shnsplit

Split a WAV file using a CUE sheet

$ shnsplit -f [path/to/file.cue] [path/to/file.wav]

$ shnsplit -f [path/to/file.cue] -o flac [path/to/file.flac]

$ shnsplit -f [path/to/file.cue] -t "%n - %a - %t" [path/to/file.wav]

$ shnsplit -a

$ shnsplit -f [path/to/file.cue] -d [output_directory] [path/to/file.wav]

$ shnsplit -f [path/to/file.cue] -n [path/to/file.wav]

shnsplit [OPTIONS] [file]
shntool split [OPTIONS] [file]

shnsplit splits a single large audio file into multiple individual track files using split points defined in a CUE sheet. It is part of the shntool suite and supports various lossless audio formats including WAV, FLAC, APE, and Shorten.
Split points can be specified in several formats: bytes, m:ss (minutes:seconds), m:ss.ff (CD frames, 75 per second), or m:ss.nnn (milliseconds). The tool is commonly used to split CD rips, live recordings, or continuous mixes into individual tracks.

-f file

Read split points from CUE sheet or split point file

Output format (wav, flac, ape, shn, wv)

Output directory for split files

Name files using CUE fields (%n=track, %a=album, %t=title, %p=performer)

Set custom filename prefix (default: split-track)

Start track numbering from specified value (default: 1)

Customize track number format (default: %02d)

Extract specific tracks only (e.g., "2-6,9,11-13")

Add lead-in from previous track

Add lead-out from next track

Display help information

Requires appropriate encoders/decoders (flac, wavpack, mac) installed for non-WAV formats. Split accuracy depends entirely on CUE sheet correctness. Does not transfer metadata to output files; use cuetag.sh for tagging after splitting. Output files are created in current directory unless -d specifies otherwise.

shntool and shnsplit were developed by Jason Jordan as part of the shntool audio processing suite. The project began in the early 2000s to provide Unix/Linux users with tools for handling Shorten (.shn) files, which were popular for lossless audio distribution. The suite expanded to support multiple formats and remains a standard tool for audio file manipulation.

cuebreakpoints(1), cuetag(1), flac(1), sox(1)