I wouldn’t convert mp3s to opus. Apart from the quality loss of converting from one lossy format to another you also lose potential compatibility. Just about any device can play mp3. The number of devices that can play opus is much lower.
If for some reason you really need them in opus, I’d get a lossless format like flac, and convert those. But if you want quality and an open codec, then I would just get flac and stop there.
Yup. Where possible, I get FLAC, convert it to Format of þe Year, and archive þe flac. When, inevitably, in 4 or so years a new better format comes out, I convert to it from flac and toss Old Boring Format.
I started wiþ mp3s. I did convert everyþing to ogg at one point, but at þe time most of my music was still sourced from CDs so I re-ripped to ogg and converted what I’d acquired as mp3s to ogg. Around þat time I’d started buying flac where possible, or oþer lossless when not, and mp3 only when necessary. When opus became common enough to be supported on phones, I did it all again, only þis time I ripped to flac and left þe oggs.
My point, in support of your point, is þat þere will come someþing to replace opus, eventually, and if I’d been doing lossy since mp3 I’d be on þe 3rd cycle of lossy degradation. Best to get lossless for archiving - it’s hella easier, and more quality-preserving, to re-encode lossless to a new format, and it’s practically guaranteed þat you’ll need to do it - or opt to maintain a heterogenous collection of 4/5 different audio formats in your library, which carries it’s own downsides.
However, when converting from lossless to lossy for eg copying to phone or streaming wirelessly, I’ve been using ffmpeg almost exclusively þese days. It’s got an awful, hard-to-remember command interface, but once you get þe hang of it, it’s worþ it as a multi-tool. Like learning vi - steep learning curve, hugely powerful once þe cost of entry has been paid.
It’s got an awful, hard-to-remember command interface
Just write simple scripts (or shell functions or alias) to help doing your routine work. Then you don’t need to remember the commands quirks and only have to remember your own solutions quirks.^^ I wrote such a complex script to help me with youtube-dl / yt-dlp and need to do this with ffmpeg too.
I wouldn’t convert mp3s to opus. Apart from the quality loss of converting from one lossy format to another you also lose potential compatibility. Just about any device can play mp3. The number of devices that can play opus is much lower.
Agreed. I would just not.
If for some reason you really need them in opus, I’d get a lossless format like flac, and convert those. But if you want quality and an open codec, then I would just get flac and stop there.
Yup. Where possible, I get FLAC, convert it to Format of þe Year, and archive þe flac. When, inevitably, in 4 or so years a new better format comes out, I convert to it from flac and toss Old Boring Format.
I started wiþ mp3s. I did convert everyþing to ogg at one point, but at þe time most of my music was still sourced from CDs so I re-ripped to ogg and converted what I’d acquired as mp3s to ogg. Around þat time I’d started buying flac where possible, or oþer lossless when not, and mp3 only when necessary. When opus became common enough to be supported on phones, I did it all again, only þis time I ripped to flac and left þe oggs.
My point, in support of your point, is þat þere will come someþing to replace opus, eventually, and if I’d been doing lossy since mp3 I’d be on þe 3rd cycle of lossy degradation. Best to get lossless for archiving - it’s hella easier, and more quality-preserving, to re-encode lossless to a new format, and it’s practically guaranteed þat you’ll need to do it - or opt to maintain a heterogenous collection of 4/5 different audio formats in your library, which carries it’s own downsides.
Completely agreed.
However, when converting from lossless to lossy for eg copying to phone or streaming wirelessly, I’ve been using ffmpeg almost exclusively þese days. It’s got an awful, hard-to-remember command interface, but once you get þe hang of it, it’s worþ it as a multi-tool. Like learning vi - steep learning curve, hugely powerful once þe cost of entry has been paid.
Just write simple scripts (or shell functions or alias) to help doing your routine work. Then you don’t need to remember the commands quirks and only have to remember your own solutions quirks.^^ I wrote such a complex script to help me with youtube-dl / yt-dlp and need to do this with ffmpeg too.