[Ubuntu 10.04, Audacity 1.3.12-beta] Cannot open .wma file

[rlindau]

When I attempt to open a .wma file (e.g., because I want to convert it to .mp3), I get...

Audacity recognized the type of the file '......wma'.
Importers supposedly supporting such files are:
FFmpeg-compatible files,
but none of them understood this file format.

and in the log file: 10:29:28 AM: FFmpeg : av_open_input_file() failed for file ......wma

I see an April series of posts on "FFmpeg library not found" that indicates that recent versions of ffmpeg wouldn't work don't the then-current Audacity, due to API changes. Perhaps a silly question, but ....Is that the root cause for my problem too? If I need to install an earlier version of ffmpeg, any recommendations on what version, and where to find it?

Thanks, Rob L

Some background...

I'm running Ubuntu 10.04, with Audacity 1.3.12-beta.
Checking Synaptic, I see I have the following packages installed:
ffmpeg (4:0.5.1-1ubuntu1)
libavformat-extra-52
libavcodec-extra-52
libavdevice-extra-52
and others (are there particular ones I need to check for?)

[steve]

I think it is indeed a problem with FFMpeg - I also have problems with wma files. It's probably a lot easier to work around the problem by using SoundConverter (available through Synaptic) than to try and fix it in Audacity. I don't think that SoundConverter supports DRM protected files, but it works fine with other wma files (such as the .wma test file that you can get here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316992 )

[rlindau]

Thanks for the suggestion, stevethefiddle. I was indeed able to use SoundConverter. BTW - are you indeed a fiddle player? I'm an alto-fiddle player (violist playing for contra dances) myself... Rob L

[steve]

are you indeed a fiddle player? I'm an alto-fiddle player (violist playing for contra dances) myself... Rob L

Hi Rob, yes I'm a fiddle player. I presume that you play the "viola" rather than the Chinese or Mediaeval "alto-fiddle"?

[rlindau]

Yes. I was being a bit facetious. I play viola (in a local community orchestra, and also for contra dances, where I tend to play the tune an octave down or invent harmony). I also play nyckelharpa, which I sometimes tell people is a medieval instrument, although it would be more accurate to say it's a 20th C development of a medieval instrument. I own but can't say I play a concertina and a banjo mandolin. If I played bagpipes, I'd have all the major instrument joke food groups covered (viola, accordion, banjo, and bagpipes). Thx again for your help, Rob L.

[bgravato]

If the only goal is to convert files from one format to another, there are probably better (and simpler) tools (graphical and command line) for that rather than Audacity.

[telemaco2010]

I had the same problem and the solution turned out to be quite simple. The error message appeared to imply that the FFmpeg library was installed and could not decode the file, but actually FFmpeg was not installed. I installed the FFmpeg package, went (in Audacity) to Edit > Preferences > Libraries and pressed the Locate button for FFmpeg. Audacity found the library automatically and from then on everything worked fine.