[SOLVED] convert command is great for images but i need to convert audio

Skaperen · 12-15-2021, 12:59 AM

when i need to convert the format of an image file i use the convert command. i thought it was odd to give it such a generic name. why not "convert-image"? that way someone can make such a command for other stuff.

i need to do some audio format conversion and need a non-interactive non-GUI command that works like convert does so i can build some automation scripts around it. so far all i have found are projects that want to become audio or A/V editors of the GUI nature.

anyone know of commands or programs like i nee? especially great would be a feature of understanding the format i want based on the file name extension.

Code:

convert mysound.flac mysound.mp3

but i can add that kind of thing by scripting around it. it needs to be non-interactive and non-GUI to work in a script.

pan64 · 12-15-2021, 02:05 AM

you can find a lot of solutions on the net (just look for convert flac to mp3).

Turbocapitalist · 12-15-2021, 03:38 AM

I would look at ffmpeg or similar.

allend · 12-15-2021, 06:24 AM

The ArchWiki has a section on scripts.
The use of FFmpeg with parallel looks nifty.

GazL · 12-15-2021, 08:12 AM

There's also "sox", as long as you don't need to use aac/mp4.

SW64 · 12-15-2021, 08:19 AM

sox or lame.

teckk · 12-15-2021, 09:02 AM

Examples:

Code:

ffmpeg -i input.flac -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 0 -map_metadata 0 -id3v2_version 3 -write_id3v1 1 output.mp3

ffmpeg -i input.flac -vn -c:a libmp3lame -b:a 192k output.mp3

ffmpeg -i input.flac -q:a 0 output.mp3

Or 10 other different command strings depending on what you want.

https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/TitleIndex
https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html

Skaperen · 12-15-2021, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbocapitalist

I would look at ffmpeg or similar.

i did. that thing is utterly confusing.

Skaperen · 12-15-2021, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allend

The ArchWiki has a section on scripts.
The use of FFmpeg with parallel looks nifty.

i hope they understand ffmpeg's options. i sure don't. i have used it, before, but via a script someone else wrote, like youtube-dl. i'll have a look and see if i can make it do WAV to FLAC. if i can do that change, then i can do just about any format it supports the same way. i have achieved video conversion to WEBM that way.

Skaperen · 12-15-2021, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SW64

sox or lame.

sox looks like it will do. thanks.

Skaperen · 12-15-2021, 01:15 PM

too many replies, all good ones, to answer individually. thanks everyone. looks like sox or a well scripted ffmpeg should do the job.

jefro · 12-15-2021, 07:58 PM

For reference. "The convert program is a member of the imagemagick(1) suite of tools"

Skaperen · 12-16-2021, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

For reference. "The convert program is a member of the imagemagick(1) suite of tools"

right.

i would like to see things change so that command name can be used for any kind of conversion, not just images and sound. but this is a rather involved program:

Code:

lt2a/forums /home/forums 15> ldd $(which convert)
	linux-vdso.so.1 (0x00007ffcf497d000)
	libMagickCore-6.Q16.so.3 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libMagickCore-6.Q16.so.3 (0x00007f52160eb000)
	libMagickWand-6.Q16.so.3 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libMagickWand-6.Q16.so.3 (0x00007f5215dd0000)
	libc.so.6 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x00007f52159df000)
	liblcms2.so.2 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/liblcms2.so.2 (0x00007f5215787000)
	liblqr-1.so.0 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/liblqr-1.so.0 (0x00007f5215579000)
	libfftw3.so.3 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libfftw3.so.3 (0x00007f5215177000)
	libfontconfig.so.1 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libfontconfig.so.1 (0x00007f5214f32000)
	libfreetype.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libfreetype.so.6 (0x00007f5214c7e000)
	libXext.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXext.so.6 (0x00007f5214a6c000)
	libX11.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6 (0x00007f5214734000)
	libbz2.so.1.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libbz2.so.1.0 (0x00007f5214524000)
	libz.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libz.so.1 (0x00007f5214307000)
	libltdl.so.7 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libltdl.so.7 (0x00007f52140fd000)
	libm.so.6 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.so.6 (0x00007f5213d5f000)
	libgomp.so.1 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgomp.so.1 (0x00007f5213b30000)
	libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1 (0x00007f5213918000)
	libpthread.so.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x00007f52136f9000)
	/lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007f52167b0000)
	libglib-2.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libglib-2.0.so.0 (0x00007f52133e2000)
	libexpat.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libexpat.so.1 (0x00007f52131b0000)
	libpng16.so.16 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpng16.so.16 (0x00007f5212f7e000)
	libxcb.so.1 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libxcb.so.1 (0x00007f5212d56000)
	libdl.so.2 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl.so.2 (0x00007f5212b52000)
	libpcre.so.3 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpcre.so.3 (0x00007f52128e0000)
	libXau.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXau.so.6 (0x00007f52126dc000)
	libXdmcp.so.6 => /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libXdmcp.so.6 (0x00007f52124d6000)
	libbsd.so.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libbsd.so.0 (0x00007f52122c1000)
	librt.so.1 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/librt.so.1 (0x00007f52120b9000)
lt2a/forums /home/forums 16>

pan64 · 12-17-2021, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skaperen

right.

i would like to see things change so that command name can be used for any kind of conversion, not just images and sound. but this is a rather involved program:

And you can create and publish your own convert tool.

mjolnir · 12-17-2021, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skaperen

too many replies, all good ones, to answer individually. thanks everyone. looks like sox or a well scripted ffmpeg should do the job.

Good deal - if you get a nice script going please post back with it. I've never before tried changing 'flac(s)' audio.
I've used something like this to 'convert' folders of .m4a files to .mp3 and .wav.

Code:

for f in *.m4a; do ffmpeg -i "$f" -acodec libmp3lame -ac 2 -ab 192k "${f%.*}.mp3"; done

Code:

for f in *.m4a; do ffmpeg -i "$f" -ar 8000 -acodec pcm_u8 -ac 1 "${f%.*}.wav"; done

and for single files, Margaritaville example :

Code:

ffmpeg -i Margaritaville.mp3 -acodec pcm_s16le  -ar 44100 Margaritaville1.wav

Code:

ffmpeg -i Margaritaville.mp3 -acodec pcm_u8 -ar 22050 Margaritaville.wav