prevents others from uploading your work
- Licensing integrity — Ensures clear ownership for commercial use
- Catalog quality — Avoids redundant copies in the library
What If a Duplicate Is Detected?
If your upload is blocked as a duplicate:It's your own track
It's your own track
If you previously uploaded this track, check your existing catalog. You may have already uploaded it.If you need to re-upload (for example, with updated audio), delete the original first, then upload the new version.
You believe it's an error
You believe it's an error
In rare cases, very similar-sounding tracks might trigger a false positive. If you believe this is an error:
- Click Appeal / Contact Support in the duplicate detection dialog
- Or email [email protected] with:
- Your account email
- The track name you’re trying to upload
- The existing track it matched
- Explanation of why you have rights to upload this content
Someone uploaded your music
Someone uploaded your music
If you find that someone has uploaded your original content without permission:
- Contact support at [email protected]
- Provide proof of ownership (original project files, dated exports, etc.)
- We’ll investigate and take appropriate action
After Your Track Is Fingerprinted
Once fingerprinting is complete, you can see the status on your track:In the Track Form
The Audio Fingerprint section shows:- Fingerprinted status with verification date
- Duration of the analyzed audio
- Hash — The unique fingerprint identifier (technical reference)
Benefits of Fingerprinting
Content Protection
Your tracks are protected against unauthorized uploads by others.
Licensing Support
Fingerprinting enables verified license certificates for downloads.
Replacing Audio on Existing Tracks
If you need to update the audio file on an existing track:- Go to your track’s edit page
- In the Audio Fingerprint section, click Replace Audio File
- Upload your new audio file
- The track will be re-fingerprinted with the new audio
Replacing audio creates a new fingerprint. The old fingerprint is replaced with the new one.
Fingerprinting Failures
In rare cases, fingerprinting may fail due to:- Very short audio clips
- Unusual audio formats
- Server issues during processing
- You’ll see a Check Failed status
- You can still proceed with your upload
- The track may have limited protection features
Privacy and Security
What data is stored?
What data is stored?
Only the audio fingerprint (a mathematical representation) is stored — not a copy of your audio. The fingerprint cannot be used to recreate your music.
Who can see fingerprint data?
Who can see fingerprint data?
Fingerprint hashes are only visible to you (the track owner) and BeatPass administrators for support purposes.
Can fingerprints be removed?
Can fingerprints be removed?
When you delete a track, its fingerprint is also removed from our system.