lame

high-quality MP3 encoder

TLDR

Encode to MP3

$ lame [input.wav] [output.mp3]

Set bitrate

$ lame -b [320] [input.wav] [output.mp3]

Variable bitrate

$ lame -V [2] [input.wav] [output.mp3]

High quality preset

$ lame --preset extreme [input.wav] [output.mp3]

Add ID3 tags

$ lame --tt "[title]" --ta "[artist]" [input.wav] [output.mp3]

Decode MP3 to WAV

$ lame --decode [input.mp3] [output.wav]

LAME is a high-quality MP3 encoder. It produces excellent audio quality at various bitrates.The encoder supports constant and variable bitrate modes. It's widely regarded as the best open-source MP3 encoder.

PARAMETERS

INPUT

Input audio file.

OUTPUT

Output MP3 file.

-b BITRATE

Constant bitrate (kbps).

-V QUALITY

Variable bitrate (0-9, 0=best).

--preset NAME

Quality preset (extreme, insane).

--tt TITLE

Song title.

--ta ARTIST

Artist name.

--decode

Decode MP3 to WAV.

--help

Display help information.

INSTALL

sudo apt install lame

sudo dnf install lame

sudo pacman -S lame

sudo apk add lame

sudo zypper install lame

brew install lame

nix profile install nixpkgs#lame

CAVEATS

Encoding only by default. Quality vs size tradeoff. VBR recommended.

HISTORY

LAME (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) was started in 1998 and became the leading open-source MP3 encoder.