The "export as mp3" macro command does not work

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I am using Audacity 3.1.0 in Windows 10 Home, 64 bits.

I have set the Open and Export directory paths to D:\Downloads.

I opened an mp3 file that is in a subfolder of D:\Downloads.
Then I ran a four-line macro that selects a part of the file, deletes it, selects all and exports as mp3.

I expected the edited mp3 to appear in my default export directory, or to replace the original mp3 file.
But the macro does not really create any mp3 file at all!

Audacity does show a progress bar that shows exporting a file, but the edited file is not found at the default export folder or where the original source file is located. [BUG]

2

I selected a part of the track manually and exported the selected audio.
Audacity creates an mp3 in my default export folder, as expected.

So, to conclude, the macro does not work, while the same command works manually.

3

In recent versions of Audacity, Macros export to the default “macro output” directory. You can configure the macro output directory in Preferences.
See: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/directories_preferences.html

4

Thanks for the tip!

I changed this directory to D:\Downloads. and then restarted Audacity.
But still the macro is unable to export the edited file to that directory.

The default directory is set as C:\Users<UserNAme>\OneDrive\Documents.
I checked out there also, but the file is not created there, either!

5

Is D:\ an external drive?

Where is your “Documents” folder? Does it work if you select that as the macro-export folder?

6

The D:\ is a partition in my internal HDD.

I have Windows and all apps running in my C:\ partition, and all data in my D:\ partition.
BTW Audacity is running in the C:\Program Files\Util\Audacity directory.
(I have created a Util subfolder to install all software in one place.)

My Documents folder is in this path: C:\Users\Narayan\OneDrive\Documents.
(“Narayan” is my Windows user name.)

When I reported this problem, I had not specified any path for Macro exports.
So, logically speaking, all exports should have been to this folder.
But I checked there, and found nothing.
(But I can confirm that this folder does receive downloads from other apps, such as WhatsApp.)

Besides, if I run the macro for the second time, Windows should pop up a warning that the file already exists, and do I want to replace the file [Y/N].
This does not happen.
Therefore I conclude that Audacity is not exporting anything at all.

7

Update:
I discovered that the file does get exported, but to a subfolder (which I did not expect).
Secondly, if this exported file is overwritten, Audacity does not show the options:

  1. Rename the new file’
  2. Skip (cancel)
  3. Replace the old file.

(Ref: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/in-macro-the-select-command-does-not-work-in-add-and-remove-modes/63246/1)