Discussion Forums - Questions about SwapaCD

Is there a way to know if the CD I want to post has a hidden track?  Short of listening to the CD?

I want to post the 3 Doors Down, Away from the Sun CD.  UPC 044006439624.  The Track listing shows that there is a hidden track on it.  I know hidden tracks don't show up on the track listing on the case.  So do I actually have to go listen to this CD to find out if there is a hidden track before I go post it?

Well, I wouldn't-- unless you want to.  If the upc matches, then post it.  Also, I've noticed that sometimes the track listing on here is not entirely correct. I've found this to be the case with a few cds, so I'd just list it.

If you are posting CDs using the UPC, you still must check to make sure the title, artist, and track listing match exactly. If you think our database is wrong, let us know, but you cannot just list a CD with a different track listing and disappoint the requesting member who ends up with a CD missing certain tracks they thought they were getting. Then you end up with a 'bad mark' on your account when the member marks the CD as received with a problem because the track listing does not match.

Hey Nancy, the good thing about hidden tracks is that they're usually at the end of the album.  It is too bad about the possible UPC inaccuracies, but at least it won't take long to try to determine the missing track's existence.

You can sometimes tell really fast--hidden tracks sometimes are separate tracks on the CD so the CD will have one too many tracks when you put it in the CD player.  (This is the civilized way of having a hidden track).

Otherwise, you need to look at the length of the last song/forward through it to see if there is dead space then another song. (This is the uncivilized way.)

If you have Windows Media Player on your computer, you can just put the CD in your computer, open Media Player, and it will show you a complete list of the songs on the CD.

I have seen one of these Hidden Tracks under Itunes on another CD, it was a Zero length Hidden Track  with No content.  It may have been a mastering problem later fixed in later UPC update.  It also could contain some funny text message from the group.  If you play it, you will hear nothing.

SwapaCD Team please explain why a CD missing a unplayable "hidden track" should not be posted.  I understand the problem if it is missing a bonus song or a double song in the last track. 

My response was to what Kendra wrote, implying that as long as the UPC matches, go ahead and post it. If the track listing in our database does not match what is on your CD, it is not postable. If you think our database is incorrect, let us know so we can look into it. If our database lists 13 tracks for a CD and your CD has 12 plus a 'hidden' track, then post it. If our database lists 13 tracks and your CD only has 12 with no 'hidden' track that you are aware of, then it is not postable. I am not too familiar with an 'unplayable hidden track', but if it is something that contains no content (no music or just a blank track), then it is certainly not required- I don't think there are going to be many cases of this.

"It also could contain some funny text message from the group.  If you play it, you will hear nothing."

While a few albums may have unexplainable nonsense for extra tracks, 99% of the ones I've seen with bonus tracks contain actual music tracks.