Do Macs support WMA?

xDan · Post by **xDan** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:21 am

Well, I need to encode audio to a compressed format and MP3 is out of the question due to $5000 one off fee plus $5 per unit sold (insane!

).

At least WMA appears to be free to encode to ("with a licensed copy of Windows"). My software is going to run on Windows only at the moment but I need exported voice messages to be runnable on Mac as well (Linux users are savvy enough to find codecs!)

So do Macs natively support WMA? Or am I going to have to use WAV

BlindSide · Post by **BlindSide** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:22 am

What about .ogg?

wildrj · Post by **wildrj** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:27 am

xDan libVorbis and libogg can encode and decode .ogg files easily. Plus there 100% free and supported on all platforms.

xDan · Post by **xDan** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:37 am

I need something that is natively supported by both Mac and Windows. I don't think Ogg is.

[it's for a voice message app, so while the sender has my program installed, the recipient will have to use their default media player. Hence no ogg.]

wildrj · Post by **wildrj** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:40 am

Well considering you could use openal for playback of the "sent" audio. Most computer have openal already installed i know more games are being shipped with it so odds are pretty nice. Also you can pack the openal runtime installer into your apps installer so therefore you can install the runtime if they don't have it

Macs have openal by default i believe.

xDan · Post by **xDan** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:57 am

Damn computer programmers, always try to second guess don't they?

The message is sent as an email attachment, it is an audio file, not an installer. While the sender has my program, the recipient will not, and I must also assume they have no other codecs installed other than those which come with their OS. So it needs to be a file format that can automatically be opened on all common platforms.

Options:

1) MP3. No. I'm not taking risks with legality. Nor am I paying $5000.
2) Ogg. No, because not natively supported. Codecs need to be installed.
3) WMA. Is it supported by Mac? It seems counter intuitive that it might be, but then it is a common format.
4) WAV. Eek, large filesize. I assume everything on the planet supports this format. There are some voice codecs which can be embedding in WAV (GSM??) but I think they may be patented or probably so obscure they are not supported by all platforms.
5) Any other file formats??

Dorth · Post by **Dorth** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:59 am

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding

xDan · Post by **xDan** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:07 am

Dorth wrote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Audio_Coding

- not natively supported by windows
- successor to MP3, so I expect there are stupid licensing fees.

loki1985 · Post by **loki1985** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:13 am

why don't you save yourself the trouble and create a webservice which plays back the specific file online, using flash. it supports MP3, AAC, and there is a flash library which plays back OGG files. depending on how big your project might get this could be a good solution.

xDan · Post by **xDan** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:17 am

Ok, going by this I am assuming there is no Mac support for WMA. WAV it is!

why don't you save yourself the trouble and create a webservice which plays back the specific file online, using flash. it supports MP3, AAC, and there is a flash library which plays back OGG files. depending on how big your project might get this could be a good solution.

Well, I've already kind of done that, now I am specifically trying to make an alternative that does not rely on a web service...

Dorth · Post by **Dorth** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:20 pm

Don't take the *whole* AAC! There's codecs within! Some not bound by mp3. And ANY up-to-date or even close computer can read mpeg. You probably don't want support on a clean XP?

omaremad · Post by **omaremad** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 7:02 pm

ADPCM wav isnt too bad.

bitplane · Post by **bitplane** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:40 pm

If you're running a service based in the UK, isn't it possible to ignore the patent problems and use LAME? I'm no lawyer but I thought that the patents only apply when you distribute and run binaries in countries where the patents apply. Send those emails from a server in Russia and you're safe.

zillion42 · Post by **zillion42** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:30 pm

I thought lame was free altogether ?
...
just learned something.
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bitplane · Post by **bitplane** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:44 pm

wikipedia wrote:Like all MP3 encoders, LAME implements some technology covered by patents owned by the Fraunhofer Society and other entities. The developers of LAME do not themselves license the technology described by these patents. Distributing compiled binaries of LAME, its libraries, or programs which are derivative works of LAME in countries which recognize those patents, may be considered infringing on the relevant patents.