[FFmpeg-user] ffprobe for mp3: "Invalid data found when processing input"

[James Mead]

When I run ffprobe against this mp3 file [1], I see the following error:

    $ ffprobe -i example-with-error.mp3
    ffprobe version 2.8.5 Copyright (c) 2007-2016 the FFmpeg developers
      built with Apple LLVM version 7.0.2 (clang-700.1.81)
      configuration: --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/2.8.5
--enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-gpl --enable-version3
--enable-hardcoded-tables --enable-avresample --cc=clang
--host-cflags= --host-ldflags= --enable-opencl --enable-libx264
--enable-libmp3lame --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libxvid
--enable-vda
      libavutil      54. 31.100 / 54. 31.100
      libavcodec     56. 60.100 / 56. 60.100
      libavformat    56. 40.101 / 56. 40.101
      libavdevice    56.  4.100 / 56.  4.100
      libavfilter     5. 40.101 /  5. 40.101
      libavresample   2.  1.  0 /  2.  1.  0
      libswscale      3.  1.101 /  3.  1.101
      libswresample   1.  2.101 /  1.  2.101
      libpostproc    53.  3.100 / 53.  3.100
    example-with-error.mp3: Invalid data found when processing input

The file has an ID3 tag including an artwork PNG image of ~1MB.

If I reduce the size of this PNG image slightly by cropping it [2],
then the error no longer occurs:

    $ ffprobe -i example-without-error.mp3
    ffprobe version 2.8.5 Copyright (c) 2007-2016 the FFmpeg developers
      built with Apple LLVM version 7.0.2 (clang-700.1.81)
      configuration: --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/2.8.5
--enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-gpl --enable-version3
--enable-hardcoded-tables --enable-avresample --cc=clang
--host-cflags= --host-ldflags= --enable-opencl --enable-libx264
--enable-libmp3lame --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libxvid
--enable-vda
      libavutil      54. 31.100 / 54. 31.100
      libavcodec     56. 60.100 / 56. 60.100
      libavformat    56. 40.101 / 56. 40.101
      libavdevice    56.  4.100 / 56.  4.100
      libavfilter     5. 40.101 /  5. 40.101
      libavresample   2.  1.  0 /  2.  1.  0
      libswscale      3.  1.101 /  3.  1.101
      libswresample   1.  2.101 /  1.  2.101
      libpostproc    53.  3.100 / 53.  3.100
    [mp3 @ 0x7f9b62802a00] Skipping 0 bytes of junk at 930770.
    Input #0, mp3, from 'example-without-error.mp3':
      Metadata:
        encoder         : Sony Sound Forge 7.0
        artist          : John Fairhurst
        composer        : John Fairhurst
        album           : John Fairhurst for Hookline
        genre           : Blues
        title           : At The River_HL
        track           : 1
      Duration: 00:04:26.40, start: 0.025056, bitrate: 347 kb/s
        Stream #0:0: Audio: mp3, 44100 Hz, stereo, s16p, 320 kb/s
        Metadata:
          encoder         : LAME3.97
        Side data:
          replaygain: track gain - -2.800000, track peak - unknown,
album gain - unknown, album peak - unknown,
        Stream #0:1: Video: png, rgb24(pc), 993x992, 90k tbr, 90k tbn, 90k tbc
        Metadata:
          comment         : Other

Can anyone tell me why I see the error for the first track and not the second?

Note: I believe this is why the first track cannot be played from
within Google Chrome using an HTML5 audio element, whereas the second
track can.

Thanks, James.

[1]: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qcfn6p4wpy4rz8s/example-with-error.mp3?dl=0
[2]: https://www.dropbox.com/s/drbc95b4vrh185l/example-without-error.mp3?dl=0