How to convert a set of files with audacity?

Audacity 3 Help Forum GNU/Linux
1

Hello guys
Let us just say that I have a folder that contains 30 music files. They are all in MP3 format. I would like to convert them to Advanced Audio Codec aka AAC. Converting each file alone will take a lot of time, so here is my question:
Is there a way to convert those 30 files in a quicker way like converting them all at once?
Thank you.

2

Audacity has a tool called “Chains” which is just the Batch tools everywhere else.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/chains_for_batch_processing_and_effects_automation.html

However, don’t fall in love with the idea of doing them all at once. The first thing Audacity does is decompress the MP3 and convert each one into Super High Quality internal format. So four or five songs is going to go through all your memory—maybe sooner. If you do any effects, it’s even worse because Audacity has to make UNDO copies.

You will have to install the FFMpeg add-on software to manage AAC. I’m pretty sure Audacity won’t do that by itself.

Oh, and the result will be a lower quality than the originals. You can’t convert between compressed formats without collecting the sound damage from each format.

Koz

3

I can’t find the FFMpeg for linux, so you’re on your own, or you may not need it. I can’t tell.

Koz

4

So, you do not advice me to use the feature?

5 
apt-get install ffmpeg

should do it on Debian. Change package manager part for other distro’s.

6

should do it on Debian.

What he said.
Koz

7

@sido-auda-city, please always provide the information from the pink panel at the top of the page. We have no idea what version of Linux or Audacity you are using unless you tell us.

Koz misinformed you. Chains in Audacity do not yet support AAC export.

Installing ffmpeg if it is not already installed on the system does not magically ensure Audacity can use it unless Audacity has been compiled with FFmpeg support and unless the version of FFmpeg or libav you install is compatible with Audacity.

See Audacity Manual.

However you can batch-convert with FFmpeg on its own. If you write a bash script something like this it should work (I think), assuming you want to use the FFmpeg native AAC encoder:

#!/bin/bash
for %%a in ("*.mp3") do ffmpeg -i "%%a" -strict experimental  -acodec aac "newfiles\%%~na.m4a"
done

You can also use handbrake which has a GUI:

apt-get install handbrake-gtk

(or use whatever package installer your distro provides).


Gale