Ripping audio always leaves me with crappy quality

[Nintendo Fan]

Ok so first I copy the YouTube video's URL, and go to KeepVid.com and download the FLV. After I downloaded it, I use FLVExtract to convert the FLV to .mp3. Only reason I am ripping is because LimeWire only has the songs with too large of a file size.

My problem is, everytime I do this, I'm always left usually with garbage quality.

Can anyone help me figure out how to get better quality ones?

Here are the specs of my .mp3 that I ripped from a YouTube music video:




Format :MPEG Audio
File size :2.32 MiB
AudioFormat :MPEG Audio
Format version :Version 2
Format profile :Layer 3
Mode :Joint stereo
Format_Settings_Mode
Extension :MS Stereo
Bit rate mode :Variable
Channel(s) :2 channels
Sampling rate :22.05 KHz
Stream size :2.32 MiB (100%)

[MOVIEGEEK]

It depends on the original audio bitrate, some videos on YouTube sound like crap.
Crap in = Crap out

Try recording analog using Audacity and the "what you hear" function on your soundcard.

[Nintendo Fan]

It depends on the original audio bitrate, some videos on YouTube sound like crap.
Crap in = Crap out

I ripped from good quality ones, but got crap out.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Set your encoder to 320Kbps CBR/44.1KHz and see what happens.

[guns1inger]

Smaller files sizes = more compression = lower quality. The reason the music you are trying to *cough* acquire *cough* from limewire (gateway to virii) is larger is because it is reasonable quality. The material you are getting form youtube has most likely been compressed multiple times, and has a low sampling rate.

As has been pointed out - garbage in, garbage out.

[Nintendo Fan]

Set your encoder to 320Kbps CBR/44.1KHz and see what happens.

Ok, how do I do that?

[guns1inger]

What is your encoder ?

[Nintendo Fan]

Smaller files sizes = more compression = lower quality. The reason the music you are trying to *cough* acquire *cough* from limewire (gateway to virii) is larger is because it is reasonable quality. The material you are getting form youtube has most likely been compressed multiple times, and has a low sampling rate.

As has been pointed out - garbage in, garbage out.

Mmm, I understand.

Well then I guess there is nothing I can do. I mean I even tried downloading a high quality FLV from KeepVid instead of low quality, but both of them had the exact same quality, despite one being high and the other low.

My encoder, well I'm not too knowledgable on audio and/or encoders, but I think it might be ffdshow...?

[guns1inger]

FLVExtract takes the audio as-is from the FLV file and saves it as an MP3 file. It does not re-encode. This means that what it produces is what is in the file already, unchanged.

[Nintendo Fan]

FLVExtract takes the audio as-is from the FLV file and saves it as an MP3 file. It does not re-encode. This means that what it produces is what is in the file already, unchanged.

That's weird because today I listened to a song that had crystal quality, but after I ripped it, the quality was garbage.

[AlanHK]

Ok so first I copy the YouTube video's URL, and go to KeepVid.com and download the FLV. After I downloaded it, I use FLVExtract to convert the FLV to .mp3. Only reason I am ripping is because LimeWire only has the songs with too large of a file size.

Better results by reencoding to lower bit rate from the "large" files rather than the already degraded Youtube versions.

Many ways to do this, e.g., CDEx can do it in batches in whatever quality you want.

otherwise:

the specs of my .mp3 that I ripped from a YouTube music video:

The most important spec, bitrate, is not listed?
But if it's about 3 minutes long, 2.32 MB is probably average 128kB, which should be okay, that was the "Napster standard" rate.

[Nintendo Fan]

Ok so first I copy the YouTube video's URL, and go to KeepVid.com and download the FLV. After I downloaded it, I use FLVExtract to convert the FLV to .mp3. Only reason I am ripping is because LimeWire only has the songs with too large of a file size.

Better results by reencoding to lower bit rate from the "large" files rather than the already degraded Youtube versions.

Many ways to do this, e.g., CDEx can do it in batches in whatever quality you want.

otherwise:

the specs of my .mp3 that I ripped from a YouTube music video:

The most important spec, bitrate, is not listed?
But if it's about 3 minutes long, 2.32 MB is probably average 128kB, which should be okay, that was the "Napster standard" rate.

I'll try that program and the bit rate is 64kbps and the song is over five minutes long.

Edit: The CDEx is for CDs...I'm not using CDs, I'm using audio files from LimeWire.

[AlanHK]

I'll try that program and the bit rate is 64kbps and the song is over five minutes long.

64 kb is pretty lousy for music.

Edit: The CDEx is for CDs...I'm not using CDs, I'm using audio files from LimeWire.

Not just CDs.
It can also transcode from MP3 or wave or whatever to whatever audio format.
Look at the "Convert" menu.
Note: you go to Options/Settings/Encoder to choose the audio quality/bitrate etc. Options/Settings/Filenames to automatically name the file. It takes a little time to set up, but once you do you can drop batches of files into it and it will reencode them all to your spec.

[t0nee1]

I'll try that program and the bit rate is 64kbps and the song is over five minutes long.

64kbps(yikes)..Just leave it alone...As previously stated, crap in ->crap out...Next time "acquire" better source files or rip yourself from original(s) if you want the best possible quality..You can't get back what's already lost..Just like you can't un-fry an egg..

[Nintendo Fan]

I found a solution! All I had to do was use a different FLV - MP3 conversion program than FLVExtract, which would always output any high-quality file to MPEG-2 AAC. Freez FLV to MP3 Converter lets me choose what I want the bit rate and sampling rate to be, which FLVExtract didn't let me choose and would always by default output to terrible bit rates and sampling rates.

[Gavino]

Freez FLV to MP3 Converter lets me choose what I want the bit rate and sampling rate to be, which FLVExtract didn't let me choose and would always by default output to terrible bit rates and sampling rates.

FLVExtract simply extracts (demuxes) whatever audio format is in the flv, so you get the original quality, no more no less. Converting to a higher bit rate or sampling rate is not going to improve the quality.

[AlanHK]

Freez FLV to MP3 Converter lets me choose what I want the bit rate and sampling rate to be, which FLVExtract didn't let me choose and would always by default output to terrible bit rates and sampling rates.

FLVExtract simply extracts (demuxes) whatever audio format is in the flv, so you get the original quality, no more no less. Converting to a higher bit rate or sampling rate is not going to improve the quality.

Yes... compare the sound and see if the high rate conversion actually sounds any better. I'm pretty sure it will be the same, or even slightly worse, than the extract.

[Nintendo Fan]

FLVExtract simply extracts (demuxes) whatever audio format is in the flv, so you get the original quality, no more no less. Converting to a higher bit rate or sampling rate is not going to improve the quality.

The thing is I was ripping audio from a low-quality FLV. I tried ripping from a high-quality version of the same FLV, but FLVExtract would always output the file to MPEG-2 AAC, which iTunes won't accept. Freeze and MPEG Streamclip let me choose the file to be outputted to .mp3, and not AAC. If FLVExtract's file was supported by iTunes, it would sound the same as my other programs' conversions, and I would stick with FLVExtract and not bother downloading other programs.

The real problem behind this whole topic was that FLVExtract would not let me choose the output file type. If it did, I would be able to import it into iTunes and would never have posted this topic in the first place.

[guns1inger]

FLVExtract extracts (demuxes) with recompressing. i.e. what you get is extactly what was in the file. This is why you don't get a choice of outputs. You can have whatever was encoded in the video in the first place. If you need a different format you then have to re-encode yourself, and any quality difference is then of your own making. FLVExtract is not at fault here.

Perhaps if we all keep repeating it over and over it might start to make sense ?

[AlanHK]

The real problem behind this whole topic was that FLVExtract would not let me choose the output file type. If it did, I would be able to import it into iTunes and would never have posted this topic in the first place.

Because extracting is not converting. An extract will give you the same format at the same bitrate as was stored in the complete video file. And no choice.

The problem is just that you want to extract AND convert. FLVextract can only extract, you can use that to get a high quality AAC and convert it with any number of apps. The other apps you found can do them both, but it's not a failure of FLVextract that it doesn't have that feature.

http://moitah.net/#FLVExtract
FLV Extract - Extracts video and audio from FLV files without decompressing or recompressing.

I have compared both extracts and the high rate one sounds ten times better. The FLVExtract (https://www.videohelp.com/tools/FLV_Extract) one sounded terrible, and the MPEG Streamclip (https://www.videohelp.com/tools/MPEG_StreamClip) or Freeze FLV to MP3 Converter conversions sounded crystal clear.

You're not comparing the same source. You're using the low quality source for FLVextract and the high quality for the others.

[Nintendo Fan]

The problem is just that you want to extract AND convert. FLVextract can only extract, you can use that to get a high quality AAC and convert it with any number of apps. The other apps you found can do them both, but it's not a failure of FLVextract that it doesn't have that feature.

I realize that now.

I have compared both extracts and the high rate one sounds ten times better. The FLVExtract (https://www.videohelp.com/tools/FLV_Extract) one sounded terrible, and the MPEG Streamclip (https://www.videohelp.com/tools/MPEG_StreamClip) or Freeze FLV to MP3 Converter conversions sounded crystal clear.

You're not comparing the same source. You're using the low quality source for FLVextract and the high quality for the others.

I know, which is why I omitted that bit from my post.