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Topic: MP3 Editing Software (Read 4173 times) previous topic - next topic
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MP3 Editing Software

It appears that mp3 editing software, both free and shareware, is limited to the cutting and joining of mp3 files.  Editing features such as fade, cross-fade, equalization, etc. available for other digital audio formats apparently are unavailable for the mp3 format.

(1)  Is my understanding of the limited capability of mp3 editing software correct?

(2)  If my understanding is correct then is this reality explained by the frame-based nature of mp3 files?

(3)  Are there developments upon the digital horizon suggesting that at some point within the relatively near  future mp3 editing may extend beyond cutting and joining?

Thanks for the information.

MP3 Editing Software

Reply #1 –
Quote from: audiologist on
It appears that mp3 editing software, both free and shareware, is limited to the cutting and joining of mp3 files.  Editing features such as fade, cross-fade, equalization, etc. available for other digital audio formats apparently are unavailable for the mp3 format.

(1)  Is my understanding of the limited capability of mp3 editing software correct?

(2)  If my understanding is correct then is this reality explained by the frame-based nature of mp3 files?

(3)  Are there developments upon the digital horizon suggesting that at some point within the relatively near  future mp3 editing may extend beyond cutting and joining?

Thanks for the information.


(1) Yes
(2) Not entirely. The things that you are asking for require decoding and then reencoding.
(3) Probably not

MP3 Editing Software

Reply #2 –
(1) You can also change gain per frame. E.g. mp3DirectCut support custom fade in/out and gain change for selections.

MP3 Editing Software

Reply #3 –
I find it is easiest to do all these cute things to my files while they are WAVs or FLACs.  Then I convert to MP3. 
Nov schmoz kapop.

MP3 Editing Software

Reply #4 –
I use Audacity to edit my MP3s, it has lots of useful features: cutting and pasting, cross fade, compressor, change tempo (without changing pitch), change pitch (without changing tempo), FFT, fade in/out, noise removal, Nyquist prompt, equaliser, reverse, echo, hard limiter, delay, Glimiter and more.

It works with MIDI, MP3, WAV, Aiff, and Ogg. You can add new audio tracks to mix, microphone or other audio input,

And it is free, at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

I also use MP3directcut. It has only a few features, but it is quick and easy: it has fade in and out.
 

MP3 Editing Software

Reply #5 –
Editing MP3s with a wave editor is always lossy. The MP3 has to be decoded to wave, then you do your changes and finally you re-encode it.

Everything that can be done losslessly is cutting, attenuating in 1.5 dB steps, fading in/out in 1.5 dB steps. Where cutting should take care of the bitreservoir, what MP3directcut does not do.