Understanding the Rarity System
The Rarity System is how SONAR determines the value of your audio. High-rarity, high-quality audio earns more tokens and higher leaderboard rankings.
Overview
Your audio is scored on multiple dimensions:
- Rarity Score (0-100): How unique is this audio compared to what already exists?
- Quality Score (0-100): Technical audio quality and production value
- Specificity Grade (A-F): How detailed and specific is the content?
- Verification Status: Are the claims about the audio verified?
- Subject Rarity Tier: How rare is the main subject (bird species, equipment, accent, etc.)?
- Saturation Status: How many similar submissions already exist?
- Bulk Status: Did you submit 100+ samples at once?
These factors combine using the Points System to determine how many SONAR tokens you earn.
The Core Concept
SONAR rewards rarity and quality. Think of it this way:
Common Audio (dog barking, traffic noise, generic speech):
Low value, low tokens
Decent Audio (specific bird species, clear accent, vintage equipment):
Medium value, medium tokens
Rare Audio (endangered bird, unique accent, rare equipment):
High value, high tokens
Five Subject Rarity Tiers
Every subject submitted to SONAR falls into one of five rarity tiers. SONAR automatically researches each subject to assign the correct tier.
Critical Tier (5.0x multiplier)
Extremely rare or unique. Examples: Javan Hawk-Eagle calls, Native American ceremonial chants, extinct animal sounds, languages with fewer than 100 speakers.
High Rarity Tier (3.0x multiplier)
Uncommon. Examples: Babirusa pig vocalizations, 1960s rotary telephone sounds, Welsh language speakers over age 80, rare regional accents.
Medium Tier (2.0x multiplier)
Some recordings exist but offer variants. Examples: Cardinal songs with regional variations, smartphone notifications, regional accents, vintage equipment.
Standard Tier (1.0x multiplier)
Common, widely available. Examples: Common dog breeds, English language generic speech, typical office environments, generic weather sounds.
Oversaturated Tier (0.5x multiplier)
Extremely common, penalty applied. Examples: Generic dog barking, common bird calls, generic traffic noise, generic ambient noise.
Learn More
- Rarity Scoring - How rarity is determined for each subject
- Points System - The 6-multiplier formula with examples
- Tiers - 7 tier progression from Contributor to Legend
- Leaderboard - How rankings work