After trading for a while, I've built up a list of trading guidelines to help things run smoothly. The most important - the only ones I like to refer to as rules - are to honour trades and terms agreed, to use DAO for live shows and other continuous programmes, and to make sure the discs are up to standard.

1. Continuous programmes such as live shows, DJ mixes, etc., should be recorded disc-at-once. TAO is fine for discs which aren't meant to be continous.

2. PLEASE PLAY-TEST wave files before burning and/or the complete disc before sending. A disc full of pops and clicks is little better than no disc at all. A large proportion of the discs I receive are less than perfect and at times it's made me question the whole point of trading. I try to send discs which are faithful reproductions of the source material, please go to the same trouble for me. Thank you. I now test all received discs using a pair of wide-range Technics headphones. I need up to 3 months leeway for this.

3. Artwork is required if you have it (good quality JPEGs on floppy, written onto the CD - ideally using CDExtra mode, or emailed by prior arrangement). Tracklistings and all available info should be supplied where possible. I don't have a high quality colour printer so send black and white tracklisting inners (not pretty but at least you'll have the track info), plus a data track (i.e. written onto the CD) or email containing colour scans of the sleeves (when available). Please tell me in advance if you don't want this.

4. I've had no problems trading without jewel cases so prefer to trade that way. If you want to send them for extra protection, fine.

5. Please use discs that you would be happy to use for yourself and you have confidence in. Currently I generally use Kodak gold amongst others, and am happy to agree brands before we trade. I really don't like the flimsier unbranded discs as I really don't expect them to last long, and they often throw up errors.

6. If your CD writer and software support CD-TEXT, please use it. CD-TEXT is a track-and-artist display feature found on a small number of CD players (fortuitously including my Kenwood hi-fi) just like that found on MiniDisc players. If you can support this feature but don't know how it works please ask me. The latest Nero (and Adaptec Easy CD Creator???) software supports it, as do an increasing number of CD writers - e.g. some Sony models, the latest (and v cheap) Mitsumi 4x.

7. MP3s should be at least 128KB/s and 44.1 KHZ, ideally with WinAmp playlists and in one folder per artist with one subfolder per album. Complete albums only, preferably.

8. Formats:

   • CDRs

   • MP3 or picture CDROMs

   • VideoCDs

   • I'm interested in VHS Videos (PAL - preferred - or NTSC) but cannot duplicate them myself

   • Cassettes - I'm generally not interested in audio tapes, but have a few unopened TDK chrome tapes which I can dub to from MiniDisc (or CDR or VHS), on a straight 1:1 for CDRs. I only mention this because a few people have asked for my MiniDisc recordings and until now I've said I can't duplicate them. Well, I can - but only to analogue tape.

9. "Filler" tracks or files are most welcome, I hate wasted disk space :) Negotiate this and I can add some too.

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