CANNOT IMPORT MP3 FILE

I have a song in MP3 format which I want to import into FCPX. Leave files in place, no transcoding etc.

If I import this file or just drag it from the Itunes button onto the timeline, FCPX starts to transcode (?) and then to render (?). The transcoding comes to an end after a long time and the rendering just never ends.

This is new to me, as normally a song, which works perfectly in Itunes, was just immediately accesible and ready to use.

Any suggestions
Cheers
Lucian

I use MPEG Streamclip (a free app) to export it to a 48hz aiff file and discard the original MP3. No rendering in FCP X is necessary with aiff files.

Phil

Thx for your help, will try this out. Even if I still think, that this is an abnormal situation. MP3 should be imported into FCPX directly. Don't know if I am missing something.

Since the very first days of FCP (about 14 years ago), we have always converted our audio files to 48k AIFF.

--ken

When I have a lot of songs to convert I use QT because I found it to be much quicker than MPEG Streamclip.
If you happen to have that MP3 song in FCP you can export to AIFF then re-import.

Tom

You can also convert the MP3 using QT.

Tom

FCPX does not transcode MP3s even if you ask it to.

You can convert it from iTunes to AIFF, then import into FC.
DD

So, Ronny, you are saying essentially that it is unnecessary if using FCP X to first convert the MP3 file to AIFF for optimum performance. Correct?

Thanks for all this info.

Phil

That's correct, Phil. If you don't convert the MP3 audio to Linear PCM prior to importing, FCP X will do this automatically while it imports the MP3 file.

Only in very exceptional cases, such as when the MP3 audio has been recorded @ 44.1 KHz in sync with a camera, can it be advised to convert the audio to AIFF or Wav @ 48KHz prior to importing. This to prevent the audio going out of sync with the video on the timeline. I say "exceptional" because I would never use MP3@44.1 KHz as a recording format for synced audio.

Another exception would be if the MP3 file has been created with a second-rate audio converter like the ones you see advertised frequently, and the MP3 has not been encoded properly. Such files might play correctly in iTunes and QT player, but cannot be edited properly in an NLE without producing clicks and plops. These files still need to be converted externally.

Best wishes,

Ronny

Hi Ronny,

I saw your video. but when I imported my MP3 file, the process with the song (length is a couple of minutes), took much more time. The transcoding was about 10 minutes and the rendering just never ended. So you think there must be something wrong with that file?

Best
Lucian

Hi Lucian,

Yes, exactly. Transcoding takes no more than 1/4 of a second for a 4' clip, including the waveform generation (that is NOT called rendering). And this is with any MP3 clip I import. So the only reasonable conclusion would be that your file is damaged, or it has been created with a funky encoder that does not produce a correct MP3.

Have you tried converting the original file to AIFF using iTunes, Compressor, QT or anything else? And does that file work in FCP X?

Best wishes,

Ronny

Yes, thats what I did. I converted it into an AIFF file with Itunes. At least now the song works. But FCPX is rendering each video file I add to the timeline

Do you have Background rendering turned on?

Best wishes,

Ronny