Something seriously wrong with Squeezelite.

[davem]

Hi,

For the last couple of years I have an issue with squeezelite where it wouldnt play mp3's. It has been sh1tting me enough that I just rebuilt my system today. Absolute green install of latest ubuntu and snakeoil. I enabled a few plugins and life was good until I tried to play a mp3 again.....I also installed ffmpeg (just in case..). The MP3's work fine with SB hardware players and also with mpd as a player. I have tried all the squeezelite versions with the same result. This used to work.

Looking at the forums, it seems that I am not alone in both this problem and problems with squeezelite playing in general. See;
https://www.snakeoil-os.net/forums/Threa...o-play-MP3
https://www.snakeoil-os.net/forums/Threa...ot-Playing
https://www.snakeoil-os.net/forums/Threa...queezelite
https://www.snakeoil-os.net/forums/Threa...ite-in-1-3
https://www.snakeoil-os.net/forums/Threa...ite-in-1-3
https://www.snakeoil-os.net/forums/Threa...squeezlite

Any suggestions on what to do to fix this ?

[Coacharnold]

Hope this gets us all together.  I don't have a ton of MP#s mostly flacs,  but this issue comes up enough it drives me wonky ...


Tim

[davem]

Some time ago, I installed a fresh version of snakeoil on to an old laptop that I have...& I am certain that I was able to get mp3's working. It made me think that perhaps there was some conflict with a plugin that I enabled.... So I did another clean install and much to my surprise, straight out of the box it would not work. The only thing that I did was to add 1x flac and 1x mp3 to the library.

Everytime I tried to play a mp3 it would crash the player. And the flac played fine everytime to a USB DAC (maybe I should try ALSA)....Edit: Well I just tried the analog output. Although I didnt actually hear anything, the flac file 'played' correctly and as soon as I selected the mp3 file, the player crashed.Nothing in the server.log file.

I tried updating LMS to 8.5.1 with the same result.

Like Tim above, I mostly have flac files with a smattering of mp3's in my library. But the wife/kids dont understand (or know) and its so frustrating and painful when it crashes. Luckily it hasnt happened while I have been travelling for work.

Open to any suggestions here, as I am now pretty much out of my depth.

[hkphantomgtr]

Will this solve your mp3 problem？

Code:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

[davem]

Will this solve your mp3 problem？

Code:

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

Unfortunately no. Have tried this in the past unsuccessfully. I reinstalled again on my test laptop - this time the only deviation from default was select that sshd be installed during the process. That's it.. just installed ffmpeg and no change.

Yesterday I tried both USB & analog output in case that was the trigger.

Edit: Out of interest I converted a mp3 to ogg and it plays fine. At least that is a potential workaround.

[agent_kith]

Can you send me a copy of MP3 to my email? (You can find the email when you go to System -> Generate Diagnostic Log). I only have around 12 MP3 files, and the ones I have tried works. I suspect it's either VBR (Variable Bit Rate) or very high bitrate MP3s that can cause an issue.

I'm just about to embark on re-building Snakeoil for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, so can take this chance to see why your MP3 isn't work, and see if can figure out a way to resolve it. (Have converted all my day job machines to from 23.x to 24.04, and I do listen to music while working, to me 24.04 does have a lot of potential, even when I'm using stock setup).

Include in your email a link back to this forum thread (just so I don't forget what it's all about).

[Snoopy8]

I'm just about to embark on re-building Snakeoil for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, so can take this chance to see why your MP3 isn't work, and see if can figure out a way to resolve it. (Have converted all my day job machines to from 23.x to 24.04, and I do listen to music while working, to me 24.04 does have a lot of potential, even when I'm using stock setup).

​​ It is supposed to have a 6.8 low latency kernel. Nothing about real time. 

And if I build my own, the RT patch set is a version behind, so far only for 6.7...

[davem]

OK - an interesting update. I have been on a boring session for work that I was supposed to be listening to.... Great time to do something else.

I was thinking about AK's ideas on bit rate as a possible cause to the mp3 issue with squeezelite so I did some tests with files of different bit rates.

320 kbps CBR - Worked OK !!!!!
256 CBR - Worked OK !!!!
160 CBR - Failed. Squeezelite crashed immediately
178 VBR - Failed. Note the VBR..

With just this very small sample size it seems like Squeezelite has trouble with the lower bit rates..Not sure what this means but it is further characterisation. The details of the files are below for reference.

Tim/CoachArnold - are you in a position to see if you see similar behaviour ?

Failed:

File Format: MP3
Duration: 2:40
Bitrate: 195kbps VBR
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
File Length: 3,925,573
Play Count: 1
Last Played: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 6:21 AM
Location: /media/music/02 To The Light.mp3
Date Modified: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 2:00 AM
Tag Version: ID3v2.3.0, ID3v1.1

File Format: MP3
Duration: 3:33
Volume Adjustment: -8.73 dB
Bitrate: 160kbps CBR
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
File Length: 4,285,693
Play Count: 1
Last Played: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 6:19 AM
Location: /media/music/02 Lovegame [Disco Stick].mp3
Date Modified: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 1:54 AM
Tag Version: ID3v2.3.0, ID3v1.1


Good:

File Format: MP3
Duration: 5:30
Volume Adjustment: -8.23 dB
Bitrate: 160kbps CBR
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
File Length: 6,609,171
Play Count: 1
Last Played: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 6:22 AM
Location: /media/music/02 How To Make Gravy.mp3
Date Modified: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 2:02 AM
Tag Version: ID3v2.3.0, ID3v1.1

File Format: MP3
Duration: 4:28
Volume Adjustment: -7.56 dB
Bitrate: 319kbps CBR
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
File Length: 10,758,663
Play Count: 2
Last Played: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 6:21 AM
Location: /media/music/02 Rock That Body.mp3
Date Modified: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 1:35 AM
Tag Version: ID3v2.3.0, ID3v1.1

[davem]

just did another test - I installed squeezelite onto a linux desktop (mint, based on Ubuntu) and played the 2 files that failed on my snakeoil. They played fine. I was sort of hoping to get debug from squeezlite but...

So it seems the combination of squeezelite with snakeoil is somehow breaking these lower bit-rate mp3's.