Cue sheet (.cue)

Main article: Ripping games

A cue sheet, or cue file, is a metadata file which describes how the tracks of a CD are laid out. Cue sheets are stored as plain text files and commonly have a .cue filename extension. They are used in emulators or other software that play CD discs.

Cue Sheet Format

The standard file suffix for a cue file is .cue. A cue file has an optional global section, followed by any number of track sections. Lines begin with a keyword, which may be followed by whitespace-separated fields. Some keywords are only allowed in the global section, and some only in the track section. Strings may be enclosed in single or double quotation marks; if the string contains whitespace, it must be enclosed in quotation marks.

Keywords

`CATALOG`

Description

Sets the catalog number of the CD.

Section(s)

Global

Format

CATALOG <catalog_number>

catalog_number: An integer consisting of exactly 13 digits.

`CDTEXTFILE`

Description

Sets an external file for CD-TEXT data.

Section(s)

Global

Format

CDTEXTFILE <filename>

filename: A string. The CD-TEXT file contains encoded CD-TEXT data. The standard extension for CD-TEXT files is .cdt.

`FILE`

Description

Sets a new input file.

Section(s)

Track

Format

FILE <filename> [file_format]

filename: A string.
file_format: One of: BINARY, MOTOROLA, AIFF, WAVE, or MP3. The FILE line precedes the beginning of the track section.

`FLAGS`

Description

Sets track flags.

Section(s)

Track

Format

FLAGS [flag]...

flag: One of: PRE (pre-emphasis), DCP (digital copy permitted), 4CH (four-channel audio), or SCMS (serial copy management system).

`INDEX`

Description

Sets a track index.

Section(s)

Track

Format

INDEX <index_number> <index>

index_number: An integer in the range 0-99.
index: Time in MSF format (minutes:seconds:frames, where frames are 1/75 of a second). Having an INDEX 00 and an INDEX 01 defines a pregap using data from the FILE.

`ISRC`

Description

Sets track ISRC number.

Section(s)

Track

Format

ISRC <ISRC_number>

ISRC_number: A string with the format CCOOOOYYSSSSS (country code, owner, year, serial number).

`POSTGAP`

Description

Sets track postgap.

Section(s)

Track

Format

POSTGAP <postgap>

postgap: Time in MSF format (minutes:seconds:frames, where frames are 1/75 of a second).

`PREGAP`

Description

Sets track pregap.

Section(s)

Track

Format

PREGAP <pregap>

pregap: Time in MSF format (minutes:seconds:frames, where frames are 1/75 of a second). The pregap is filled with generated silence.

`REM`

Description

Begins a comment line.

Section(s)

Any

Format

REM [comments]

comments: Text to be ignored.

`TRACK`

Description

Starts a new track.

Section(s)

Track

Format

TRACK <track_number> <track_mode>

track_number: A positive integer in the range 1-99.
track_mode: See A.2 MODE section below.

`CD-TEXT Keywords`

Description

Sets CD-TEXT data.

Section(s)

Any

Format

<CDTEXT_keyword> <CDTEXT_field>

CDTEXT_keyword: One of: ARRANGER, COMPOSER, DISC_ID, GENRE, ISRC, MESSAGE, PERFORMER, SONGWRITER, TITLE, TOC_INFO, TOC_INFO2, UPC_EAN, SIZE_INFO.
CDTEXT_field: A string or binary data, depending on the keyword. The cue format does not have native support for binary CD-TEXT.

CD-TEXT

MMC-3 specifies 16 CD-TEXT types, with three reserved and one shared (UPC_EAN for disc, ISRC for tracks). CD-TEXT entries are either character or binary data.

Keywords	Description	Section	Format
`ARRANGER`	Name(s) of the arranger(s)	Any	Character
`COMPOSER`	Name(s) of the composer(s)	Any	Character
`DISC_ID`	Disc Identification information	Any	Binary
`GENRE`	Genre Identification and Genre information	Any	Binary
`ISRC`	ISRC Code of each track	Track	Character
`MESSAGE`	Message from the content provider and/or artist	Any	Character
`PERFORMER`	Name(s) of the performer(s)	Any	Character
`SONGWRITER`	Name(s) of the songwriter(s)	Any	Character
`TITLE`	Title of album name or Track Titles	Any	Character
`TOC_INFO`	Table of Content information	Any	Binary
`TOC_INFO2`	Second Table of Content information	Any	Binary
`UPC_EAN`	UPC/EAN code of the album	Disc	Character
`SIZE_INFO`	Size information of the Block	Any	Binary

A.2 MODE

Description

Track data type.

Value

The following modes are defined:

Value	Description	Specified?
`AUDIO`	Audio/Music (2352 — 588 samples)	✓
`CDG`	Karaoke CD+G (2448)	✓
`MODE1/2048`	CD-ROM Mode 1 Data (cooked)	✓
`MODE1/2352`	CD-ROM Mode 1 Data (raw)	✓
`MODE2/2048`	CD-ROM XA Mode 2 Data (form 1)	✗
`MODE2/2324`	CD-ROM XA Mode 2 Data (form 2)	✗
`MODE2/2336`	CD-ROM XA Mode 2 Data (form mix)	✓
`MODE2/2352`	CD-ROM XA Mode 2 Data (raw)	✓
`CDI/2336`	CDI Mode 2 Data	✓
`CDI/2352`	CDI Mode 2 Data	✓

The "Specified?" column indicates whether the mode was defined in the original CUE sheet format specification.

Examples

Single-track game

Most PS1 games are single-track, so this will usually work. Create a new .cue file, open it with a text editor (e.g. Notepad), and paste the following in it:

FILE "GAME NAME [1] US.bin" BINARY
   TRACK 01 MODE1/2352
      INDEX 01 00:00:00

Replace GAME NAME [1] US.bin with whatever your game's file name is, but keep the quotation marks. Save the file and then you can play it in Mednafen.

Multi-track game

Certain PS1 games like Rayman, Brave Fencer Musashi, and Vib Ribbon are multi-track, so their .cue files might be more complicated. Examples:

Brave Fencer Musashi

FILE "Brave Fencer Musashi (USA) (Track 1).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 01 MODE2/2352
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
FILE "Brave Fencer Musashi (USA) (Track 2).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 02 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Brave Fencer Musashi (USA) (Track 3).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 03 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Brave Fencer Musashi (USA) (Track 4).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 04 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00

Rayman's 50 track audio mess

FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 01).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 01 MODE2/2352
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 02).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 02 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 03).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 03 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 04).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 04 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 05).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 05 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 06).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 06 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 07).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 07 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 08).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 08 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 09).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 09 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 10).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 10 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 11).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 11 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 12).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 12 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 13).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 13 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 14).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 14 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 15).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 15 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 16).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 16 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 17).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 17 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 18).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 18 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 19).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 19 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 20).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 20 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 21).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 21 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 22).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 22 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 23).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 23 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 24).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 24 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 25).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 25 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 26).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 26 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 27).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 27 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 28).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 28 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 29).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 29 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 30).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 30 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 31).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 31 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 32).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 32 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 33).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 33 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 34).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 34 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 35).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 35 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 36).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 36 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 37).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 37 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 38).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 38 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 39).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 39 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 40).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 40 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 41).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 41 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 42).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 42 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 43).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 43 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 44).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 44 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 45).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 45 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 46).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 46 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 47).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 47 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 48).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 48 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 49).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 49 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 50).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 50 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00
FILE "Rayman (USA) (Track 51).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 51 AUDIO
    INDEX 00 00:00:00
    INDEX 01 00:02:00

Other Games

If the single track cue sheet template above didn't work for your game, check http://redump.org/discs/system/psx/ to see how that game's cue sheet should be set up.

References

MMC-3. Bill McFerrin. 12 November 2001. CD Edge, Inc. <ftp://ftp.t10.org/t10/drafts/mmc3/mmc3r10g.pdf>
cuetools. Svend Sorensen. 21 March 2005. BerliOS. <http://developer.berlios.de/projects/cuetools/>
CueSharp Specification. <https://wyday.com/cuesharp/specification.php>
gnu: ccd2cue A.2 MODE