# Recommendations for MP3 Conversion Software **URL:** \ **Category:** Off-Topic\ **Created:** [June 9, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028 "2016-06-09T21:39:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f19dbf/32.png) [@rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/rko31415)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/1 "2016-06-09T21:39:44Z")
Help! I've tried at least a dozen different solutions and none seem to fit my needs: 1. can handle "Latin" characters in tags (e.g., inverted question marks, ellipses) 2. doesn't lose or truncate tags (e.g., podcast URL, podcast description, podcast category) 3. can convert to a constant bit rate of 32kbps @ 44.1K Hz (i only listen to podcasts=speech and my IPOD software rockbox doesn't like VBR) conversions needed are from .wav, .mp4 and .m4a to .mp3 (simple huh?) ... mp4 -\> mp3 is my most common conversion need. I tried this topic at [http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/378899-...nversion-to-Mp3](http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/378899-Looking-for-simple-conversion-to-Mp3) and ended up in a fruitless discussion about ffmpeg. So I thought I'd give you guys (gals) a try. I currently use dbPoweramp, but it fails on item #2 and I'm tired of having to manually fix the tags. Thx ---
**Author:** ![LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/2 "2016-06-10T04:02:02Z")
I'm not sure if Xrecode3 can meet all of your requirements: [http://xrecode.com/xrecode3/](http://xrecode.com/xrecode3/) Give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f19dbf/32.png) [@rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/rko31415)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/3 "2016-06-11T21:51:15Z")
thanks for the Xrecode3 recommendation. didn't work. failed requirement #2. ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 7:28am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/4 "2016-06-18T07:28:47Z")
> [@rko31415](#): > > ... > conversions needed are from .wav, .mp4 and .m4a to .mp3 (simple huh?) ... mp4 -\> mp3 is my most common conversion need. > ... Perhaps you need the help of MP3tag. If you have a set of original files and the same set but with converted files you can load them into MP3tag, select the original files, copy the tags select the target files (which are in the same order as the original files) paste the tags. This should put all the compatible information into the target files. So now you can focus on the audio quality of the converter. Tagging is done best with MP3tag. ---
**Author:** ![rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f19dbf/32.png) [@rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/rko31415)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/5 "2016-06-19T21:28:30Z")
The fewer steps the better ... as mentioned above I use dBpoweramp and this requires the text-to-tag (alt+4) feature of mp3tag to restore the unedited tags. I'd like to convert and move over the raw tags in one step, and then use mp3tag to do the final tag editing. The problem seems to be tags like podcastdesc, unsyncedlyrics, etc ... which unfortunately are very (verrry) widely used in publicly available podcasts INSTEAD of the comment field (hence these are indispensable for any categorizing and searching of podcasts). ---
**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/6 "2016-06-20T03:18:15Z")
> [@rko31415](#): > > The fewer steps the better ... as mentioned above I use dBpoweramp and this requires the text-to-tag (alt+4) feature of mp3tag to restore the unedited tags. ... If I count correctly, then the copy&paste solution for tags has even fewer steps than Loading files into Mp3tag Creating a report Running a report Convert files in a different programm open dbpoweramp load the new files search for the export file import the tags load the files into MP3tag for finalizing. With MP3tag it would be: Convert files in a different program load original files load converted files on top select original files (all of them) copy the tags of all the files select the target files (all of them) paste the tags to all the files Done. And it has the advantage that you use only 2 programs in a single workflow as you do not have to switch to and fro between programs. ---
**Author:** ![pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/pone/32/272_2.png) [@pone](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pone)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/7 "2016-06-20T18:07:50Z")
> [@rko31415](#): > > Help! > > I've tried at least a dozen different solutions and none seem to fit my needs: > > 1. can handle "Latin" characters in tags (e.g., inverted question marks, ellipses) > 2. doesn't lose or truncate tags (e.g., podcast URL, podcast description, podcast category) > 3. can convert to a constant bit rate of 32kbps @ 44.1K Hz (i only listen to podcasts=speech and my IPOD software rockbox doesn't like VBR) > > conversions needed are from .wav, .mp4 and .m4a to .mp3 (simple huh?) ... mp4 -\> mp3 is my most common conversion need. > > I tried this topic at [http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/378899-...nversion-to-Mp3](http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/378899-Looking-for-simple-conversion-to-Mp3) and ended up in a fruitless discussion about ffmpeg. So I thought I'd give you guys (gals) a try. > > I currently use dbPoweramp, but it fails on item #2 and I'm tired of having to manually fix the tags. > > Thx Have you tried foobar2000? I think it can do it all. ---
**Author:** ![rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f19dbf/32.png) [@rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/rko31415)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 12:24am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/8 "2016-06-21T00:24:11Z")
Thanks for the recommendation pone, but Foobar2000 had the same problem with losing the descriptor tags. The problem with the dBpoweramp-Mp3tag combo is each album (and there are many dozens) has a mixture of mp3 & non-mp3 podcasts, so when you do the side-by-side for the text-to-tag operation it's very manual and error-prone when you try to verify the correct tags get copied from source-to-target. I have various times thought I did the matching right, then deleted the source tags only to discover mistakes. And with Win XP you only can rescue a very limited number of large mp4's or wav's from the recycle bin when you make this mistake. It would be best to 1) convert the files, then 2) clean up the tags in Mp3tag. Hence I need assurance that all the tags get carried over into the converted files. K ---
**Author:** ![poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/poster/32/4881_2.png) [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/9 "2016-06-21T08:06:26Z")
> [@rko31415](#): > > And with Win XP you only can rescue a very limited number of large mp4's or wav's from the recycle bin when you make this mistake. Why? The recycle bin is resizable. ---
**Author:** ![rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f19dbf/32.png) [@rko31415](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/rko31415)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/recommendations-for-mp3-conversion-software/18028/10 "2016-06-26T21:58:48Z")
> [@poster](#): > > Why? > The recycle bin is resizable. Indeed it is. I never noticed. Thanks.