The Mod Archive is a
website
A website (also written as a web site) is any web page whose content is identified by a common domain name and is published on at least one web server. Websites are typically dedicated to a particular topic or purpose, such as news, educatio ...
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
*
MOD
*
IT
*
XM
* AHX
*
MED
*
STM
* STX
*
S3M
*
MO3
* MTM
* 669
* AMF
* AMS
* DBM
* DIGI
* DMF
* DSM
* DSym
* FAR
* FMT
* GDM
* IMF
* J2B
* MDL
*
MPTM
* MT2
* OKT
* PLM
* PTM
* STM
* SymMOD
* ULT
* HVL
History
The Mod Archive was established in February 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, the community part of the site was added around 2000, in the form of
message boards and an indexed
search engine
A search engine is a software system that provides hyperlinks to web pages, and other relevant information on World Wide Web, the Web in response to a user's web query, query. The user enters a query in a web browser or a mobile app, and the sea ...
. 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
BitTorrent is a Protocol (computing), communication protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P), which enables users to distribute data and electronic files over the Internet in a Decentralised system, decentralized manner. The protocol is d ...
.
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 requested information for other programs or devices, called clients.
Role
* Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending custome ...
. 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 a monthly music technology magazine. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, and interviews with industry professionals. Due to its technical focus, it is predominantly ...
'' 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