As far as I can tell, this is an iTunes bug because the M4A files produced by “Audacity 2.3.1”, “VinylStudio”, and “Switch Sound File Converter Plus”, all appear to be valid M4A files, and they work fine in VLC, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, and older versions of iTunes. However, it is correct that M4A files produced with Audacity 2.2.2 do not have this problem. As yet, I’m unsure what the difference is between M4A files produced with Audacity 2.2.2 and M4A files produced with 2.3.1.
There are a number of possible workarounds:
Use any format other than M4A
Export from Audacity as WAV, and use iTunes to convert to M4A
Export from Audacity using the “external encoder” option to produce M4A files
I started this thread on 4/2. Today I edited a file that was created on an older version of Audacity with version Audacity 2.3.1. When I saved it as an ACC file, it imported into ITunes correctly.
I know everyone is placing the blame on iTunes but I think the fact that a file created in an older version of Audacity and then edited in the lasted version imported correctly should give one pause. Then cause Audacity to look at the problem again. It is possible a problem with the way the file is being created in Audacity 2.3.1 that is causing the problem.
I’m not trying to create a war of opinions, just saying it should be checked.
Maybe not universally. Audacity (as far as I know) won’t make an M4A file. It needs the FFMpeg helper software. I believe there is a new FFMpeg for use with the new 64-bit version of Audacity 2.3.1.
I think we mentioned already 789:57:13 number isn’t a time stamp. It’s an error code.
However I tested on 2.3.1 (latest release) and 2.3.2 latest alpha test build - and from both of those I was able to export AACs that were the correct size and played properly when imported into iTunes 12.9.4.102,
So then I worked back through earlier Audacities. 2.3.0, 2.2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, and 2.1.3 all exported AAC files that were the right size and played correctly when imported into iTunes.
2.0.6 however failed - and produced the 789:57:13 error and an unplayable file in iTunes.
So the question we have to ask is: has Apple done anything (silently and unannounced) to iTunes in the meantime ?
Also as suspected, there’s no shortage of Google hits for iTunes M4A problems. Most of the responses are variations of “iTunes is Practically Perfect In Every Way and you must be doing something wrong.”
That’s at variance with the evidence.
There was one interesting note. If you change the filename from .M4A to .MP4, it slides right in.
That’s very interesting. I can confirm that if I change the file extension in “bad” M4A files to “.mp4”, iTunes shows the correct length and plays the file correctly.
At least that gives us another workaround.
The audio data runs through FFmpeg and is encoded my FFmpeg. As indicated by changing the file extension, there’s nothing wrong with the encoding. It looks to me like iTunes is misreading the file header or footer data for files that have .m4a file extension.
I used 2.0.6 to make an .M4A - impoted to iTunes and I het the 789… and unplayble file.
Change the file extesion to .MP4 and itdedd it works like a charm.
Only an easy workaround for folk creating new AAC files from Audacity for import into iTunes - it won’t help folk that have already got hundreds maybe thousands) of ,M4A files in their iTunes library - I don’t know of any way of mass extension changing on W10 or Mac.
On Windows there are a number of “bulk” file renaming tools which will easily do this job. The one I use is PFrank which is available but no longer really supported by the author.
Given the few recent complaints the we have had after the initial flurry - and given my recent testing I suspect that Apple have silently, furtively, just fixed this …
Apple now bundle iTunes in Mojave - and latest/current Mojave still has the older version of iTunes with the bug still in it, it will only update when Apple updates Mojave.
It’s only when I test on Windows where I can force the upload of the latest iTunes that I see the problem has been fixed by Apple.