I’ve been recording my daughter’s singing with Audacity, a great open source audio recording and editing app, and it’s fun and makes it pretty easy to chop and organize audio tracks. Problem is, I want to save the output as an MP3, not as a WMA file. but when I try to export the audio file in that format, it just pops up an error. How can I fix it?
You’re right to be a fan of Audacity, it’s easily one of the best open source audio editors available. Heck, it’s one of the best audio editors even when you compare it to commercial solutions on the marketplace. Haven’t heard of it? Check it out at audacity.sourceforge.net.
While it’s pretty easy to work with the basics of audio editing in Audacity, there are some edges of it that can be a bit tricky. For example, what you ask about is a classic dilemma facing people who first start out with Audacity: how the heck do you save MP3 files?
The problem is that the MP3 audio file data format is patented and there’s a license fee associated with its use. So it can’t be included in a free, open source application.
How do you get around it? Have an MP3 audio file library that’s distributed from outside of the United States. In fact, the library is called “LAME” (which originally stood for “LAME Ain’t an MP3 Encoder”) (no, really) is distributed from a server in Argentina.
Before I give you the URL, let’s see how you end up crashing into that wall in the program.
Let’s say that you’ve finished editing your audio file. You quickly recognize that the “Save” options don’t include separate audio format files because it saves “projects”, not standalone audio files that you could play on an iPod, for example.
Instead, you need to use File –> Export…, which brings up this window:
Once you’ve downloaded the appropriate file for your operating system (there are versions for Mac OS X and Windows) and installed it, you’ll find that the next time you try to export an audio file in MP3 format, it’ll just save properly:
Hi Dave,
Been using Audacity for the past week and it was working well up till yesterday. Yesterday it suddenly stopped exporting MP3 files with any data, it only delivers file with 1KB (or 0 KB). I tried uninstalling and re-loading both Audacity (2.1.3 version) and LAME, separately. Same issue continues. Not sure why this suddenly started happening. I even tested it using an existing MP3 file (copied to Audacity and tried saving it under a test name). Same 1 KB file exported. It was previously exporting just fine all week. Help!
lame download link broken
Thanks for the update. Try this one instead, Sam: http://lame.buanzo.org/#lameosxdl
As bizarre as it is, any audacity file I tried to export to MP3 with the numeral ‘2’ in it, refused to cooperate. E.g. Baa Baa Black Sheep 2.mp3. As soon as I removed number 2 it worked!
I have problem of exporting audio file from audacity export audio command. It says edit metadata.
Metadata templates comes on the screen. I can’t resize the template , to press ok.
It comes with first column tag and tha second column with value
Under these columns more than thirty raw start with artist name to subtitle…
Then says add or remove clear , set default etc
Any help
No, it doesn’t work as written above. When I reinstall everything, I only get the same message over and over. Same message, regardless of the status of LAME. With no LAME, with 3.98 LAME, with 3.99 LAME, it just repeats the same “would not open” message, after numerous trash and re-installs . And since all this LAME lameness is supposed to be an MP3 licensing problem in Audacity, what explains why it also gives the same message if I try to save (“export”) any clip to any other formats besides MP3, as well?
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Downloaded LAME but still cannot convert to mp3. Do I have to put LAME somewhere special?
thank you very much
you are my hero
Thanks.Took me time to import/export my recorded audio and LAME is the answer.
Hi Dave, like Rael (Jul 10th post), I did all the things you suggested and still getting the ‘unable to open target file for writing error message’. Some details about my computer. Original system PowerPC G4, PowerBook G4, Mac OS X 10.4. I upgraded to 10.5.8. I had already accessed the site you mentioned to download the LAME file for my OS X version and it didn’t work. Even tried the FFMpeg with no luck. Any other suggestions? I’m taking an online class and am totally stuck.
Hi Dave im still having issues; unable to open target file for writing is the error message again…
do you have any more advice, any will be appreciated, thanks
Ok. Solved the 1st part. I found & was able 2 open the project. Now I just need help getting the fading issue resolved. Thnx
I am completely new 2 Audacity & need some help. I am creating a demo (medley) 4 a press package 4 my band and need 2 get it done ASAP as I have someone waiting 4 it. I used the manual 2 guide me & was able 2 import & edit the clips of the songs in2 a 10 min medley. However, I wasn’t able 2 figure out how 2 get the clips 2 fade in and out. So I saved the project & planned 2 finish 2day. Now I’m trying 2 retrieve the project. But when I searched the project it seems 2 exist in many, multiple files instead of 1. Can u pls explain & tell me what I should do. I hope that I don’t have 2 do the project all over again. Also, how do I get the tracks 2 fade in & out of one another seamlessly? As I said, I tried 2 follow the manual’s instructions but was unsuccessful. I’d appreciate any help. Thnx
Thank you dave!!!! Now I can finish my final project! 🙂
thanks but it still does not work, audacity is the stupidest thing around sure yo can edit and record, but getting it from there to ipod? ha forget it!
I’m trying to make the music on my PSP louder and more clearer but whenever I try to put an MP3 file on my PSP in never shows up. I don’t know what to do, any help?
Thank you sooooo much!
Thank you for your precious time in helping us out so generously, Dave. This tip is worth so much because most of us would prefer our music in MP3 format.