I am running a MacBook Pro with OS X 10.8.2. I’m as new to the MAC as I am to Audacity. I think I downloaded the dmg file and copied it into Applications correctly at least I think I did it right. When I try to open the file I got an error saying Audacity wasn’t approved for Apple or something to that affect and couldn’t be opened. What did I do wrong? Also does the LAME program have to be installed to convert to MP3 in the MAC OS. Thanks in advance.
Jim
You don’t copy the dmg (Disk Image) file to Applications. You double click on it and it should either explode into an installer, or create a disk drive on the desktop with the actual application in it. Drag that into /Applications.
Where do you come from? Windows? Linux?
Koz
MP3 creation is a licensed, money-based product from Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. It’s not free. Lame is a software work-alike that is generally used when somebody wants to create MP3s without the license fees. Audacity cannot be offered with lame on-board. You have to do it yourself.
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/faq_installation_and_plug_ins.html#lame
MP3 has has some very serious operational problems. It always creates sound damage and it’s a video format, so it has television frame timing problems. Never do production in MP3. Reserve it for deliverables to your iPod or other music player or one-way web postings.
Koz
Go to Apple menu > System Preferences, then the “Security and Privacy” section.
Under “Allow applications downloaded from” check “Anywhere”
– Bill
Or if you prefer the extra safety of Mac informing you that apps are not from “an identified developer”, leave the preference as it is. Right-click or control-click on the Audacity application in Finder, choose “Open”, then in the dialogue box that appears, choose “Open”. You will then be able to launch Audacity normally on subsequent occasions.
Gale
I want to thank you one and all for the help. I am now able to open the program on my Mac. I also live in the Windows world and I am thinking of a complete switch to Apple if I like this MacBook and software. So far I have installed Open Office until I make up my mind. So far I am liking it fine. I will check out the format other then MP3s to see what I will use. I have always used MP3 and like my eyes my hearing isn’t all that good and MP3 always sounded great. What would be the best that I can use with Audacity without other plug ins and not be big files? Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. CU
Jim
See here for a comparison of the principal Audacity-supported formats:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/file_export_dialog.html#compare .
Scroll up that page for more description of the different formats.
WAV, AIFF and FLAC are all lossless. WAV and AIFF are good for re-editing, burning audio CD’s and for converting to lossy MP3 or M4A files in iTunes (if you don’t want to install extra libraries for Audacity).
See here http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Exporting_your_Audacity_Project_into_iTunes_and_iPod .
FLAC is the smallest lossless format but it is still large and it will be extra work to get QuickTime and iTunes to play it - see https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3002052?start=0&tstart=0 .
Gale
Ok Gale, I’ll keep this in mind. I’m getting along in years and looking for the easy way without using up more space then needed but getting good sound as possible.
Jim
apps are not from “an identified developer”
Doesn’t that just mean it’s going to complain about anything that didn’t come from the Apple Store? That was the traditional iPhone protection. Only stuff from the Apple Store and the iPhone will not run two or more applications at once. That can be restrictive for power users, but it’s also really hard to run evil software while you’re typing your password.
Koz
If you just want decent quality, and you just want to make an MP3 once and then won’t need to change the file again after that, MP3 should be fine.
If you add LAME to your computer ( http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/faq_installation_and_plug_ins.html#maclame ) this lets you export to MP3 from Audacity. Cick the “Options…” button before saving the MP3:
Choose a higher bit rate than 128 kbps to prevent the quality degrading too much. It will make the files larger, but not too large (a few MB per second).
Or export as WAV from Audacity (no extra library needed) then convert to MP3 in iTunes:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Exporting_your_Audacity_Project_into_iTunes_and_iPod#convert .
Similarly, consider increasing the bit rate when you convert to MP3 in iTunes.
Gale
No. There are now three settings in Preferences. Even the moderately restrictive “allow from App Store and Identified developers” blocks Audacity because Audacity is not a signed app. Even if an Audacity Mac developer wanted to pay Apple’s developer fee, there are apparently technical issues in signing Audacity then getting it to launch on OS X 10.4 to 10.6 (which did not have “Gatekeeper”).
From http://www.macworld.com/article/1165408/mountain_lion_hands_on_with_gatekeeper.html :
Gale
Thank you Gale for the help. I now have Audacity working and will convert to MP3 using iTunes. Have a Happy New Year to all and thank all who replied.
Jim
Doesn’t that just mean it’s going to complain about anything that didn’t come from the Apple Store?
Or registered developers. I think you want to leave the “firewall” running to catch software installs that don’t seem to be software installs.
http://evilempire.com is trying to install “keylogger.dmg” on your Mac. OK? [ ].
If you’re installing software often enough for that to bother you think you got more problems than the App Store.
Koz
I believe this problem should be reduced from 2.0.3 onwards as the Audacity application is now signed (and from testing, there is no problem in OS X 10.4 to 10.6).
If the System preferences are set to only allow apps to run that came from the Mac Store, Audacity still won’t launch unless you right-click over it > Open > Open.
If the System preferences are set to allow apps that came from the Mac Store and from identified developers, then Audacity 2.0.3 onwards should not be blocked.
Gale