Audacity Forum

I have a large (283MB) MP3 file that I want to split up. After 5 minutes, the load completes but there is nothing in the editor to edit. Any ideas? The name of the file is there, but no data to manipulate...

Audacity is not an MP3 editor. Audacity uncompresses files inside itself to work on them and then recompresses them later for delivery. On a wild guess, Audacity is trying to create a 4GB to 7GB show inside the computer. Is there room for that? The first time you have to do effects and processing, that number will double.

How long is the show in minutes -- or would be if you could open it?

Koz

If all you want to do is to split it up with no further editing, then there are simpler tools better suited to the task.

Try a quick surf of t'Interweb for MP3 editors - IIRC there is one called MP3-Cut or MP3-Split or something suchlike.

WC

I have searched the web. I have tried dozens of programs and they all crash because of the size of the MP3 file. I can editor smaller ones fine with Audacity, just not very large ones... This particular one is 20 1/2 hours or so...

Long term security recording equipment -- and that's what you're talking about here -- uses custom programming for a reason. Regular computers get unstable as the show sizes go up. There was a note here that 12 hours was the longest anyone had ever been able to manage a recording -- and that was with very special considerations and preparations.

Koz

Audacity will try to blow that file out to about a 15GB show internally. For production, you would double that plus the need to keep at least 10% of your drive free at all times.

How much room have you got?

Koz

85GB of free space...

So that's not it.

Since this is Windows, how sure are you that it's an MP3 file? Right-Click > Properties > Advanced > Format.

I think it's still true Audacity will not open up Windows Media or other advanced filetypes.

Koz

I can open it up in Windows Media Player or WinAmp and play it just fine. I just want to split it up into chapters so I can put in on a CD...

<<<I can open it up in Windows Media Player>>>

That's not what I asked you. Make Windows tell you what the format of the file is in English words. Windows Media will play anything but not everything will open in Audacity. You may simply not have an MP3 file.

Koz