Originally Posted By: CubanPeteNYC
Is there a way to fix it so that it NEVER happens again? Inevitably it happens when I'm on a tight deadline



No.

The fix needs to come from Apple.

I rarely encounter it in BIAB but run into it all the time in Finale. The workaround is to export as .aif and convert to .wav or .bwav if that's what I need.

Conversion of a non-lossy audio file involves rewriting the header only. The raw audio underneath is unaffected. Many times, such as with Apple, the real culprit is a corrupted header — "converting" .wav to .wav strips and rewrites it. I have a client who records with a CD Audio Recorder (might be the only guy in the world still using one) that outputs .aiff3 — although Apple supports it, my Mac and DAW absolutely freak out if I don't convert first.

Although you can convert one file at a time in QuickTime, iTunes/Apple Music can be set up to do batch conversions. There are inexpensive solutions and freeware might exist for this but I don't use them.

I use an app called TwistedWave that can batch-convert hours worth of mixed files and dump the results back into their original folders or a new folder if I wish. Never takes longer than 2–3 minutes for me. It has many other neat tricks including sample rate conversion and reflow (no pitch change) time stretch/compression and pitch change with ZTX and lots more goodies. You can buy it through the App Store but there's a 30 day free trial if you go direct.

TwistedWave for Mac


BIAB 2025 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5