iPhone Extended Audio File Services, mp3 -> PCM -> mp3 - iphone

Question

I would like to use the Core Audio extended audio file services framework to read a mp3 file, process it as a PCM, then write the modified file back as a mp3 file. I am able to convert the mp3 file to PCM, but am NOT able to write the PCM file back as a mp3.
I have followed and analyzed the Apple ExtAudioFileConvertTest sample and also cannot get that to work. The failure point is when I set the client format for the output file(set to a canonical PCM type). This fails with error "fmt?" if the output target type is set to mp3.
Is it possible to do mp3 -> PCM -> mp3 on the iPhone? If I remove the failing line, setting the kExtAudioFileProperty_ClientDataFormat for the output file, the code fails with "pkd?" when I try to write to the output file later. So basically I have 2 errors:
1) "fmt?" when trying to set kExtAudioFileProperty_ClientDataFormat for the output file
2) "pkd?" when trying to write to the output file
Here is the code to set up the files:
NSURL *fileUrl = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:sourceFilePath];
OSStatus error = noErr;
//
// Open the file
//
error = ExtAudioFileOpenURL((CFURLRef)fileUrl, &sourceFile);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error opening file at %#. Error code %d", sourceFilePath, error);
return NO;
}
//
// Store the number of frames in the file
//
SInt64 numberOfFrames = 0;
UInt32 propSize = sizeof(SInt64);
error = ExtAudioFileGetProperty(sourceFile, kExtAudioFileProperty_FileLengthFrames, &propSize, &numberOfFrames);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error retreiving number of frames: %d", error);
[self closeAudioFile];
return NO;
}
frameCount = numberOfFrames;
//
// Get the source file format info
//
propSize = sizeof(sourceFileFormat);
memset(&sourceFileFormat, 0, sizeof(AudioStreamBasicDescription));
error = ExtAudioFileGetProperty(sourceFile, kExtAudioFileProperty_FileDataFormat, &propSize, &sourceFileFormat);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error getting source audio file properties: %d", error);
[self closeAudioFile];
return NO;
}
//
// Set the format for our read. We read in PCM, clip, then write out mp3
//
memset(&readFileFormat, 0, sizeof(AudioStreamBasicDescription));
readFileFormat.mFormatID = kAudioFormatLinearPCM;
readFileFormat.mSampleRate = 44100;
readFileFormat.mFormatFlags = kAudioFormatFlagsCanonical | kAudioFormatFlagIsNonInterleaved;
readFileFormat.mChannelsPerFrame = 1;
readFileFormat.mBitsPerChannel = 8 * sizeof(AudioSampleType);
readFileFormat.mFramesPerPacket = 1;
readFileFormat.mBytesPerFrame = sizeof(AudioSampleType);
readFileFormat.mBytesPerPacket = sizeof(AudioSampleType);
readFileFormat.mReserved = 0;
propSize = sizeof(readFileFormat);
error = ExtAudioFileSetProperty(sourceFile, kExtAudioFileProperty_ClientDataFormat, propSize, &readFileFormat);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error setting read format: %d", error);
[self closeAudioFile];
return NO;
}
//
// Set the format for the output file that we will write
//
propSize = sizeof(targetFileFormat);
memset(&targetFileFormat, 0, sizeof(AudioStreamBasicDescription));
targetFileFormat.mFormatID = kAudioFormatMPEGLayer3;
targetFileFormat.mChannelsPerFrame = 1;
//
// Let the API fill in the rest
//
error = AudioFormatGetProperty(kAudioFormatProperty_FormatInfo, 0, NULL, &propSize, &targetFileFormat);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error getting target file format info: %d", error);
[self closeAudioFile];
return NO;
}
//
// Create our target file
//
NSURL *writeURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:targetFilePath];
error = ExtAudioFileCreateWithURL( (CFURLRef)writeURL, kAudioFileMP3Type,
&targetFileFormat, NULL,
kAudioFileFlags_EraseFile,
&targetFile);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error opening target file for writing: %d", error);
[self closeAudioFile];
return NO;
}
//
// Set the client format for the output file the same as our client format for the input file
//
propSize = sizeof(readFileFormat);
error = ExtAudioFileSetProperty(targetFile, kExtAudioFileProperty_ClientDataFormat, propSize, &readFileFormat);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error, cannot set client format for output file: %d", error);
[self closeAudioFile];
return NO;
}
And the code to read/write:
NSInteger framesToRead = finalFrameNumber - startFrameNumber;
while(framesToRead > 0){
//
// Read frames into our data
//
short *data = (short *)malloc(framesToRead * sizeof(short));
if(!data){
NSLog(#"AudioPlayer: Cannot init memory for read buffer");
[self notifyDelegateFailure];
[self closeAudioFile];
return;
}
AudioBufferList bufferList;
OSStatus error = noErr;
UInt32 loadedPackets = framesToRead;
bufferList.mNumberBuffers = 1;
bufferList.mBuffers[0].mNumberChannels = 1;
bufferList.mBuffers[0].mData = data;
bufferList.mBuffers[0].mDataByteSize = (framesToRead * sizeof(short));
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Before read nNumberBuffers = %d, mNumberChannels = %d, mData = %p, mDataByteSize = %d",
bufferList.mNumberBuffers, bufferList.mBuffers[0].mNumberChannels, bufferList.mBuffers[0].mData,
bufferList.mBuffers[0].mDataByteSize);
error = ExtAudioFileRead(sourceFile, &loadedPackets, &bufferList);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error %d from ExtAudioFileRead", error);
[self notifyDelegateFailure];
[self closeAudioFile];
return;
}
//
// Now write the data to our file which will convert it into a mp3 file
//
NSLog(#"AudioClip: After read nNumberBuffers = %d, mNumberChannels = %d, mData = %p, mDataByteSize = %d",
bufferList.mNumberBuffers, bufferList.mBuffers[0].mNumberChannels, bufferList.mBuffers[0].mData,
bufferList.mBuffers[0].mDataByteSize);
error = ExtAudioFileWrite(targetFile, loadedPackets, &bufferList);
if(error){
NSLog(#"AudioClip: Error %d from ExtAudioFileWrite", error);
[self notifyDelegateFailure];
[self closeAudioFile];
return;
}
framesToRead -= loadedPackets;
}

Answer 1

Apple doesn't supply an MP3 encoder- only a decoder. The source document is a bit outdated, but AFAIK it is still current: http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/MusicAudio/Conceptual/CoreAudioOverview/SupportedAudioFormatsMacOSX/SupportedAudioFormatsMacOSX.html%23//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40003577-CH7-SW1
I think your best bet might be to use AAC.