Ableton Forum

I get the message "Could not decode the file using the available codecs" on quite a few of my MP3 files.
I thought maybe it's because I have used them in quite a few different vinyl emu programs like Serato Scratch Live, Mixvibes DVS, Alcatech's Digiscratch and DjDecks - some of which like to pad the file out with special extras like track overviews.
However, I could get the MP3 files to import into Live fine by simply stripping them of all their ID3v1 & v2 tags in Tag&Rename.

So possibly the decoder in Live 5 doesn't like certain MP3 tags? I don't know whether it removed some things that other programs may have added. I will try a few things and see if I can work out what tags are causing the problems.

deft,

it's been reported that live can't open variable bit rate mp3s very well (or at all) if you don't have quicktime installed. try installing that for a fix.

O.k. I might try giving Quicktime a whirl though I'd rather not!
It seems to be related to ID3v2 tags, but I can't really work out whether it is one specific tag or not. The tracks causing problems include CBR MP3.

okay. it might be some other problem too, true.

i think the point in quicktime is that live doesn't have an internal mp3 decoder due to licensing fees or whatever other reasons (correct me if i'm wrong, not 100% sure) and it makes use of external decoding codecs/programs it's been programmed to recognize. apparently quicktime works the best out of the supported ones so far.

to be honest, i didn't like the idea of installing quicktime when my main machine was a windows pc... now that i mostly work on a mac it kinda comes with the os