Best Software to convert WAV to MP3?

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misterbrownstone

misterbrownstone

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I know its best to keep your music files on a WAV file and then transer to a CD, but how about when uploading to Soundclick and other music website? I usually use itunes to just put the song on my iphone because I know the quality on a AAC file is better than an MP3 , but Soundclick doesnt accept AAC. SO whats the best converting software to convert to mp3 without losing some quality? I currently use Adobe Audition or iTunes. Are they any good? What other programs are best? Or should I just convert it Mp3 staight from the DAW?
 
Audacity or Adobe Soundbooth

Audacity because it loads quickly

Adobe Soundbooth because you might have it.
 
Itunes. Edit > Preferences > Import Settings > Import Using > WAV Encoder. Now go back to your music in itunes and right click on it and click on create WAV version.
 
You should check "Switch Audio Converter". I use the free version for mac, but they have it for pc too. nch.com.au/switch/index.html
 
I use dbPoweramp, google it, great program and approved to be secure and hq.
 
its easiest to export from the daw you have, i also use dbPoweramp but its an old freeware version
 
According to some tests people have done, LAME sounds better than iTunes. Since Audacity uses LAME, go with that and be sure to install the codec support for all that. If you need to do it in bulk groups, use something like RazorLAME. it's a freeware front end for LAME.
 
i use switch.... i've had it forever...downloaded it from the company's main website, i'm using the free version...and have never had a problem using it. meaning, its not a trial...i've had it for over a year. i think only thing it doesnt have that the full version has, is possibly support of certain audio formats.... i only use it to convert wav -> mp3 and vice versa tho
 
astroidmist said:
According to some tests people have done, LAME sounds better than iTunes. Since Audacity uses LAME, go with that and be sure to install the codec support for all that. If you need to do it in bulk groups, use something like RazorLAME. it's a freeware front end for LAME.
Click to expand...

According to some other tests, it doesn't, really. Go figure. Good music will be good - even through a shitty conversion - so I wouldn't bother my mind too much with this...
 
quantumleap said:
i use switch.... i've had it forever...downloaded it from the company's main website, i'm using the free version...and have never had a problem using it. meaning, its not a trial...i've had it for over a year. i think only thing it doesnt have that the full version has, is possibly support of certain audio formats.... i only use it to convert wav -> mp3 and vice versa tho
Click to expand...


Same here. I've downloaded it last year and I can still use it. I only use it for mp3 and wav too.
 
krushing said:
According to some other tests, it doesn't, really. Go figure. Good music will be good - even through a shitty conversion - so I wouldn't bother my mind too much with this...
Click to expand...


I think the test link to your site is missing so there's no way to know now if it's legit. But then again the tests that I was referring to happened a long time ago as well, so they might not be legit either.

When I was on soundclick i used iTunes to encode all my tunes to the 128 k setting needed for free downloads. But some of the other guys there told me that LAME was better. I figured maybe they have a point after I saw the test so I switched to LAME.

Of course none of that matters now for me because i use 16-bit 44.1kHz FLAC's that even my portable media player can play.

I'll be very glad when MP3 is obsolete.
 
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astroidmist said:
But some of the other guys there told me that LAME was better. I figured maybe they have a point after I saw the test so I switched to LAME.
Click to expand...

The problem seems to be that "the other guys" keep referring to that 2004 test, which still keeps making the rounds in the internet - and sure enough, iTunes really sucked at that one. The same test done again in 2008 simply says that there's no perceivable difference between any of the encoders...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec_listening_test
 
I use this for almost all my audio encoding needs: http://sector-seven.net/software/flicflac

It's small and fast (check out the screenshot), supports all formats I usually need, and it integrates as a Windows context meny entry for some really fast on-the-fly encoding at the end of a project. Be sure to see the contents of the .ini file, you can customise many important parameters there.

One of those "wow I'm glad I found out about this little utility" type of deals :)
 
1+ for Soundforge, when I convert to 320 I get really good results.
 
krushing said:
The problem seems to be that "the other guys" keep referring to that 2004 test, which still keeps making the rounds in the internet - and sure enough, iTunes really sucked at that one. The same test done again in 2008 simply says that there's no perceivable difference between any of the encoders...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec_listening_test
Click to expand...

That's a good point. I'm still sick of the whole MP3 thing anyhow though. I wish Amazon.com and Apple.com would transition to lossless audio file formats as their dominant format.
 
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