Smash Happy Audio — User Manual

Dropzone

A desktop delivery workbench for mastering engineers — drag in a finished album, let AI pull the metadata, export to every format a client or a pressing plant needs, and hand it off with a hosted delivery link.

Platform · macOS, Windows (Electron) Manufacturer · Smash Happy Audio
01 / Overview

What Dropzone is for

Dropzone handles everything that happens after a master is finished: pulling the metadata off whatever documentation the client sent, exporting every file format a release actually needs — from streaming-ready MP3/FLAC through to DDP for CD replication — pushing copies out to your usual storage and distribution services, and handing the finished package to a client through a clean, hosted delivery link rather than an email attachment or a shared folder.

02 / Intake

Intake

Drag a finished album's folder onto Dropzone to begin. Any documentation that came with the project — track lists, credits, artwork — can be dropped in alongside the audio for the metadata extraction step to read.

03 / AI Metadata Extraction

AI metadata extraction

Dropzone reads track-list documents and cover photos and extracts structured metadata — track titles, artist and album credits, artwork — automatically, so you're not retyping what a client already sent you in a PDF or a photo. Review and correct anything the extraction gets wrong before exporting; it's a head start, not a substitute for a final check.

04 / Export Formats

Export formats

Export the finished album to every format a release actually needs in one pass:

LossyMP3, OGG
LosslessFLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A
ReplicationDDP for CD pressing plants
05 / Distribution

Distribution

Push a finished export directly to the storage and distribution destinations you already use — Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, SFTP, and more — without leaving Dropzone to manually upload each format separately.

06 / Dropzone+ Delivery Links

Dropzone+ delivery links

Instead of sending a client a folder of files, Dropzone can create a hosted delivery link: a clean page the client opens to stream and download their finished project. Optionally attach a price and require payment before the client can access the files — useful for the final hand-off once a project is signed off.

Payment gating

Payment-gated delivery is intended for straightforward client hand-offs. It does not yet include full account-level security around who can mark a delivery as paid — treat it as convenience, not a hardened billing system, for now.

07 / Specifications

Specifications

PlatformElectron desktop app, macOS and Windows
Export formatsMP3, FLAC, WAV, M4A, AIFF, OGG, DDP
Metadata sourceAI-assisted extraction from documents and photos
Distribution targetsGoogle Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, SFTP, and more
Delivery linksHosted, optionally payment-gated, time-limited retention
08 / Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Metadata extraction got a track title or credit wrong

Extraction reads whatever documentation you provide and won't always get handwriting, low-quality scans, or unusual formatting perfectly right — review the extracted metadata and correct it before exporting.

A distribution upload failed

Check your credentials for that destination are still valid — cloud storage and SFTP tokens can expire independently of Dropzone itself.

A client says their delivery link expired

Delivery links have a retention window that differs for locked (unpaid) versus unlocked (paid or free) deliveries — create a fresh delivery link if the original has aged out.