FLAC to MP3 Converter

A simple, efficient GUI application built in Rust for converting FLAC audio files to MP3 format at 320kbps while preserving metadata. Features batch processing and a clean, user-friendly interface.

Features

• High-Quality Conversion: Converts FLAC to MP3 at 320kbps bitrate
• Metadata Preservation: Maintains all original metadata (artist, album, title, etc.)
• Batch Processing: Convert multiple files or entire folders at once
• Progress Tracking: Real-time progress updates during conversion
• Cross-Platform: Built for macOS (with potential for Linux/Windows)
• Clean GUI: Intuitive interface built with egui

Prerequisites

FFmpeg Installation

This application requires FFmpeg to be installed on your system.

Fedora Linux:

# Enable RPM Fusion repositories (if not already enabled)
sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm

# Install FFmpeg
sudo dnf install ffmpeg

Other Linux distributions:

• Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install ffmpeg
• Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S ffmpeg
• openSUSE: sudo zypper install ffmpeg

Verify installation:

ffmpeg -version

Building from Source

Requirements

• Rust 1.70+ (install from https://rustup.rs/)
• Development tools: sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
• System dependencies: sudo dnf install pkg-config fontconfig-devel

Build Steps

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd flac-to-mp3-converter

2. Build the application:

cargo build --release

3. Run the application:

cargo run --release

Creating Distribution Packages (Linux)

1. Make the build script executable:

chmod +x build_and_package.sh

2. Run the build script:

./build_and_package.sh

This will create:

• A standalone binary at target/release/flac-to-mp3-converter
• An AppImage directory structure at target/release/flac-to-mp3-converter.AppDir
• A tarball at target/release/flac-to-mp3-converter-1.0.0-linux-[arch].tar.gz
• RPM spec file for building RPM packages

3. Optional: Create AppImage (if you have appimagetool):

# Download appimagetool
wget https://github.com/AppImage/AppImageKit/releases/download/continuous/appimagetool-x86_64.AppImage
chmod +x appimagetool-x86_64.AppImage

# Create AppImage
./appimagetool-x86_64.AppImage target/release/flac-to-mp3-converter.AppDir

4. Optional: Build RPM package:

# Copy source to rpmbuild directory
cp -r . rpmbuild/BUILD/flac-to-mp3-converter-1.0.0/
cd rpmbuild/BUILD/flac-to-mp3-converter-1.0.0/
tar -czf ../../SOURCES/flac-to-mp3-converter-1.0.0.tar.gz .
cd ../../..

# Build RPM
rpmbuild -ba rpmbuild/SPECS/flac-to-mp3-converter.spec

Usage

1. Launch the application
2. Add FLAC files using one of these methods:
   • Click "Add FLAC Files" to select individual files
   • Click "Add Folder" to add all FLAC files from a directory
3. Select output folder where converted MP3s will be saved
4. Start conversion - the app will convert all files at 320kbps with metadata preserved
5. Monitor progress through the progress bar and log messages

Technical Details

Conversion Specifications

• Output Format: MP3
• Bitrate: 320kbps (constant bitrate)
• Metadata: ID3v2.3 tags preserved from source
• Quality: High-quality conversion using FFmpeg

Dependencies

• eframe: Modern GUI framework
• rfd: Native file dialogs
• egui: Immediate mode GUI library

Architecture

• Frontend: egui-based GUI with real-time updates
• Backend: Multi-threaded conversion using FFmpeg
• Communication: Channel-based messaging between GUI and conversion threads

Code Signing (Optional)

For distribution, you may want to code sign the application:

1. Get a Developer ID certificate from Apple
2. Uncomment the code signing section in build_and_package.sh
3. Update the signing identity to match your certificate

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"FFmpeg not found" error:

• Ensure FFmpeg is installed and available in PATH
• Test with ffmpeg -version in terminal

Build errors:

• Ensure Rust is up to date: rustup update
• Install development tools: sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
• Install system dependencies: sudo dnf install pkg-config fontconfig-devel

Permission errors:

• Make sure the build script is executable: chmod +x build_and_package.sh

Performance Tips

• Large batches: The application processes files sequentially to avoid overwhelming the system
• Disk space: Ensure adequate free space (MP3s are typically 10-15% the size of FLACs)
• Memory usage: Minimal memory footprint due to streaming conversion

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

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

Acknowledgments

• Built with the excellent egui immediate mode GUI framework
• Uses FFmpeg for high-quality audio conversion
• Inspired by the need for a simple, efficient FLAC to MP3 converter