[FFmpeg-user] [FFMpeg user] scripting help: find > xargs ffmpeg

[Lucien Pullen]

Also sprach Dagfinn Stangeland at 3/17/11 2:36 PM:
> I've tinkered with manpages and searches hunting for an effective way to
> batch convert files using ffmpeg, specifically flac to alac.
> 
> <snip>
>
> The above takes care of the batch processing but I can't figure out an
> elegant way to put the files in the separate folder. I can always find and
> mv the files after the fact, but that feels so… crude;)
The way I did that was use a consistent naming scheme for all the files, or:
"<album> -- <artist> -- <track> -- <title>.<ext>"

You can then use a script to split it up and set metadata as well as
target directory. The website MusicZeit uses a naming format very
similar to that, which makes batch conversion quite easy.

The only downside with doing it that way is you need to find a character
combination that you doubt will ever be used as part of the metadata
(but you already thought of that, right?). (You can use control
characters if you're feeling in the mood for scripting pain.)