Could not export as m4a

[ksk0629]

Steps to reproduce

1. Load m4a file.
2. Export it as m4a file.

from pydub import AudioSegment

input_path = "path/to/input/file.m4a"
audio_data = AudioSegment.from_file(input_path)

output_path = "path/to/output/file.m4a"
audio_data.export(output_path, format="m4a")

Expected behavior

Export an m4a file correctly

Actual behavior

The following error happens.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CouldntEncodeError                        Traceback (most recent call last)
Cell In[22], line 4
      1 format = "m4a"
      2 output_path = os.path.join(".", file_name)
----> 4 audio_data.export(output_path, format=format)

File /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/miniforge/base/envs/volume_adjuster/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pydub/audio_segment.py:970, in AudioSegment.export(self, out_f, format, codec, bitrate, parameters, tags, id3v2_version, cover)
    967 log_subprocess_output(p_err)
    969 if p.returncode != 0:
--> 970     raise CouldntEncodeError(
    971         "Encoding failed. ffmpeg/avlib returned error code: {0}\n\nCommand:{1}\n\nOutput from ffmpeg/avlib:\n\n{2}".format(
    972             p.returncode, conversion_command, p_err.decode(errors='ignore') ))
    974 output.seek(0)
    975 out_f.write(output.read())

CouldntEncodeError: Encoding failed. ffmpeg/avlib returned error code: 1

Command:['ffmpeg', '-y', '-f', 'wav', '-i', '/var/folders/ll/szc7m7151ml5z8g80dysyqh00000gn/T/tmpstv6ljpt', '-f', 'm4a', '/var/folders/ll/szc7m7151ml5z8g80dysyqh00000gn/T/tmpxn742nbi']

Output from ffmpeg/avlib:

ffmpeg version 6.0 Copyright (c) 2000-2023 the FFmpeg developers
  built with Apple clang version 14.0.3 (clang-1403.0.22.14.1)
  configuration: --prefix=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/ffmpeg/6.0_1 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --cc=clang --host-cflags= --host-ldflags= --enable-ffplay --enable-gnutls --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libaribb24 --enable-libbluray --enable-libdav1d --enable-libjxl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-librav1e --enable-librist --enable-librubberband --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsrt --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libtesseract --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvmaf --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-libass --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-libzmq --enable-libzimg --disable-libjack --disable-indev=jack --enable-videotoolbox --enable-audiotoolbox --enable-neon
  libavutil      58.  2.100 / 58.  2.100
  libavcodec     60.  3.100 / 60.  3.100
  libavformat    60.  3.100 / 60.  3.100
  libavdevice    60.  1.100 / 60.  1.100
  libavfilter     9.  3.100 /  9.  3.100
  libswscale      7.  1.100 /  7.  1.100
  libswresample   4. 10.100 /  4. 10.100
  libpostproc    57.  1.100 / 57.  1.100
Guessed Channel Layout for Input Stream #0.0 : stereo
Input #0, wav, from '/var/folders/ll/szc7m7151ml5z8g80dysyqh00000gn/T/tmpstv6ljpt':
  Duration: 00:00:03.23, bitrate: 1411 kb/s
  Stream #0:0: Audio: pcm_s16le ([1][0][0][0] / 0x0001), 44100 Hz, 2 channels, s16, 1411 kb/s
[NULL @ 0x12ae38720] Requested output format 'm4a' is not a suitable output format
/var/folders/ll/szc7m7151ml5z8g80dysyqh00000gn/T/tmpxn742nbi: Invalid argument

Your System configuration

• Python version: 3.11.5
• Pydub version: 0.25.1
• ffmpeg or avlib?: ffmpeg (installed by homebrew, which I am using Mac M1 OS)
• ffmpeg/avlib version: 6.0

[zxul767]

You can use the ipod format to export to m4a (see original answer)

[ksk0629]

Thank you!!! It worked well!

[JiesenSun]

Thank you!!! It worked well!

May I ask how the problem was ultimately resolved

[ksk0629]

I put ipod as format.

audio_data.export(output_path, format="ipod")

[JiesenSun]

tks，but The from_file function does not support the m4a format

CouldntDecodeError Traceback (most recent call last)
Cell In[40], line 10
7 audio_path = "audio/londonbridge-practice-3.m4a"
8 format = os.path.basename(audio_path).split(".")[1]
---> 10 match_target_amplitude(audio_path, format)

Cell In[36], line 5, in match_target_amplitude(audio_path, audio_format, target_dBFS)
3 def match_target_amplitude(audio_path, audio_format, target_dBFS=-20):
4 # sound = AudioSegment.from_mp3(audio_path)
----> 5 sound = AudioSegment.from_file(audio_path)
6 change_in_dBFS = target_dBFS - sound.dBFS
7 normalized_sound = sound.apply_gain(change_in_dBFS)

File /opt/anaconda3/envs/solfeggio_env/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pydub/audio_segment.py:773, in AudioSegment.from_file(cls, file, format, codec, parameters, start_second, duration, **kwargs)
771 if close_file:
772 file.close()
--> 773 raise CouldntDecodeError(
774 "Decoding failed. ffmpeg returned error code: {0}\n\nOutput from ffmpeg/avlib:\n\n{1}".format(
775 p.returncode, p_err.decode(errors='ignore') ))
777 p_out = bytearray(p_out)
778 fix_wav_headers(p_out)

CouldntDecodeError: Decoding failed. ffmpeg returned error code: 183

Output from ffmpeg/avlib:

ffmpeg version 6.1.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2023 the FFmpeg developers
built with gcc 12.3.0 (conda-forge gcc 12.3.0-5)
configuration: --prefix=/home/conda/feedstock_root/build_artifacts/ffmpeg_1706918361713/_h_env_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_placehold_plac --cc=/home/conda/feedstock_root/build_artifacts/ffmpeg_1706918361713/_build_env/bin/x86_64-conda-linux-gnu-cc --cxx=/home/conda/feedstock_root/build_artifacts/ffmpeg_1706918361713/_build_env/bin/x86_64-conda-linux-gnu-c++ --nm=/home/conda/feedstock_root/build_artifacts/ffmpeg_1706918361713/_build_env/bin/x86_64-conda-linux-gnu-nm --ar=/home/conda/feedstock_root/build_artifacts/ffmpeg_1706918361713/_build_env/bin/x86_64-conda-linux-gnu-ar --disable-doc --disable-openssl --enable-demuxer=dash --enable-hardcoded-tables --enable-libfreetype --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libopenh264 --enable-libdav1d --enable-gnutls --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libvpx --enable-libass --enable-pthreads --enable-vaapi --enable-libopenvino --enable-gpl --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libaom --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libxml2 --enable-pic --enable-shared --disable-static --enable-version3 --enable-zlib --enable-libopus --pkg-config=/home/conda/feedstock_root/build_artifacts/ffmpeg_1706918361713/_build_env/bin/pkg-config
libavutil 58. 29.100 / 58. 29.100
libavcodec 60. 31.102 / 60. 31.102
libavformat 60. 16.100 / 60. 16.100
libavdevice 60. 3.100 / 60. 3.100
libavfilter 9. 12.100 / 9. 12.100
libswscale 7. 5.100 / 7. 5.100
libswresample 4. 12.100 / 4. 12.100
libpostproc 57. 3.100 / 57. 3.100
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0x557992c22bc0] Format mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 detected only with low score of 1, misdetection possible!
[mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 @ 0x557992c22bc0] moov atom not found
[in#0 @ 0x557992c22a80] Error opening input: Invalid data found when processing input
Error opening input file audio/londonbridge-practice-3.m4a.
Error opening input files: Invalid data found when processing input

[milahu]

Requested output format 'm4a' is not a suitable output format

similar error with ffmpeg 6.1.1

$ ffmpeg -y -f wav -i /run/user/1000/tmpt9qeh4tl -f mka /run/user/1000/tmp_fpjg2b6
[AVFormatContext @ 0x1b1dc80] Requested output format 'mka' is not known.

but it works when i remove -f mka and add the output file extension .mka

$ ffmpeg -y -f wav -i /run/user/1000/tmpt9qeh4tl /run/user/1000/tmp_fpjg2b6.mka
Output #0, matroska, to '/run/user/1000/tmp_fpjg2b6.mka':
  Metadata:
    encoder         : Lavf60.16.100
  Stream #0:0: Audio: vorbis (oV[0][0] / 0x566F), 44100 Hz, mono, fltp
    Metadata:
      encoder         : Lavc60.31.102 libvorbis

ffmpeg -muxers shows no mka but matroska, so this works

ffmpeg -y -f wav -i /run/user/1000/tmpt9qeh4tl -f matroska /run/user/1000/tmp_fpjg2b6

wrong fix: use format as output file extension

pydub/audio_segment.py

        #output = NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w+b", delete=False)
        output = NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w+b", delete=False, suffix=f".{format}")

###

        conversion_command.extend([
            #"-f", format, output.name,  # output options (filename last)
            output.name,  # output options (filename last)
        ])  

format != extension, see also What are all of the file extensions supported by FFmpeg

but... pydub is unmaintained #389 #444