I need to convert multiple mkv to mp3 on debian linux without losing original mkv

[auda.city]

I need to convert multiple individual mkv to mp3 on debian linux without losing original mkv. Can you help please? I tried it my way and it rolled 10 mkv into one mp3 file, mumbo jumbo, it’s not what I want. I need to be able to listen to each mp3 separately, mo mixing over the top in other words.
Does Audacity do a good shop during the conversion in terms of audio quality compared to VLC?
Thanks in advance.

[LWinterberg]

Does Audacity do a good shop during the conversion in terms of audio quality compared to VLC?

Both Audacity and VLC use the same or very similar underlying technology for audio processing (like libsndfile, mpg123, ffmpeg), so there shouldn’t be any appreciable difference in quality.

[auda.city]

I need to convert multiple individual mkv to mp3 on debian linux without losing original mkv’s. Would you know how to do that?

[LWinterberg]

1. File → import → audio the MKV into Audacity
2. File → export audio the file as MP3

[steve]

Audacity does not directly modify imported files. If you don’t want the file that you import to be modified, then you don’t need to do anything other than not overwriting it when you export (Ensure that you export to a different file name, or different file type (.mp3 rather than .mkv) or to a different folder).

[auda.city]

@LWinterberg

1. File → import → audio the MKV into Audacity
2. File → export audio the file as MP3

Yes that works for fine if you do it one mkv file at a time.
If I have 7 mkv files and follow your instructions then the 7 individual mkv get merged in one mp3 file, but that’s not what I want, I need to export 7 individual files with the press of one button and not have them merged as a single mp3. Yes I know, I can do this one at a time, but I am trying to save time, and need a solution to do it in one go.

When I try to do 7 kmv in one go I am getting

Your tracks will be mixed down and exported as one stereo file

[auda.city]

Anyone know if this can be done?

[steve]

@auda.city

I need to export 7 individual files with the press of one button and not have them merged as a single mp3. Yes I know, I can do this one at a time, but I am trying to save time, and need a solution to do it in one go.

Considering that your first post in this thread was 12 days ago, it would have been quicker to convert them one at a time.

Nevertheless, yes you can convert multiple files to a different format “in one go” by “batch processing” with a “macro”, but there are certain limitations to Audacity’s batch processing. All files to be batch processed must have unique names and be in the same folder. The export format must be the same for all files in the batch.

Further information: Macros - Audacity Manual