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Archival Submission of Culminating Experience Projects (Berklee Online): Formatting Files for the Archives

Information for Berklee Online graduate students on preparing and submitting Culminating Experience projects to the Berklee Archives.

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Submission Instructions and Resources
 

Formatting Files for the Archives

Allowed file formats and required file-naming guidelines for submissions to the Archives

 

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Formatting Your Files for the Archives

As is typical in graduate education, submissions to Berklee's institutional repository must be in compliance with specified formatting standards.

All Culminating Experience projects submitted to the Berklee Archives must follow the Archives' requirements for file types and file names, outlined below. Projects that fail to comply with these requirements will not be accepted by the Archives.

Upload limits: 

  • Maximum number of project files: 20
  • Maximum individual file size: 10GB 

Contact archives@berklee.edu if you need special exemption from these limits

Print Documents:
Examples: Reflection papers, thesis, original scores, consulting projects, promotional packages, soundtrack analyses

Requirements:
      - Saved as PDF (multi-page PDF is acceptable if related, e.g. the parts for a composition)
    -Scanned Documents and Exported Notation Documents (Finale, Sibelius, Notion, etc.) should be:
           - Between 8-bit and 24-bit at 300 dpi or higher
            - Minimum of 1,280 pixels (for the smallest side)
              - Saved as TIFF then saved as PDF

 

Note:  Berklee Archives does not preserve slide decks of defense presentations in the institutional repository. 

Video Files:
Examples: Performances, journey videos, visual presentation with embedded audio  

Requirements: 
      - Saved as MP4 or M4V video file (preferred). MOV is acceptable but not preferred.
      - 16:9 video with 720p60 H.264 @ 800kbps or higher
      - AAC at 48 kHz audio

 

Audio Files:
Examples: Performances, studio recordings

Requirements: 
      - Saved as WAV or AIFF audio file (preferred). MP3 is acceptable but not preferred. 
      - 16-bit / 44.1 kHz or higher PCM format

 

Other Files:
Examples: Software, apps, sound design patch files---such as an “Max/MSP patch” file, .musx, .epk, Ableton files, etc.---and other complex formats.

Requirements: Compress into ZIP file
Important: Audio, video or print files should NOT be packaged as ZIP files. Use the above guidelines for these formats.

 

REMINDER: Berklee Archives does not preserve video recordings and/or slides of your CE presentation/defense.

All files should be named as follows:
year-XX695-studentusername-optionaldescriptor.extension

  • Note the order of file naming elements: year of submission, course number, your username, optional descriptive suffix

  • You must use hyphens to separate the elements of the file name. No blank spaces or other punctuation is accepted. 

  • If you don't know your course number, contact your instructor or program director

Example: For a Berklee Online business student with a username of jsmith1:     
2023-OMBUS695-jsmith1-reflectionpaper.PDF

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES

Examples for a Berklee Online music production student with a username of jsmith1: 

  • 2023-OMPROD695-jsmith1-score.PDF

  • 2023-OMPROD695-jsmith1-reflectivepaper.PDF

Examples for a Berklee Online film scoring student with a username of jsmith1:    

  • 2023-OCOMP695-jsmith1-compositiontitle1.WAV

  • 2023-OCOMP695-jsmith1-compositiontitle2.WAV

Example for a Berklee Online songwriting student with a username of jsmith1: 

  • 2023-OSONG695-jsmith1-song1.wav

Examples for a Berklee Online interdisciplinary studies student with a username of jsmith1: 

  • 2023-IDMS693-jsmith1-finalpaper.pdf

Important: Descriptor suffixes may include multiple hyphens, but should not contain blank spaces or any other punctuation

Explanation of Requirements

Berklee Archives can only process and preserve certain file types. If a file type is not addressed below, we cannot accept it due to proprietary restrictions or preservation standards. Similarly, Berklee Archives requires a specific file-naming structure to ensure your files are properly preserved and processed. 

Your submission will NOT be accepted by the Archives if it does not follow these requirements. 
If you have questions about accepted formats or how to name your files, email archives@berklee.edu

Reformatting Assistance

If you initially prepared your files to your advisor in file types not listed on this page (such as .mp3, .mov, .ppt, .jpg, .doc, etc.) , you will need to reformat for your final submission to the archives.
 

For assistance reformatting your content into archives-approved formats, contact atvalencia@berklee.edu (Valencia students) or request a Peer Training session (Boston/Online students) from the Library.