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K3b not recognizing some mp3 files


axel_2078
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For some reason, K3b will not burn some of my mp3 files when I'm trying to make an audio cd. When I drag some mp3s into the selection field, I get an error message saying "unsupported file format: songname.mp3" Some mp3s burn fine but others just give me that message. This is really aggravating because I have to keep switching over to my Windows box to do my burning. What's the deal here??

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Axel - I will try to do my best, though I am not an expert and English is my third language ;-)

 

When you create an audio cd out of mp3 files, there are various tasks for k3b:

 

- first read the digital compressed mp3 audio format, change--> decode it into an uncompressed .wav audio format. k3b has an inbuilt wav decoder for this task. In your case I thought that the inbuilt decoder has problems with your special mp3 file (there are various settings like bitrate and quality for such a file ...). This .wav format is necessary to create an audio cd, which at the end has no 'file structure', but has audio 'tracks'.

 

- then k3b collects the .wav files (they are big!) ...

- when you hit the burn button, k3b starts the actual burning (using cdrdao or cdrecord, but that's a different topic)

 

So, when there are problems with decoding (or encoding) a compressed audio (or video) file, it's worth a try to use an enoder/decoder (which handles the good codecs, in your case the mp3 format) separately to do the task.

 

'lame' is the program that can encode and decode wav --> mp3 and mp3 --> wav

So when you are running:

 

lame --decode mysong.mp3 mysong.wav

you'll get an uncompressed mysong.wav file (in the dir where you perform this command). That's all. In k3b you would drag&drop this .wav file to your audio project and k3b would not have to do the decoding task.

 

'lame' is not installed by default and is not part of the MDK cd's. You need to setup PLF as an additional ftp source. (search for easyurpmi how to do this). Then as root:

# urpmi lame

or use the graphical install in MCC.

The packages are lame-blabla...rpm, lame-mp3bla-bla.rpm and liblame...rpm. I am too lazy to look them up right now.

 

Good luck!

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Thanks for the info.  I believe I already have lame loaded.  Is it possible that some mp3s use different codecs?  Is that why some will burn fine and others won't?

 

1. I don't understand: lame already loaded? k3b does not use lame to decode your mp3 file. Suggestiton: make a copy of your song, give it a name without spaces, then run as user in a konsole:

$ lame --decode mysong.mp3 mysong.wav

What do you get?

Or run:

$ man lame

You'll see if you have installed the lame packages ...

 

2. There are indeed two different mp3 codecs:

mp3 - look here for more info:

http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/amm/techinf/layer3/

 

mp3pro:

http://www.mp3prozone.com/

For the last I don't know any linux tool, and it's rarely used, as far as I know.

 

The problem with your mp3 files: hm, did you encode/rip them? How? Which software did you use? Which settings? Or did you dl them ;-)

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Are your mp3 files you are trying to burn stored on your linux partition or are they located on a vfat or ntfs partition???

 

They were copied from an NTFS partition to my Linux partition. Now that I think about it, some of my mp3s are encoded in mp3 format and some are in mp3pro, but all of them have the .mp3 extention. Nero burns all of them just fine, but K3b doesn't like some of them for some odd reason. The files were originally ripped to my (windows) hard drive using Nero, which used mp3pro as the decoder. I'll try your $ lame --decode mysong.mp3 mysong.wav trick as soon as I get a chance. Thanks for all the help.

Edited by axel_2078
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Isn't mp3Pro actually the newer mp4 or whatever it was called that the company (German) (and holds patents on mp3 as well) that produced it and charges a royalty and is the reason you have to pay for it from Nero ???

 

If it is then it IS NOT mp3 even though it is implied in the name.

 

If it were not for Nero then the company owning the new codec would be going nowhere because OGG is regarded as superior and is rapidly being adopted everywhere and it is free.

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Isn't mp3Pro actually the newer mp4 or whatever it was called that the company (German) (and holds patents on mp3 as well) that produced it and charges  a royalty and is the reason you have to pay for it from Nero ???

 

If it is then it IS NOT mp3 even though it is implied in the name.

 

If it were not for Nero then the company owning the new codec would be going nowhere because OGG is regarded as superior and is rapidly being adopted everywhere and it is free.

 

 

Yeah, it's possible. Nero lets you rip 30 audio tracks to mp3 and then you have to purchase the mp3pro plug-in for unlimited mp3 ripping. Why would Windows burn all my mp3s just fine and K3b won't? I've even used other burning software under Windows without problems. As for ripping to OGG.... once portable OGG players and car stereos replace mp3 devices I may begin converting, but until then it just isn't worth while to me and isn't economically feasible. (I have too many mp3 devices)

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Yeah, it's possible.  Nero lets you rip 30 audio tracks to mp3 and then you have to purchase the mp3pro plug-in for unlimited mp3 ripping.  Why would Windows burn all my mp3s just fine and K3b won't?  I've even used other burning software under Windows without problems.  As for ripping to OGG.... once portable OGG players and car stereos replace mp3 devices I may begin converting, but until then it just isn't worth while to me and isn't economically feasible. (I have too many mp3 devices)

 

Windows burns your mp3pro files fine because you have CHOSEN to encode your music to mp3pro - a format that is not free. (owned by Thomson) And is not used in linux. And I guess noone in linux wish to work on this format ;-) There are better encoders.

 

The standard mp3 format (not mp3pro), though under a patent, is kind of free, because the patent holder, The Fraunhofer Institut, don't charge you for using it. And declared years ago that it won't sue anyone for usage. And btw they are supporters of Open Source projects.

 

So, if you want to stay compatible with linux, then rip your audio cd's once more, in Linux (kaudiocreator or grip) using the real mp3 format or the ogg format.

And you'll get better quality than mp3pro.

 

:mr-green:

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Thank you anna for filling in more of the details than I had. I too am now better informed.   I surprised myself how much of the story I had.  Not bad for an older fella, Huh.???

Cheers.                            John.

 

Not Bad? Wonderful, AussieJohn :D

 

We are doing quite good here, sometimes, despite (or because of ?) our age :juggle:

Edited by anna
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