mp3plot
An mp3 bitrate plot tool

Projects index

Index

1. Details
2. Description
3. Downloads
4. Acknowledgements
5. Cross-references
6. Changes

Details

• Current version: 0.4.0a (alpha), released on May 26th 2007
• Status: alpha, experimental image plot support
• Released under the GNU GPL
• Example run:

  $ mp3plot "the file.mp3"
  
  mp3plot 0.4.0a (c) 2007 Toni Corvera 
  
  No more frames found after byte #2769519
  6971 frames read
  This file doesn't contain an ID3v2 header
  Frame #1
  MPEG Version: MPEG v1
  MPEG Layer: Layer III
  Has CRC: Yes
  Nominal bitrate: 128 kbps
  Sampling rate: 44100 Hz
  Channel mode: Joint Stereo
  VBR: Yes
          Number of frames included (6970)
          File size included (2769623)
          TOC included
          VBR scale included
  [  0kbps]: 0    
  [ 32kbps]: 16   
  [ 40kbps]: 0    
  [ 48kbps]: 0    
  [ 56kbps]: 0    
  [ 64kbps]: 0    
  [ 80kbps]: 1    
  [ 96kbps]: 126  ..
  [112kbps]: 3220 ..............................................................
  [128kbps]: 3250 ...............................................................
  [160kbps]: 276  .....
  [192kbps]: 63   .
  [224kbps]: 14   
  [256kbps]: 3    
  [320kbps]: 1    
  [invalid]: 0
  Average bitrate is 121.92 kbps
          with a total of 6970 frames
          which yields a theoretical (audio data) size of 2761876 bytes

Description

This tool prints out a plot of the bitrate distribution of a VBR MP3 file (it will also do it for CBR files although it isn't very meaningful).

It should be architecture independent but I haven't tested beyond PCs.

There's a much more mature tool that does the same and more: mp3stat at signal-lost.homeip.net/projects. mp3stat refuses to work on my system(s) and having an interest in mp3's internal structure I gave a shot at it with mp3plot.

Version 0.4.0a introduces experimental graphical plot to an image, run with -g and an image with the input file and .png appended will be created. It is currently highly experimental see below:

Downloads

Source code

mp3plot-0.4.0a.tar.gz

You'll need the boost-program-options library to compile. And of course the standard libraries and compilers, the program is written in C++ and only tested with g++.
To get the (optional) experimental image output support, you'll need either GraphicsMagick++ or ImageMagick++.

Compile in the standard GNU fashion:
$ tar zxvf mp3plot-0.4.0a.tar.gz
$ cd mp3plot-0.4.0a
$ ./configure
$ make
# make install

NOTE: configure might have problems finding Boost::Program_options, if it can't find it, try to guess the correct suffix, e.g.:
$ ls /usr/lib/*boost_program_options*
/usr/lib/libboost_program_options-mt.a
/usr/lib/libboost_program_options-mt.so
Here the suffix is -mt, rerun configure this way:
$ ./configure --with-boost-program-options=mt

OR if you're on a Debian or derived (such as Ubuntu) system you can recreate the debian package:
$ tar zxvf mp3plot-0.4.0a.tar.gz
$ cd mp3plot-0.4.0a
$ dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot

Precompiled linux static binaries (no image support included in the static packages)

• PC Intel x86 (IA-32 / i386) (minimum pentium class) mp3plot-0.4.0a-static-i686-linux-gnu.tar.gz (built with -O2 -march=i586 -mtune=i686)
• x86_64 (AMD64 / EMT64) mp3plot-0.4.0a-static-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz (built with -O2 -march=x86_64)

Debian (Sid) packages
(dependancies updated in May 7th 2008)

• i386 mp3plot_0.4.0a-upstream.2_i386.deb
• amd64 mp3plot_0.4.0a-upstream.2_amd64.deb

Acknowledgements

I got most of my reference information on the MP3 file structure from the MP3 File Structure Description document located at www.multiweb.cz/twoinches/MP3inside.htm.

Cross-references

For the benefit of users I'll list pages I know with some kind of (meaningful) reference to mp3plot, such as those providing packaging or explanations beyond my capabilities.

• FreeBSD Ports: /ports/audio/mp3plot/ at FreeBSD.org, audio/mp3plot at FreshPorts.org.

Changes

0.4.0a (May, 26th 2007)

• Experimental image support
• Cleanup of the build system and adoption of the standard ./configure && make cycle
• Many internal changes, cleanups and redesigns.