Make Up Application-What application to use to listen to audio on a Mac?

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Question by ssl9281: What application to use to listen to audio on a Mac?
What application can I use to listen to an audio file on my MacBook? It has snow leopard operating system. When I try to open the file I want to listen to (it’s not music, just someone talking) it says that there is no application available to play the file.

Best answer:

Answer by SilverTonguedDevil
Instead of double-clicking the file, first open a suitable application, and then File > Open File… Which application you choose depends on the type of audio file to some extent although ost standard files will play in any of the three basic Apple multi-media applications: Finder, QuickTime Player, or iTunes. You forgot to mention the “extension” (filename.extension). That’s an important way to identify computer files. For example, filename.wav and filename.aif are full size audio files, the former for Windows and the latter for Mac. Either type will play using the Finder (click the Finder icon face on the Dock), QuickTime Player, or iTunes. Compressed types include filename.mp3 and filename.aac which play fine in Finder, QT Player and iTunes.

There are a couple of “lossless” compressed file types, with extensions such as .flac and .m4a, the former is not well-known, and the latter is from Apple, so it plays fine in Finder, QT Player, and iTunes..

QuickTime Player needs a third-party component called “FLACImport.component” and the “XiphQT.component” (links below) before it can open an individual FLAC file and export it as song.aif (AIFF format). Next, iTunes can import song.aif and convert it to MP3, AAC, WAV (not recommended as it increases the file size), or song.m4a (Apple Lossless Encoder). For batches of FLAC files, use Set OggS.app (drop a batch of FLAC files for direct batch converter) or TwistedFLAC which mounts a folder of FLAC files as a disk image of AIF files — difficult to explain but easy to see when it happens.

“Spoken word” format (filename.aa) is something invented by a company called “Audible” (audible.com). There are different types and they all use the same extension (a mess). It’s very complex, so start reading about it at the last link below.

The other popular file types (.mp3, and .aac) are industry standard lossless compressed files. Finder, QT Player, and iTunes play both types fine.

For any type not listed here, search online or in Wikipedia for that extension.

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