How to Convert AMR to MP3 in Ubuntu

Converting sound files is not difficult.

Linux is a secure open-source operating system based on UNIX. Ubuntu is a popular desktop distribution of Linux. Converting one sound format to another is generally very easy with Ubuntu; however, AMR audio format (commonly used on mobile phones) is an exception to the rule. Due to the proprietary nature of the AMR codex, special steps or third-party software is required to convert AMR to MP3 in Ubuntu.

Instructions

Using FFmpeg

1. Open a terminal window by accessing the "Applications" > "Accessories" > "Terminal" menu. The "Applications" menu is located in the tool bar and can be located on the top bottom, side, or free-floating on the screen, depending on how you have customized your Ubuntu installation.

2. Add the medibuntu repository to the Synaptic Package Manager by entering the following command at the command prompt in the terminal window:

   sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/`lsb_release -cs`.list --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list; sudo apt-get -q update; sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring; sudo apt-get -q update

3. Install the needed codecs using the following command at the command prompt in the terminal window:

   sudo apt-get install faac faad gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse gstreamer0.10-pitfdll libmp3lame0 non-free-codecs libavcodec-extra-52

4. Install ffmpeg if you do not already have it installed, with the following command in the terminal window:

   sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

5. Navigate to the location of the .amr file you wish to convert using the "Places" menu so you know the exact name of the file and the folder where it is located.

   Convert the .amr file to.mp3 using the following command in the terminal:

   ffmpeg -i yourfile.amr -ab 128k yourfile.mp3

   Replace 'yourfile' with the correct filename and replace '128k' with you desired bitrate. Example: If you wanted 64k bitrate, use "64k" instead.

Using Media-Convert.com

1. Go to Media-convert.com (see References).

2. Click the "Browse" button and select your .amr file you wish to convert. This is located in the center of Media-Convert.com, near the top, below the tab for "Local File Conversion."

3. Select .amr as the "Input format" in the drop-down box labeled "Input format".

4. Select .mp3 as the "Output format" in the drop-down box labeled "Output format."

5. Make any changes or additions such as: renaming the file or changing the bitrate. Click the "OK" button when you finish. This also indicates that you agree to the terms and conditions of the website. Your file will upload to the site, followed by the file conversion. The converted file loads a page with a link.

6. Use the link provided on the Media-Convert website on the newly loaded page to download the converted file to your computer.

References

• FFmpeg: FFmpeg Documentation
• Ubuntu: Medibuntu Help Page

Resources

• Media Convert: Home Page