HydrogenAudio

Lossy Audio Compression => MP3 => MP3 - General => Topic started by: flel on 2013-04-06 14:47:52

Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: flel on 2013-04-06 14:47:52
Dear all,

I would like to convert from mp3 to mp3. Thereby remaining the original folder and sub-folder structure. Moreover, conversion should only take place for selected files. The latter can easily achieved by adding the corresponding column and only select the ones I intend to convert.

My issue: The new file should be at the same place as the original file but the original file should either be deleted or overwritten. Selecting the overwrite option not work, a deleting source file option does not seem to be available.

any thoughts?

Thanks and regards
Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: Gecko on 2013-04-06 14:55:06
What tool are you using?

Also: re-encoding mp3 is generally not recommended.
Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: Propheticus on 2013-04-06 15:32:34
re-encoding mp3 is generally not recommended.


^This. MP3 to MP3 degrades quality. Better use an original source (CD) or a lossless format (WAV/FLAC/...etc) to make new mp3's from.

To do what you described TAudioConverter (google it) might do the job. Pay attention to the folder structure options in the encoding settings.
Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: flel on 2013-04-06 16:09:13
Thanks so far.

I have several mp3's with 320kbit/sec which I want to downsize. You reckon I should not do it?
Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: o-l-a-v on 2013-04-06 16:30:36
Thanks so far.

I have several mp3's with 320kbit/sec which I want to downsize. You reckon I should not do it?


You can use mp3repacker (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32379) to squeeze out some bits losslessly.
Lossy to lossy is not recommended. Its not for sure you will hear a difference so test for yourself (ABX). If its good enough for you, then go for it.
Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: db1989 on 2013-04-06 16:33:59
You can do it, but it will degrade the quality of the audio. Whether or not that will matter to you is a question that can only be answered by a double-blind listening test. These subjects have been discussed many times; searching for previous threads should be informative.

My issue: The new file should be at the same place as the original file but the original file should either be deleted or overwritten. Selecting the overwrite option not work, a deleting source file option does not seem to be available.
The overwrite option where? Did you forget to tell us which program you’re talking about? Should we guess that it’s foobar2000? I ask because you originally posted this in General Audio, which a number of people end up using after missing the dedicated subforum for fb2k.
Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: DonP on 2013-04-06 17:01:14
My issue: The new file should be at the same place as the original file but the original file should either be deleted or overwritten. Selecting the overwrite option not work, a deleting source file option does not seem to be available.


I don't have a big problem with making small mp3's from 320kb mp3's if you need small ones, but trashing your source material in the process? Ewwww!

Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: Porcus on 2013-04-07 09:44:25
As others have pointed out, lossless --> 320 --> 128 is much more likely to produce audible artifacts than lossless --> 128.  In fact, there is also a generation loss when doing --> 128 --> 320.

As for mp3packer, there is also the WinMP3packer Windows front-end. Read more: http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=MP3packer (http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=MP3packer) . Get it, replace the mp3packer.exe with the newest version, set the -z flag, keep folder structure, wait and bit-verify afterwards to be sure. 320 is certainly where most could be saved on using mp3packer, often some ten percent certain (usually older) files – I once got a file down to 256. I think mp3packer has saved me a mighty $4 of hard disk space :-o  well and maybe postponed an upgrade by at least one price drop.

(... unless it is for near-full portable devices, mp3 repacking is not saving much money, no. I was rather driven by curiosity. Still today some labels seem encode using a “fast” innefficient option. Likely of utter ignorance.)
Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: flel on 2013-04-09 17:22:25
any program with a GUI available?
Title: Convert mp3 folderwise
Post by: db1989 on 2013-04-09 17:26:50
A GUI to do what? Convert or pack? In either case, yes. Since you didn’t answer my question of whether you were referring to foobar2000 in this unspecified program where “a deleting source file option does not seem to be available”, I’ll assume you weren’t. There: foobar2000 can do the conversion for you. Search for information on the process; it has been well-documented already. As for MP3packer, it provides a GUI already, so again, a bit of reading can show you what to do.