Download

Everything a session recorded comes down as a single ZIP. Inside are a file per track, the markers and chapters in several formats, ready-made project files for the editing tools that can read them, and the chat. This page walks through what's in there and why the files line up on their own.

Where to find the download¶

The download button shows up as soon as you end a session, and it stays on the session's card in your sessions list for as long as the recording is kept. The file is named after the session's title: podsink-<title>.zip.

What's in the ZIP¶

There's one file per track, named after the participant and the track's id (what the formats are):

The three project files already carry all tracks at their offsets and all markers on the timeline. That's the fastest way into the edit. What each editor does with them is on DAW import.

Several recordings in one session¶

If you recorded more than once in a session, each take gets its own folder in the ZIP, Recording 1/, Recording 2/ and so on, each with its own tracks, marker files and project files. The chat, on the other hand, is just one file at the top of the ZIP and covers the whole session.

The tracks line up¶

Everyone records on their own device, and every device has its own clock. To still get all tracks onto one shared timeline, podsink measures during the recording how far each device's clock is off from the server's. When someone records audio and video, podsink also plays a short tone into both at the start and finds it again in the files later. That gives every track's first sample a fixed place in server time.

At export, podsink pads the start of each WAV with just enough silence that all files begin at the same moment. Drop them into any editor and they line up on their own. The shared countdown before the take gets trimmed, so things start right with the content. If someone joined later, their track starts with exactly as much silence as they were late.

Video tracks don't get padded. The project files place them at their offsets instead, which is why a late joiner's MP4 starts later on the timeline than their WAV would suggest. Markers move right along with the tracks, so they stay on the moment they mark.

Markers and chapters¶

The chapter markers you set during the session become Chapters - Podsink.txt and the Podlove XML, ready for a podcast feed. All markers, with type, timecode, author and note, are in Markers - Podsink.csv, and the Reaper CSV has the same list in the format Ultraschall imports. Inside the project files, each marker sits right where it was set on the timeline. A break and its resume are two separate markers, so your editor can see where the pause was.

The chat¶

Every message from the session is in Chat.log, with timestamp and name, in one file for the whole session. It only exists if someone actually wrote something, and it's part of the host's download. Guests don't get a copy.

How long recordings stay¶

podsink is built for recording, not for storing. A recording stays on the server for a fixed number of days after the session ends, 3 on the free plan and 7 on Pro and Max (the plans side by side). After that it's deleted for good. Nobody can bring it back then. The number is set when the session ends, based on the plan you're on at that moment. After that it can only get longer, say through an upgrade, but never shorter.

Each card in your sessions list shows how many days are left. Two days before a recording is deleted, podsink also sends you a reminder mail with the download link, if you haven't downloaded it by then. The safest habit, though, is to download right after recording, because the files are what the whole thing is about.