How to split audio into chunks.

[Desmond Sukotjo]

Hi. I looking for a way to split my recording (mp3) with the duration of 2 hours. Which contains several people doing their speech. Now I would like to split them into several individual file. (one mp3 file per speech). Anyone know the best way of doing this? Perhaps I could just import into one program and mark it in the timeline with a marker, and then export it into chunks of file automatically?

Thanks in advance.

[Bruce Foreman]

I use Audacity, a free audio editor, you may have to download some other program (the info links you to where to get it) to make it work with mp3 files. I record in WAV and export to WAV because that's what I use on the timeline of my NLE.

But selecting "chunks" is easy, mark the "in" and "out" points and export the selected "chunk" to either WAV or MP3. I have to do this when I use the Zoom recorders for double system sound. I announce "scene and take number" after I have the camera running. If doing one take after another I leave the audio recorder running so the "scene and take number" will be my "in" point and the command "CUT" is my "out" point for each segment.

[Steve House]

As Bruce suggested, Audacity would work fine. It open's mp3's without any problems. Simply load the original file, locate the start of the first speech and select to its end. On the 'File' menu click 'Export Selection as MP3' and give it a unique name. Repeat for the other speeches. You're done.

Just as a general tip, in the future try to avoid recording to MP3. MP3 is a lossy compression format ... it shrinks the audio files by throwing aeway data it thinks is unimportant. Every time you load a file, do some editing on it, and save it as new MP3 you throw away more of the waveform. It doesn't take much of that to make the loss of data audible. MP3 is a DISTRIBUTION format, not an ORIGINAL RECORDiNG format. Make your master recordings using the uncompressed wav format (or perhaps a lossless compressed format like FLAC). If recording for video, wave files in either 16 or 24 bit depth and 48kHz sample rate are the standard. The only advantage you get with MP3 is it takes up less storage space than would uncompressed files for recordings of the same length, but with storage being cheaper than dirt, using MP3 to save space is a false economy.

[Greg Miller]

The program Total Recorder will open, split, and save MP3 files, without decoding and re-encoding them.

It also does a lot of other things, like record from any audio source, and record any audio that exists digitally within your PC. For example, if you're streaming audio from the internet, Total Recorder can make a direct digital capture of that audio, without having your sound card convert it to analog, and recording from the sound card's analog output (which is how most programs do it).

It also has timed recording and timed playback functions, so it's sort of like an audio TIVO.

Of course it supports multiple file formats and bitrates, too.

I believe the "regular" version costs a little under $20, and the "pro" version, which has a lot more recording and editing features, might cost about twice that much. At this price, it's a good deal if you use it just one time.

[Richard Crowley]

+1 for Total Recorder. It is a terrific deal at $18. Audio/Video Recorder, Editor, Converter. Capture streaming video and audio.

[Desmond Sukotjo]

Thank you all. I will look into both Audacity and Total Recorder.