Questions[m4a](ubuntu)

In Rhythmbox 3.4.4 - which is included with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ("Focal Fossa") - there is the option to "rip" music in MPEG-4 Audio (".m4a") format... Underneath said option, there is a big ol' button that says:

Install additional software required to use this format

But clicking this button doesn't do anything, at all.

I did choose to install Ubuntu Restricted Extras when I did my "clean" install of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS ("Focal Fossa"), but just in case something went wrong, I re-installed it via Terminal.

Someone also suggested that I check that gstreamer1.0-libav and libgstreamer-plugins-good1.0-0 are installed - they both were.

After checking that the above were installed, I restarted my computer and removed / re-installed Rhythmbox - No change (i.e. Rhythmbox still has the same message under MPEG-4 Audio).

This issue affects both my laptop and my tablet.

Any ideas why this is?

Under Ubuntu I can easily produce AAC files: AAC-LC, HE-AAC and even HE-AACv2. But how do I produce the newest form of AAC: xHE-AAC which promises to give a consistent performance at low data rates?

How to convert .m4a audio files to .mp3 command line? (with no deterioration in quality, if possible). Ubuntu 16.04LTS media info:

General
Complete name                            : show.m4a
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Apple audio with iTunes info
Codec ID                                 : M4A  (M4A /mp42/isom)
File size                                : 55.5 MiB
Duration                                 : 1h 48mn
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 71.7 Kbps

Audio
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AAC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile                           : HE-AAC / LC
Codec ID                                 : 40
Duration                                 : 1h 48mn
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 72.0 Kbps
Maximum bit rate                         : 93.8 Kbps
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel positions                        : Front: L R
Sampling rate                            : 44.1 KHz / 22.05 KHz
Frame rate                               : 21.533 fps (1024 spf)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 54.9 MiB (99%)
Writing library                          : Nero AAC codec 1.5.4.0
Encoding settings                        : -q 0.25

I have been using Ubuntu on my school computer this year, I usually record the lectures that I can't hope to keep up with the prof, I have permission to do this. I have been using the default audio recorder that you can install with sudo apt-get install audio-recorder because it was the easiest to use. Earlier in the semester they recordings were fine. But now they are corrupt as soon as the recording is done. They are in the .m4a format.

I have tried many tutorials, including editing the hex data of the recording, no luck. I do not know where the recording starts since when I try to make a new recording it is corrupt off the bat. I have tried using ffmpeg to get this error, moov atom not found, which looking up does nothing to help solve the problem. Or I get an error saying protocol not found. Did you mean in.m4a? which is the name of the file, that I typed in correctly. ffmpeg returns a “protocol not found” error. Then it says do you mean the file that I did put in. Faad returns this error: Unable to find correct AAC sound track in the MP4 file. Also I tried an mp4 repair service and it works so the file should be able to be fixed. But it would cost $86 for it, and I need to fix 6 recordings.

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the restricted codecs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Spotify on Ubuntu 11.10 can only play mp3, does Spotify on Ubuntu support M4A, if so how can I enable this?