I’ve got a pretty standard Audacity installation using default downloads and the lame libs. I have some flac files I’d like to import. The import dialog includes flac support but when I try to import I get the error message:
Audacity did not recognize the type of file $PATH_TO_FILE.flac If it is uncompressed, try importing it using “Import RAW”
This happens with all my flac files. You might think the files are corrupt. However, I am able to read and convert them using Google’s XLD utility without trouble. So the data is in not corrupt. Of course, being that I can convert the files, I can get back to work. However, I thought this problem report might be of interest to Audacity devs.
Additionally, I have the ffmpeg libs installed as well.
digging, it looks like both xld and ffmpeg link against libsndfile, and libsndfile supports flac. So, I’m guessing whoever build the ffmpeg libs for Audacity (the ones the main Audacity site link to for “additional libs”) forgot to include a compile time option for flac when building libsndfile as part of the ffmpeg build. I know this isn’t Audacity devs’ problem - per se - but it is a problem. Just not sure who or where to kick the can next.
Audacity supplied by us Audacity ® | Download for Mac OS will specify the exact path, not write “$PATH_TO_FILE”. If the message says what you wrote, please check your download source.
Where exactly do these files come from? Might they really be OGG or WAV containing FLAC?
Ideally please upload an example file somewhere. Alternatively, obtain MediaInfo and give us the file details that reports.
FFmpeg supports FLAC encoding and decoding without external libraries.
Audacity on Mac and Windows supports FLAC import and export (using the built-in libflac library) without need of FFmpeg.
FFmpeg is not required for FLAC support in Audacity on Linux, but on Linux the built-in libsndfile importer is tried first for FLAC imports. The built-in libflac importer may be used instead by choosing it in the import dialogue or in Extended Import Preferences.
All the above only applies to Audacity obtained from us.
No, the Audacity error message did not state specifically “$PATH_TO_FILE”. That was me redacting the specific path and replacing it with a commonly understood reference to sh variables. Do you actually need the path to that file to understand this problem?
If you use quotes then it is commonly understood that the text in quotes is what appears.
Standard FLAC files will import into Audacity if you download Audacity from us. Therefore as previously explained we need the MediaInfo output or the means to obtain an example file, without which there is nothing we can do.
My copy of Audacity was obtained from your web site. So, if it is true that your build uses internal libs to read flac files, then Audacity devs have a bug to squash. Because I downloaded that dmg file direct from your web site.
As I said, I’ve converted these files and have moved forward. I hope my bug report is of some use.
Audacity is free and open source so can be modified and distributed by others. So it is perfectly possible to find a build that does not behave as we intend.
Why would we lie about it?
Yes. Users here almost never use quotes for error messages but give a vague misremembered version. You used quotes and are saying Audacity cannot natively import FLAC files when it can. The obvious assumption is that you could have a modified version of Audacity (perhaps one you modified yourself, which anyone can do if they build from our source code).
Thank you for the file URL. “20080410_birds_in_park_kennewick.flac” imports fine into 2.0.6 on Mavericks using the built-in libflac importer so we are no further forward. Is there a specific file in that list that has a problem on your machine?
I assume from your mention of sh variables that you know something about software development. Given Audacity imports FLAC files natively (on our machines) how would you in our position go about investigating the issue without an example file?
I tried downloading one of those files, and it downloaded as “07-05-10UniversityFountainDowntownF.flac”
However, it isn’t a FLAC file. It’s an HTML file with a “.flac” file extension.
Not surprisingly, Audacity was unable to recognise it as a valid FLAC file.
This is the file displayed as text:
<html>
<head>
<title>sighup.ca</title>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" >
<meta content="SIGHUP is ambient noisedrone music" name="description">
<meta content="SIGHUP, ambient, drone, noise, noisedrone, psych, organized sound, treated sound, esau radio studio, steve hamann, toronto" name="keywords">
<link href="http://www.sighup.ca/sheets.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all">
</head>
<body style="align: center; width: 1020px;">
<div id="logo">
<table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" BGCOLOR="#000000">
<tr>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.sighup.ca"><img src="http://www.sighup.ca/header_two.png" border=0></a></td>
</tr>
</table></div>
<div id="menu">
<a class="menuitem" href="http://www.sighup.ca/index.html">SIGHUP website</a>
<a class="menuitem" href="http://blog.sighup.ca">SIGHUPblog</a>
<a class="menuitem" href="http://www.sighup.ca/contact.html">Contact</a>
</div>
<div id="content" style="width: 70%"><br><br>The sounds found project is a repository of audio recordings from the field. You are free to do with them whatever you desire. Authorship is void here. Too many declarations of property are made by people who simply pressed a record button, this project exists to encourage a different path.<br><br>The recordings are unedited, unprocessed, and occasionally of low fidelity. But they are sounds of places and moments. Enjoy them, destroy them, make pets of them. New recordings will be added to the archives as time permits.<br><br>The recordings are of varying lengths, and each file is in FLAC format (a lossless compressed audio codec) to save on server space. To decode the files back to .wav, you will need a utility that can deal with FLAC. Check the <a href="http://flac.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">FLAC Sourceforge page</a> for info.<br><br><br><b>The recordings</b>: (right click on links and save as)<br><br></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2010</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/07-05-10UniversityFountainDowntownF.flac">20100705: Front of fountain on University St, Downtown, Seattle</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/07-05-10UniversityFountainDowntownR.flac">20100705: Rear of fountain on University St, Downtown, Seattle</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/07-05-10Rt4toDowntown.flac">20100705: Bus Route 4 to Downtown, Seattle</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/07-05-10PikePlaceMarket.flac">20100705: Pike Place Market, Seattle</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20100610orangebirds_jet_toronto.flac">20100610: Orange birds, jet overhead, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2008</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080823_cicadas_Toronto.flac">20080823: Cicadas, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080823_backyard_noises_jets_bugs_Toronto.flac">20080823: Backyard noises, jets, bugs, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080716_Toronto_rain_occasional_traffic.flac">20080716: Rain, occasional traffic, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080417_morning_birds_richland.flac">20080417: Early morning bird noises with distant background traffic, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080414_truck_in_rain_richland.flac">20080414: Truck down the street in light rain with sea gulls, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080410_parking_lot_traffic_kennewick.flac">20080410: Traffic in the parking lot of Best Buy, Kennewick, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080410_train_and_traffic_pasco.flac">20080410: Slow moving train and street traffic behind the airport, Pasco, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080410_gas_station_richland.flac">20080410: Fueling up at the gas station, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080410_birds_in_park_kennewick.flac">20080410: Sea gulls, ducks and geese in Columbia Park, Kennewick, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080409_unpacking_car_richland.flac">20080409: Unloading bags from the car with birds in the background, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080409_starting_car_richland.flac">20080409: Going outside to start the car, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080406_house_noises_richland.flac">20080406: Assorted house noises, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080406_living_room_clock_richland.flac">20080406: The living room clock, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080403_grocery_store_richland.flac">20080403: A trip to the grocery store, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080403_making_coffee_kennewick.flac">20080403: Making coffee at work, Kennewick, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080402_call_center_din_2.flac">20080402: Another from the floor of a call center, Kennewick, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080402_call_center_din.flac">20080402: The din of the floor of a call center, Kennewick, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080401_bar_noise_richland.flac">20080401: Bar noise from the lounge in the Shilo Inn, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080330_children_talking_richland.flac">20080330: Children talking and playing, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080330_kitchen_noises_richland.flac">20080330: Making dinner in the kitchen, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080330_dryer_noise_richland.flac">20080330: Laundry room noise, Richland, Washington</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20080229_bar_noise_richmond.flac">20080229: Bar noise, Richmond, Virginia</a></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2007</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070518_toy_dogs_eaton_centre_toronto.flac">20070518: Toy dogs, Eaton Centre, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070518_music_shop_toronto.flac">20070518: Music shop, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070518_general_din_eaton_centre_toronto.flac">20070518: General din, Eaton Centre, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070518_book_sale_nathan_phillips_square_toronto.flac">20070518: Book sale, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070517_walking_chinatown_toronto.flac">20070517: Walking, Chinatown, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070517_foyer_fashion_building_toronto.flac">20070517: Foyer, Fashion Building, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070517_abm_kiosk_spadina_and_dundas_toronto.flac">20070517: ABM kiosk, Spadina and Dundas, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070505_student_coldspeak_train_station_hamburg.flac">20070505: Student coldspeak, train station, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070505_posh_student_train_station_hamburg.flac">20070505: Posh student, train station, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070505_drunk_fans_talk_with_me_train_station_hamburg.flac">20070505: Drunk fans talk with me, train station, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070421_st_lawrence_market_toronto.flac">20070421: St. Lawrence Market, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070421_farmers_market_toronto.flac">20070421: Farmers' market, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070421_dundas_square_toronto.flac">20070421: Dundas Square, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070421_bells_st_james_cathedral_toronto.flac">20070421: Bells, St. James Cathedral, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_york_quay_toronto.flac">20070420: York Quay, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_waterfront_boardwalk_C_toronto.flac">20070420: Waterfront boardwalk C, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_waterfront_boardwalk_B_toronto.flac">20070420: Waterfront boardwalk B, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_waterfront_boardwalk_A_toronto.flac">20070420: Waterfront boardwalk A, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_subway_union_to_st_clair_west_toronto.flac">20070420: Subway, Union to St. Clair West, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_stone_path_queens_quay_toronto.flac">20070420: Stone path, Queen's Quay, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_office_window_fashion_building_toronto.flac">20070420: Office window, Fashion Building, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_grange_park_morning_toronto.flac">20070420: Grange Park, morning, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_go_transit_train_terminal_toronto.flac">20070420: GO Transit train terminal, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_concrete_cutter_queens_quay_toronto.flac">20070420: Concrete cutter, Queen's Quay, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070420_bilge_pump_waterfront_toronto.flac">20070420: Bilge pump, waterfront, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070419_thursday_morning_king_and_john_toronto.flac">20070419: Thursday morning, King and John, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070418_spadina_streetcar_riding_southward_in morning_toronto.flac">20070418: Spadina streetcar, riding southward on morning commute, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070418_coffee_shop_spadina_and_richmond_toronto.flac">20070418: Coffee shop, Spadina and Richmond, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070418_book_store_first_floor_richmond_and_john_toronto.flac">20070418: Book store, first floor, Richmond and John, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070417_walking_eastward_on_queen_from_spadina_to_university_toronto.flac">20070417: Walking eastward on Queen, from Spadina to University, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20070417_st_clair_streetcar_riding_westward_toronto.flac">20070417: St. Clair streetcar, riding westward, Toronto</a></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2006</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20061011_beach_waves_mazzaro_sicily.flac">20061011: Beach, waves, Mazzaro, Sicily</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20060401_drilling_with_birds_petersburg.flac">20060401: Birds and nature sounds with drilling in the background, Petersburg, Virginia</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20060401_chatter_about_noise_petersburg.flac">20060401: Chatter before recording during Noise Weekend April 2006, Petersburg, Virginia</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20060401_between_track_chatter_petersburg.flac">20060401: Chatter in the studio between tracks, Petersburg, Virginia</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20060308_snow_path_wild_dog_plane_schlagenhofen.flac">20060307: Snow path, wild dog, plane, Schlagenhofen</a></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2005</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20051215_african_drums_xmas_market_heidelberg.flac">20051215: African drums, Xmas market, Heidelberg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20051114_fetal_heartbeat_hopewell.flac">20051114: Fetal heartbeat, Hopewell, Virginia</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20051105_wine_glass_overtones_hamburg.flac">20051105: Wine glass overtones, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20051021_mad_violinist_and_nele_hamburg.flac">20051021: Mad violinist and Nele, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20050921_night_creatures_petersburg.flac">20050921: Night creatures, Petersburg, Virginia</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20050819_isemarket_kids_music_hamburg.flac">20050819: Isemarket, kids music, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20050819_isemarket_hamburg.flac">20050819: Isemarket, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20050506_workers_best_mood_penny_market_hamburg.flac">20050506: Workers, best mood, penny market, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20050120_extremely_mild_january_storm_hamburg.flac">20050120: Extremely mild January storm, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20050120_14c_thunder_hamburg.flac">20050120: 14?c, thunder, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20050119_staircase_bottles_hansaplatz_hamburg.flac">20050119: Staircase, bottles, Hansaplatz, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2004</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/200409xx_radio_blabla_munich.flac">200409xx: Radio-bla-bla, Munich</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20040929_soccer_inside_house_schlagenhofen.flac">20040929: Soccer inside house, Schlagenhofen</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20040909_demonstration_at_university_only_4_people_with_us_gansemarkt_hamburg.flac">20040909: Demonstration at university, only 4 people with us, G?nsemarkt, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20040904_wild_geese_before_night_bavaria.flac">20040904: Wild geese, before night, Bavaria</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20040322_6pm_noise_church_heidelberg.flac">20040322: 6pm, noise, church, Heidelberg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20040322_5pm_schafheutle_church_heidelberg.flac">20040322: 5pm, Schafheutle Church, Heidelberg</a></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2003</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20030307_street_before_shop_schanzenviertel_hamburg.flac">20030307: Street before shop, Schanzenviertel, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20030307_fat_car_schanzenviertel_hamburg.flac">20030307: Fat car, Schanzenviertel, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20030305_sports_car_train_station_hamburg.flac">20030305: Sports car, train station, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20030120_thunder_rain_hamburg.flac">20030120: Thunder, rain, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20030115_toilet_artscience_hamburg.flac">20030115: Toilet, ArtScience, Hamburg</a></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2002</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20021217_scissors_like_any_room_heidelberg.flac">20021217: Scissors, like any room, Heidelberg</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20020922_mad_violinist_bathroom_st_wendel.flac">20020922: Mad violinist, bathroom, St. Wendel</a></div>
<div id="content2" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom:5px;"><b>2001</b></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20011228_stairs_very_old_house_schlagenhofen.flac">20011227: Stairs, very old house, Schlagenhofen</a></div>
<div id="content2"><a href="http://soundsfound.sighup.ca/20010506_applause_after_a_reading_heidelberg.flac">20010506: Applause after a reading, Heidelberg</a></div>
<br><br><br>
<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-4268028-3";
urchinTracker();
</script>
</body></html>
