Error using audioDatastore/read (line 25)

I have run my program on my MacBook (R2020a), there is no such error, however, after i copied my whole program to another Windows computer (R2019a) there is a error message for Error using audioDatastore/read (line 25)

Error using audioDatastore/read (line 25)

File could not be read due to an unexpected error. Reason: File contains data in an unknown format.

However, the audio files in the folder are all in .wav format.

Could you please help to check what's wrong with this?

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

Wav files permit a number of different codecs (algorithms for encoding data). The software used to decode is sort of like a plug-in, not necessarily present unless installed. Your Mac has the kind of codec software needed to read the files, but the other computer does not.

Sometimes it is easiest to use VLC to examine the file to find out the signature of the codec, which is a 4-letter code that indicates which codec is needed.

[Zihui Cai]

but may i ask how to change my code or something to make the audiodatastore is able to read these wav files?

[Walter Roberson]

Note that the built-in codecs for MacOS are not exactly the same as the built-in codecs for Windows.

[Walter Roberson]

There is nothing you can change in the code, at least not without a substantial rewrite that invokes external software.

What you can do is identify the codec signature from the wav files (I recommend VLC for this), and research which software is available to implement that codec for Windows and install the codec software on the target system. If that is successful then no change of your program is required.

[Zihui Cai]

i have got the information as below,

Codec: PCM S16 LE (s16l)

Type: Audio

Channel: Momo

Sample rate: 48000Hz

Bit per sample: 16

I am sorry to bother you but could you please share me with the install software, I am not very familiar with it.....QAQ

[Walter Roberson]

That is odd. s16l is the most common audio format for WAV, and I would expect it to be readable.

Are you able to play the wav from within Windows Media Player, such as by double click on the file in Windows Explorer?

[Zihui Cai]

yes, it's okay to play....

i have tried another solution, like, i change the datastore to a .mp3 datastore, then it is okay to process the program...

so.. i still do not know why the .wav datastore is unable to process....

[jibrahim]

Hi Zihui,

Can you try reading those wav files using audioread? It will be helpful to know if audioread errors out as well.

[Abdul Gaffar]

No

[Abdul Gaffar]

audioread produces the same error as follows:

Error using audioread (line 104)

File could not be read due to an unexpected error. Reason: File contains data in an unknown format.

Error in Audio_Plot (line 5)

[y, Fs] = audioread('splat.wav'); % y samples from audio with Fs sampling frequency in [Hz].

[Walter Roberson]

@Abdul Gaffar

Please use a tool to identify the CODEC for your .wav file. You can find several listed at https://superuser.com/questions/72302/how-do-i-find-out-the-audio-format-of-a-wav-file/72340

Personally I find VLC to be useful to have around, so that is what I use.

Also, which operating system are you using?