> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.audioshake.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ

> Common questions about the AudioShake API

## Getting started

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is a Task?">
    A Task is a processing job. You provide a media source and one or more model targets — AudioShake processes them asynchronously and returns results for each target. See [Create Task](/api-reference/tasks/create).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is a target?">
    A target specifies which model to run and what output format to produce. You can include up to 20 targets in one Task to generate several outputs from the same file:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "assetId": "your_asset_id",
      "targets": [
        { "model": "vocals", "formats": ["wav"] },
        { "model": "instrumental", "formats": ["wav"] },
        { "model": "transcription", "formats": ["json"] }
      ]
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Should I use a URL or upload a file?">
    * Use `url` when your media is publicly accessible over HTTPS
    * Use `assetId` when your media is local — [upload it first](/api-reference/assets/upload), then reference the returned ID

    We recommend uploading files when possible for the most reliable processing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What models are available?">
    AudioShake offers models for instrument stem separation, speech processing, post-production, copyright compliance, and lyric transcription. See the [Models](/models) page for the full list with descriptions and pricing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I already have a lyrics transcript. Can I just align it?">
    Yes. Use the `alignment` model and provide your existing transcript via `transcriptUrl` or `transcriptAssetId`. If no transcript is provided, the model will transcribe automatically.

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "assetId": "your_asset_id",
      "targets": [
        {
          "model": "alignment",
          "formats": ["json"],
          "transcriptUrl": "https://example.com/lyrics.txt"
        }
      ]
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Processing

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I know when a Task is complete?">
    Two options:

    * **Poll** — call [Get Task by ID](/api-reference/tasks/get) until each target's `status` is `completed` or `error`. See [Check Task Status](/check-task-status).
    * **Webhooks** — receive a POST request each time a target completes. See [Webhooks](/api-reference/tasks/webhooks).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does processing take?">
    Processing time depends on the media length, number of targets, and current queue load. Most tasks complete within seconds to a few minutes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I process video files?">
    Yes. AudioShake accepts MP4 and MOV video files. Only the audio stream is processed — video content is ignored. See [Formats](/api-reference/formats) for all supported input types.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if a target fails?">
    Individual targets can fail independently. Check the `status` and `error` fields on each target in the Task response. Other targets in the same Task are not affected.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Files and formats

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What formats can I upload?">
    Audio: WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, AAC. Video: MP4, MOV. Maximum file size is 2GB. See [Formats](/api-reference/formats) for the full list.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What output formats are available?">
    Audio: `wav`, `mp3`, `flac`, `aiff`. Video: `mp4`. Text: `json`, `srt`, `txt`. See [Formats](/api-reference/formats) for which formats apply to which models.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long do uploaded Assets and output files last?">
    Uploaded Assets expire after 72 hours. Output download links expire after one hour — re-fetch the Task to get fresh links.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Billing

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How are credits calculated?">
    Credits are charged per minute of source audio, per target model. Duration is rounded up to the nearest minute. See [Billing & Credits](/billing) for examples and [Models](/models) for per-model rates.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do failed Tasks consume credits?">
    Tasks that fail before processing begins are not charged. If a Task fails mid-processing, contact [support@audioshake.ai](mailto:support@audioshake.ai) with the Task ID.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are bulk discounts available?">
    Yes. Contact [info@audioshake.ai](mailto:info@audioshake.ai) for volume pricing, custom SLAs, and enterprise plans.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Support

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I contact support?">
    Email [support@audioshake.ai](mailto:support@audioshake.ai). Include your Task ID and the full error message for the fastest resolution.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a rate limit?">
    Yes — 60 requests per second. See [Rate Limits](/api-reference/rate-limits).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>