Locked Charting Standards (2025)

[Emmy-Dell]

 

Charting Standards (2025)

To improve the overall standard of CDLC going forward, we are implementing a clear list of what constitutes the 'reasonable standard'. For charts created in 2025 onwards.
Charts from before 2025 are not bound to these standards, but updates made should follow the list below.
If you are unsure about certain components that build up a CDLC, you are more than welcome to ask questions in the #creators channel in the CustomsForge Discord server.
 

Required:
- Charts must have 10 seconds leading silence, and roughly 2 seconds of silence at the end of the track.
(Adjusting your audio files in a DAW, like Audacity before you start the project is usually the best practice.)
- Charts must be made using a decent audio file. 
(Ideally sourced from a reputable place like the official band website/ Bandcamp and not a rip of the YouTube music video)
- Charts must be made with sufficient accuracy transcription wise.
- Charts must be synced adequately.
- Charts must be set to the proper tuning.
(Using tools like Tonart can help you detect the true tuning of a song if it's not 'standard A440'.)
- Charts must include tones.
- Charts must have manual Phrases and Sections set.
- Charts must have Dynamic Difficulty. (can be generated using the DLC Builder)
- Charts must be made using the latest tools available. EOF/ Charter and the DLC Builder
- The DLC Builder does a validity check of the arrangements and will give you a list of ''issues'' it has detected which you should fix before uploading to CustomsForge.
- The DLC Builder also sets certain values, like the Scroll Speed and the Song Volume, automatically for you to match the ODLC standards.
It is in your best interest to leave these to what they are set to by the tool.
(Go to File > Configuration > and ensure the ''Calculate Volumes Automatically'' box is checked)

Failure to follow the above list can result in your chart getting reported, and potentially removed if not amended.

Expected:
- Accurate Fret Hand Positions. (Don't rely on auto-generated FHPs)
- Proper chord fingerings. (Don't rely on auto-generated chord fingerings)
- Note sustains are visually appropriate and have at least a 1/32 gap between the subsequent note.
- Correct pitched vs unpitched slide usage.
- Manual Handshapes where appropriate.
- Lyrics that are accurate.
- Charts include a path for Lead, Rhythm and Bass.

Nice to have:
- Verifying chord names.
- Referencing live videos/ artist playthroughs to help with accuracy. 
- More defined tones to match what is in the song.

S-Tier:
- Further fine tuning to make charts almost equal to ODLC standards:
ODLC looking charts guide
Further Advanced charting technique guide

Uploading charts to CF / Ignition:
- Proper spelling of artist and song.
- Include music video (if available) as well as Song Duration and Year.
- Correct tuning and appropriate tags/ genres. 
- Include a Mac (m.pasrc) file if possible.
- Author notes that has information about the chart, not the song itself. (no big copy/ paste from the artist Wikipedia page.)

Extra guides:
DAW/ Song Audio guide
DLC Builder guide
Rocksmith bass tuning guide
Firekorn's written CDLC how-to guide