Mp3 to Wav Converter

A Tkinter-based GUI application that uses Pydub to convert one or more MP3 files to WAV format. This is under heavy developmenet, and is inspired by many other tools. It was created in the heat of a fever-dream to solve something that could not be solved (as my partner didn't know how to install Python in the right drive). At the moment it does actually work, it has been tested at least on a singular file.

Table of Contents

1. Description
2. Requirements
3. Installation
   • Python
   • FFmpeg
     • Windows (Chocolatey)
     • macOS (Homebrew)
     • Linux (Package Managers)
   • Python Packages
     • Using pip
     • Using pyenv
     • Using uv (Fast Alternative)
4. Usage
5. Contributing
6. License

Description

This Python script provides a simple graphical user interface (GUI) built with Tkinter to convert MP3 audio files to WAV format. It leverages the Pydub library for the audio processing, making the conversion process straightforward. You can select single or multiple MP3 files for conversion.

Requirements

• Python 3.7 or higher: This script is designed to run on modern Python versions. While it might work on older 3.x versions, it's not guaranteed.
• FFmpeg: This is a powerful multimedia framework that Pydub relies on for encoding and decoding audio. It must be installed and available in your system's PATH.
• Python Packages:
  • pydub
  • simpleaudio
  • tk (Usually included with Python installations, but good to be explicit)

Installation

Python

If you don't have Python installed, download the latest version from the official Python website (https://www.python.org/downloads/) and follow the installation instructions. Make sure to check the box that adds Python to your PATH during installation (especially on Windows).

FFmpeg

FFmpeg is essential for this script to function. Install it using one of the following methods depending on your operating system:

Windows (Chocolatey)

1. Install Chocolatey: If you don't have Chocolatey (a package manager for Windows), open PowerShell as an Administrator and run the following command:

   Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

   Follow any on-screen prompts. You might need to close and reopen PowerShell.

2. Install FFmpeg: In PowerShell (as a regular user or Administrator), run:

   choco install ffmpeg

macOS (Homebrew)

1. Install Homebrew: If you don't have Homebrew (a package manager for macOS), open Terminal and run:

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

   Follow any on-screen instructions.

2. Install FFmpeg: In Terminal, run:

   brew install ffmpeg

Linux (Package Managers)

Use your distribution's package manager to install FFmpeg. Here are some common examples:

• Debian/Ubuntu:

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install ffmpeg

• Fedora/CentOS/RHEL:

  sudo dnf install ffmpeg  # Or 'yum' on older versions

• Arch Linux:

  sudo pacman -S ffmpeg

Verify FFmpeg Installation: After installing FFmpeg, open a new terminal (or command prompt) window and type ffmpeg -version. If FFmpeg is installed correctly, you should see version information. If you get a "command not found" or similar error, FFmpeg is not in your system's PATH. You must add the directory containing the ffmpeg executable to your PATH environment variable for Pydub to work. Refer to your operating system's documentation for instructions on how to modify the PATH.

Python Packages

You can install the required Python packages using pip, pyenv, or uv. pyenv is recommended for managing multiple Python versions and project-specific environments. uv is a fast alternative to pip.

Using pip

Open a terminal or command prompt and run:

pip install pydub simpleaudio

Using pyenv

pyenv allows you to easily switch between different Python versions and manage virtual environments.

1. Install pyenv: Follow the installation instructions for your operating system on the pyenv GitHub repository: https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv#installation

• Important: Make sure to follow the instructions to configure your shell (e.g., adding lines to your .bashrc, .zshrc, or similar). You'll likely need to restart your terminal after this.

2. Install a Python Version:

pyenv install 3.10 

3. Create a Virtual Environment: (This isolates your project's dependencies)

pyenv virtualenv 3.10 mp3-to-wav-converter

4. Activate the Environment:

pyenv activate mp3-to-wav-converter

5. Install Packages: Now, within the activated environment, use pip:

pip install pydub simpleaudio

Using uv (Fast Alternative)

uv is a fast Python package installer and resolver. It's designed to be used within a virtual environment, and it provides its own command for creating them.

1. Install uv:

   pip install uv

2. Clone the Repository (or Download the Script):

   git clone https://github.com/Ktiseos-Nyx/Mp3_To_Wav.git
   cd Mp3_To_Wav

   Alternatively, you can download the converter.py file directly and place it in a new directory (e.g., Mp3_To_Wav). Make sure you cd into that directory. The important point is that the uv venv command (in the next step) should be run inside the project directory.

3. Create a Virtual Environment using uv venv: Run this command inside the Mp3_To_Wav directory:

   uv venv

   This creates a virtual environment in a directory named .venv within your project directory (Mp3_To_Wav).

4. Activate the Virtual Environment (Optional, but good for clarity): Although uv run will automatically use the .venv if it exists, it's still good practice to know how to activate it manually.

   • Linux/macOS:

     source .venv/bin/activate

   • Windows (PowerShell):

     .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

   • Windows (Command Prompt):

     .venv\Scripts\activate.bat
     

5. Install Packages using uv pip install:

   uv pip install pydub simpleaudio

Usage

1. Clone the Repository (or Download the Script):

   git clone https://github.com/Ktiseos-Nyx/Mp3_To_Wav.git
   cd Mp3_To_Wav

   Alternatively, you can download the converter.py file directly.

2. Run the Script (Two Options):

   You have two main options for running the script, especially if you've used uv to manage your environment:

   • Option 1: Activate the environment and run: This is the traditional approach.

     source .venv/bin/activate  # Or the appropriate activation command for your OS
     python converter.py

   • Option 2: Use uv run: This is more convenient, as it avoids the explicit activation step. uv run automatically executes the command within the virtual environment (as long as a .venv directory exists in the current working directory or a parent directory).

     uv run python converter.py

     This command does the following:

     1. It finds the .venv environment (created by uv venv).
     2. It temporarily activates that environment.
     3. It executes python converter.py within that activated environment.
     4. It deactivates the environment when the command finishes.

3. GUI Instructions:

   • Click the "Browse" button to select one or more MP3 files. You can use Ctrl+Click (or Cmd+Click on macOS) to select multiple files.
   • The selected files will be listed in the GUI.
   • Click the "Convert" button to start the conversion process.
   • The converted WAV files will be saved in the same directory as the original MP3 files, with the same filenames (but with a .wav extension). A message box will appear when the conversion is complete.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you find any bugs or have suggestions for improvements, please open an issue or submit a pull request on the GitHub repository.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.