newbie having problems

[edweather]

I downloaded some audio files via Real Player and Windows Media. I dragged the file into the Audacity program, and it appears that there is only about 2/10ths of a second of audio. I know there's not because I listened to the clips already. The file extensions are .rm and .wmv. Is it possible they are in the wrong formats? How do I find out what format they are in? Help please. Thanks.

[waxcylinder]

As you surmised, you are almost certainly trying to import a file type that Audacity does not support. Audacity Supports WAV, MP3, OGG and FLAC & MP2 in 1.3.

Audacity 1.2 has an inelegant way of telling you that it can't handle the file type you've given it (i.e. you get a short file that plays very quicly - often as a screech)- in 1.3.x a more appropriate and informative error message appears.

If this is the case you have two basic options:

1. find and use some converter software to convert your file to a type that Audacity supports

2. play the file in any music software that supports that particular file format and record it in Audacity.

There's a free program called SUPER by erightsoft that can convert most media file types. If you can convert the files to WAV files that should fix the problem.

WC

[edweather]

Steve......thanks a lot for the feedback. Yep, thats exactly what I got, a short screech. Thanks for the suggestions. I most certainly will try one of them. Thanks again. Ed