Accuracy of track lengths in Audacity

[joeys1]

Hey there.

This may sound like a silly question, but I have a real use for it, so it has to be asked.

If you import an MP3 file into Audacity, and it is shown as (for example) 2m:30s.20ms, how accurate is that in real time?

The reason I ask is that I am trying to get my own radio station going, and one of the (in my mind) major hurdles I have seen so far is that all the play times you see listed in media players are actually approximations based on file size.

So, does Audacity give more accurate timings, and just to be really difficult, if it does, can you put these times into an id3 tag for a media player to read?

Any light that can be shone on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Joseph Karl.

[kozikowski]

All these numbers are fuzzy because the actual performance depends totally on the accuracy of the crystal oscillator on the motherboard and another one on the sound card. Both of those oscillators cost 3 cents when the boards were built, and many manufacturers think that's way too much. It's not unusual for people to record a half-hour show and have it two or three seconds off when they play it back.

Also see: someone up the forum who wants to do critical scientific measurements using Audacity on his PC. Same problem. Best of luck with that.

Koz