shnsplit

Split audio files using CUE sheets

TLDR

Split a WAV file using a CUE sheet

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

Split and output as FLAC

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

Split with custom filename format

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

Split input file into equal-length segments

$ shnsplit -l [5:00] [path/to/file.wav]

Split to a specific directory

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

Extract only specific tracks from a CUE sheet

$ shnsplit -f [path/to/file.cue] -x [1-3,5] [path/to/file.wav]

SYNOPSIS

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.

PARAMETERS

-f file

Read split points from CUE sheet or split point file

-o format

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

-d dirname

Output directory for split files

-t fmt

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

-a str

Prefix output filenames with str (default: split-track)

-z str

Postfix output filenames with str

-c num

Start counting from num when naming output files (default: 0)

-l len

Split input file into segments of length len

-m str

Character manipulation string for filenames from CUE sheets (alternating from/to pairs)

-n fmt

Specify file count output format (default: %02d)

-x list

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

-e len

Add lead-in from previous track

-u len

Add lead-out from next track

-i fmt

Specify input file format decoder and/or arguments

-O val

Overwrite existing files: ask, always, or never

-q

Suppress non-critical output (quiet mode)

-w

Suppress warnings

-D

Print debugging information

-h

Display help information

CAVEATS

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.

HISTORY

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.