Tech: Editing wma files

Subject: Tech: Editing wma files
From: gnu
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 06:49 PM

Yeah, the internuts say this and then that. What say Mudcatters? What should I use/do to edit my music files in wma format?

Subject: RE: Tech: Editing wma files
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 06:58 PM

Hi, Gnu-
Looks like Audacity has an add-on that will allow it to import WMA files. It also needs an add-on to save MP3 files, and that add-on works perfectly for me.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Editing wma files
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 07:39 PM

That's correct, Joe. We have installed the (free) add-on for Audacity and it works great for importing WMA files.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: Tech: Editing wma files
From: GUEST,ripov
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 08:22 PM

Thanks Joe, didn't know about that one.
I try to avoid wma (and wmv) but sometimes forget to change format when ripping in media player, and end up with files unplayable on other software!

Subject: RE: Tech: Editing wma files
From: Howard Kaplan
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 11:59 PM

There are two different ways to edit .wma files. One way is to convert them to uncompressed format (like .wav files), work on them, and then export them to .wma or any other compressed format. That's called "transcoding". The other is to edit them without decompression, which limits the editing options but avoids any generation loss in going from the original to the final file.

I assume (but don't know for sure) that what Audacity does is transcoding. I am sure that's what Goldwave, a low-cost but not free wave editor, does with .wma files. In fact, Goldwave converts every format to an uncompressed one in its internal buffers.

I looked at a lot of web postings last year to try to find a .wma editor that worked without transcoding. There was a suggestion that the free Windows Movie Maker under XP would do the job, but I found that program very slow, and it wouldn't export .wma bit rates as high as I was downloading from the BBC, so there would be a loss of quality.

I've recently bookmarked a web site for another product that claims to be able to handle .wma without transcoding: SolveigMM Video Splitter, Version 3. It was last updated in August 2012, so it's actively being maintained. It costs €39.95, and a trial version can be downloaded, but I haven't yet had the time to try it myself.

Subject: RE: Tech: Editing wma files
From: gnu
Date: 24 Dec 12 - 07:07 PM

Welll... I tried a bit of fiddling to no avail... maybe I am missing something sooooo...

Let me be specific. I want to excerpt a"clip" fom the middle of a wma file and make a new file so I can send the clip to a buddy.

Subject: RE: Tech: Editing wma files
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 24 Dec 12 - 09:23 PM

I use shareware Switch Sound File Converter to convert my WMA files from my recorder to WAV.

I then Edit the WAV files using Audacity and save them as WAV files.

I finally use Switch again to convert the WAV files to MP3 or whatever.
The only conversion that does not seem to work is WAV back to WMA.

I have done this lots of times with no problems once I had mastered the particular software.