2 <h2>Export Format Profiles</h2>
5 An Export Format Profile specifies the file format in which Ardour will export
6 audio files, and also other audio file export options.
10 Export Format Profiles are edited via the <kbd class="menu">Edit Export Format
14 <figure class="right">
15 <img src="/images/edit-export-format-profile.png" alt="The 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog">
17 The 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog
23 If enabled, levels of exported files will be normalized to the level chosen here.
24 The normalization can be either:
28 <li>Peak, which adjusts the gain to bring the highest signal peak to the
29 chosen level (in <acronym title="decibels relative to full scale">dBFS</acronym>),</li>
30 <li>Loudness, which adjusts the gain to bring the average amplitude to the
31 chosen level (in <acronym title="loudness units relative to full scale">LUFS</acronym>),
32 without exceeding the chosen true-peak value (in
33 <acronym title="decibels true peak">dBTP</acronym>).
34 EBU R128 is only available for mono or stereo sounds while true-peak works
35 for any channel layout.</li>
38 <h3>Trim silence at start/end</h3>
40 These checkboxes allow to remove any part Ardour considers silent (0dB),
41 at the beginning or/and end of each exported track.
44 <h3>Add silence at start/end</h3>
46 These checkboxes allow to add silence at the beginning or/and end of each
47 exported track. The duration of the added silence can be manually fixed in the
48 adjacent 'timer' input fields.
50 <h3>Compatibility/Quality/File format/Sample rate</h3>
52 <h4>Compatibility</h4>
54 Selecting an item in the 'Compatibility' emphasizes the settings in the other
55 columns that are compatible with the selected standard, by turning incompatible
56 options red. When an incompatible quality/format/sample rate is selected, the
57 compatibility column checkbox disappears.
62 The appropriate item in the 'Quality' column will be highlighted when a file format
63 is chosen. At the moment, selecting a Quality setting does not show the
64 compatible File formats.
69 This column contains a list of Ardour's supported export file types. Selecting
70 one updates the options underneath it.
73 Note: For mp3 export ardour relies on ffmpeg to encode the file. This comes bundled
74 with the video-tools (and is always available when you install the official Ardour
80 A specific sample rate can be chosen for the exported files, or the current session's
81 sample rate (by choosing 'Session rate'), without sample rate conversion.
84 <h4>Sample rate conversion quality</h4>
86 In case the chosen sample rate does not match the current session's sample rate,
87 the sample rate conversion quality can be chosen here. Better quality options are
91 <h3>Format Options</h3>
93 Options relevant to the chosen file format will appear just under the
94 Compatibility/Quality/File format/Sample rate table.
97 <h4>Tag with session's metadata</h4>
99 If the exported file format supports metadata (e.g. FLAC, Ogg Vorbis), use data
100 entered in the <a href="@@metadata">Session Metadata</a> window to tag the
104 <h4>Sample Format and Dithering</h4>
106 The <kbd class="menu">Sample Format</kbd> is the bit depth of exported files,
107 i.e. the numbers of values a sample can have. Increasing the sample format
108 results in a better defined audio file at the cost of increasing the file size.
111 If the exported files bit depth is less than Ardour's native bit depth
112 (32 bits floating point by default), the dithering algorithm, that chooses how
113 to compute the conversion can be chosen in the <kbd class="menu">Dithering</kbd>
119 These options are presented whatever the chosen format is:
122 <h4>Create CUE/TOC/chapter mark file</h4>
124 As well as exporting an audio file, Ardour can create a file (in CUE, TOC or MP4ch format
125 respectively) containing CD track information, as defined in the
126 <a href="@@the-ranges-and-marks-lists">Ranges & Marks List</a>.
127 Those files can then be used to either burn a CD or DVD, or to create "chapters"
128 inside a compatible mp4 video container.
132 The <kbd class="menu">Label</kbd> field allows to choose the name which will be
133 shown for this format in the drop-down list of export formats in the
134 'File Formats' tab of the <a href="@@export-dialog">Export dialog</a>.
137 <h3>Command to run post-export</h3>
139 If this is not blank, it is considered as a command to be run after the export
140 of each file. Either the command must exist in $PATH, or an absolute path to
141 an executable file can be specified here.
145 Certain sequences are allowed here to stand for the exported file name and
146 various parameters. Currently these are:
148 <tr><th><code>%f</code></th>
149 <td>Full path and filename of the exported audio file</td></tr>
150 <tr><th><code>%d</code></th>
151 <td>Directory containing the exported audio file (including trailing directory separator)</td></tr>
152 <tr><th><code>%b</code></th>
153 <td>Basename of the exported audio file (without extension)</td></tr>
154 <tr><th><code>%s</code></th>
155 <td>Path to the current session file</td></tr>
156 <tr><th><code>%n</code></th>
157 <td>Name of the current session file</td></tr>
158 <tr><th><code>%%</code></th>
159 <td>A literal percent sign</td></tr>
163 Any part of the command-line enclosed in double-quotes (") will be used as-is.
167 For example, exporting an mp3 file can be done by inserting <code>lame -b320 %f</code>
168 which will convert the exported audio file ('%f') to a 320 kbs mp3 using the lame encoder
169 (provided lame is installed first on the system).