How do I convert Shorten files to MP3?
May 21, 2004 1:55 PM

Anyone know an easy way to convert Shorten files to mp3 - preferably high-bit-rate VBR?
posted by mojohand to Media & Arts (6 answers total)
mojohand, originally I was going to suggest simply adding a step in the middle and converting the .shn to .wav or .aiff, then .mp3, but if you don't want to do that you could always see this FAQ I found via Googling for ".shn to .mp3". (Near the bottom, the FAQ mentions Windows and Mac programs that convert between those formats.)
posted by emelenjr at 2:20 PM on May 21, 2004


dbPowerAMP will convert SHN direct to MP3, tho I'm not sure if it will do VBR.
posted by Doktor at 2:32 PM on May 21, 2004


I use mkw for shn>wav and lame/RazorLame for wav>mp3 with --alt-preset standard settings.
posted by muckster at 3:03 PM on May 21, 2004


mkw will convert directly to mp3, wont it? I thought I had used this before.
posted by phatboy at 3:55 PM on May 21, 2004


phatboy, I seem to remember this as well. But it's been months.

Related question: When I've downloaded .shn live shows in the past, they come with an attached "agreement" telling me I am not to convert the file to any lossy format (such as mp3). Why not?

MP3 is practical (for me), and is a much smaller filesize and much more accessible format (if I want to share) -- I understand that to some audiophiles there is a big quality difference, but how does me making an mp3 version of the files affect them at all? They can still share the .shns all they want.
posted by rafter at 11:20 AM on May 22, 2004


Related question: When I've downloaded .shn live shows in the past, they come with an attached "agreement" telling me I am not to convert the file to any lossy format (such as mp3). Why not?

Because then you're polluting the trading pool. It's fine if you're making mp3s to put on your iPod or what have you, but say that you burn an audio CD, convert the shn/flac/ape files to mp3, and just keep those.

Six months pass, a friend is in town, they love the same bands you do, and it's a killer concert. Now you've got a skippy CD or shitty mp3s you can use to make them a copy. If you're lucky the CD only has a dozen errors on it, and you can make them an ok -- but polluted -- copy of the show. Say the worst happened and the CD is too error filled to make a decent copy, you give them the show sourced from mp3.

Either way they're out there with a crappier version of the show, one that they're just as likely to pass on, increasing the errors.

Months later they find STG, Etree, or some other online resource for people interested in trading music. They rip the CD and share it, thinking that it's kosher. They will get a new asshole ripped for them (not that that's right necessarily, but you did go against the original taper's wishes and they're going to get the brunt of it). I used to see it happen all the time on STG and it's not pretty.

I'm not saying you shouldn't make mp3s of shows for listening to on iPods or for storing more shows in an easily accessible format (ie. on your computer), but if you do, archive a copy of the shn/flac/ape files so that when you need to make another copy of the cd to play in your car or to share with your friends you're not making the problem of keeping track of what show is what any worse...

The people who tape shows put a lot of time, effort, and money into it. Making mp3 copies for convenience is fine, but do them a favor and keep the originals around if you ever plan on sharing them with anyone else.
posted by togdon at 4:57 PM on May 22, 2004


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