The Mod Archive is a
web site
A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Wikip ...
dedicated to the indexing and archival of playable music
module file
Module file (MOD music, tracker music) is a family of music file formats originating from the MOD file format on Amiga systems used in the late 1980s. Those who produce these files (using the software called music trackers) and listen to them ...
s. It allows anyone to upload modules, and provides charts, reviews and ratings of music files based on a community effort.
Formats covered by the site are
MOD,
IT,
XM, AHX,
MED,
STM,
S3M
''S3M'' (Scream Tracker 3 Module) is a module file format, the successor to the STM format used by the original Scream Tracker. Both formats are based on the original MOD format used on the Amiga computer.
The S3M format has many differences com ...
,
MO3, MTM, 669, AMF, AMS, DBM, DIGI, DMF, DSM, FAR, GDM, IMF, J2B, MDL,
MPTM, MT2, OKT, PLM, PTM, STM, ULT and HVL.
History
The Mod Archive was established in 1996 as a place for
tracker artists to upload their work.
Since then, the site has emerged into being a community for artists and module enthusiasts.
In an effort to make the website more
dynamic
Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to:
Physics and engineering
* Dynamics (mechanics)
** Aerodynamics, the study of the motion of air
** Analytical dyna ...
, the community part of the site was added around 2000, in the form of
message boards
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...
and an indexed
search engine. Having lacked proper maintenance since around 2004, however, the site went through a complete reimplementation, beginning in November 2005 and leaving private beta in August 2006. In 2007, the site moved onto dedicated hardware to cope with a sudden increase in popularity following these improvements.
Since 2006, the site has also provided a method of doing bulk downloads of archive files via
BitTorrent.
Operations and quality control
Having moved from a sponsored, shared platform in 2007, the website currently resides on a dedicated
server
Server may refer to:
Computing
*Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called clients
Role
* Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers and su ...
. As a result of the increased costs related to running on dedicated hardware, the site seeks the help of the community in covering the running costs.
Since anyone can upload files to the website, all uploaded files have to go through a manual screening process where they are checked for integrity and quality by site staff.
Reusing the tracker music files published on the website requires the song's author permission.
Mentions in publications
ModArchive was mentioned in the PC music freeware roundup in ''
Sound on Sound
''Sound on Sound'' is an independently owned monthly music technology magazine published by SOS Publications Group, based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, ...
'' magazine.
ModArchive (v3.1) was featured as Site of the Month in
''Computer Music'' magazine.
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://modarchive.org/
*
BitTorrent tracker
Demoscene
Internet properties established in 1996