Need help converting wav in Audacity to mp3.

  • Thread starter Thread starter grh
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grh

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When I try to convert wav to mp3 I get a message saying audacity needs the file name lame_enc.dll to create mp3's. I get a box with different options. If I press okay it says can not open mp3 encoding library. If I press download it says, I no longer have to download because mp3 patent has expired, and this feature should be built into audacity. If I press browse it takes me to a box saying lame_enc. I press okay, and it still says can not open mp3 encoding library
 
You probably need to update your version of audacity to one that came out after the patent expired. What version are you seeing when you go to Help > About Audacity... ?
 
Yup, I've never used Audacity for MP3 conversion as I have Samplitude but I have just installed the latest version (from 'ninite.com') and it exported a .wav file as MP3 no bother at all.

Dave.
 
Quite right, Dave. Audacity now includes the LAME encoder in the software, no need to have an external encoder. The last release of LAME v3.10 was in 2017.
 
You probably need to update your version of audacity
^^^^^^^^This.
Just get the latest version of Audacity. It does everything for you. I used to use the old version with LAME. I recently downloaded the new version for Linux and it all works so seamlessly and simply that I completely forgot about having to have LAME until Rich mentioned it.
 
I wan't to thank everyone for trying to help. I updated audacity, and the updated audacity now it is completely frozen. I literally can not press anything when I open audacity. I restart the computer, and it does not help.
 
Sorry to read that grh. Did you download Audacity from ninite.com? If not I suggest you do so but first uninstall any instances of Audacity, if you have any trouble doing that I am sure others here, far more 'PC cute' than I can advise.

I have used Audacity for many years although my main DAW is Samplitude Pro X3. Audacity can be setup to record an internal audio stream, a function now made difficult with Windows 10. I have never had any trouble with it. Similarly, Ninite has always been totally safe.

Dave.
 
DId you uninstall all of the old version of Audacity? An old INI file can possibly mess up the load process. Also, we're assuming you are using Win10. Make sure you are running proper version, 64 or 32 bit.

I would uninstall completely and redownload the file. Audacity Download for Windows
 
Sorry to read that grh. Did you download Audacity from ninite.com? If not I suggest you do so but first uninstall any instances of Audacity, if you have any trouble doing that I am sure others here, far more 'PC cute' than I can advise.
What? Just get the official version from audacityteam.org. Why add some random 3rd-party intermediary?
 
What? Just get the official version from audacityteam.org. Why add some random 3rd-party intermediary?
Well, presumably that is what OP tried to do? I have used and recommended Ninite for years and do not know of a single incidence of anyone getting a problem with it. They state the downloads are 'clean' and there is no trick,hidden apps and that they are always the latest version.

How often have you downloaded something from the 'official' site but when you come to install it it tells you you need to update? Never happens with ninite.

Dave.
 
The link I provided went to Audacityteam.org's download page. Either one would be fine.
 
FWIW If you are running windows 10 there is a "special" Audacity for it now called Audiotonic "Audacity rebuilt for windows 10" and it integrates awesomely with your system..

I was having some minor issues and decided to update and stumbled upon it...works quite nicely
 
Audiotonic looks interesting, but my biggest question is "will it support ASIO"? I didn't see anything in their feature list. I know there is are licensing issues with Steinberg in using ASIO. That same type of issue is why previous versions used the dll version of LAME, rather than integrating it as is done now.
 
How often have you downloaded something from the 'official' site but when you come to install it it tells you you need to update? Never happens with ninite.
Huh. Can't say I've ever had that problem.

FWIW If you are running windows 10 there is a "special" Audacity for it now called Audiotonic "Audacity rebuilt for windows 10" and it integrates awesomely with your system..

I was having some minor issues and decided to update and stumbled upon it...works quite nicely
Is that an official fork? I saw it in the windows store (along with a lot of other trademark-questionable apps)
 
Huh. Can't say I've ever had that problem.


Is that an official fork? I saw it in the windows store (along with a lot of other trademark-questionable apps)
Ok Steve, well maybe I used to download more ***t than you! Yes that Audacity variant DID look a but 'sus' but it seems to have installed ok and TBH I cannot see any difference.

Dave.
 
Since Audacity is free/open source, the source code is freely available. For a good programmer it wouldn't be a hard thing to modify it to add additional functionality. Its a bit like taking the Linux kernel and coming up with a distro for a particular segment. That's why you have 10 or 20 different Linux distros.
 
Since Audacity is free/open source, the source code is freely available. For a good programmer it wouldn't be a hard thing to modify it to add additional functionality. Its a bit like taking the Linux kernel and coming up with a distro for a particular segment. That's why you have 10 or 20 different Linux distros.
Audiotonic is distributed by Bluesky who is the developer of Audacity and puts them both out opensource. They have a wiki on asio and why they can't include it but you can ( if you are slightly tech savy) install it within either software HERE
 
Since Audacity is free/open source, the source code is freely available. For a good programmer it wouldn't be a hard thing to modify it to add additional functionality. Its a bit like taking the Linux kernel and coming up with a distro for a particular segment. That's why you have 10 or 20 different Linux distros.
Yeah, the big issues with an unofficial version in the windows store would be legal rather than technical. (The code is F/OSS, but the logo and name are trademarks; plus a fork available in the windows store without the source code might violate GPL?)
 
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