How to split a large MP3 file using a cue file, without re-encoding?

rob · January 3, 2021, 9:01am

How can I split a large MP3 file using a cue file, without re-encoding the MP3 file?

(Splitting a recording of a live performance into individual songs)

On Windows I would use mp3DirectCut, but which (free?) tool can I use on macOS?

I only found Fission:

I might end up buying this application anyway, because it (also) seems good for creating a cue file (which I now already have) and that’s about the only activity I still perform on Windows that I could not find a maOS counterpart for (so now I’m ready for a 2021 M1 iMac;)).

Still I wonder whether there’s a small/free (command line?) utility for this…

Tips?

walden789 · January 3, 2021, 12:05pm

XLD is great for that.

dustinknopoff · January 3, 2021, 1:39pm

I don’t know or have a sample mp3/cue file but I found this python script which uses ffmpeg

gist.github.com

https://gist.github.com/frabad/5e4505b9f6e6c0ffb29e4fdb5a05c76e

ffcuesplit.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

import os
import subprocess
import sys

if len(sys.argv) != 2:
    sys.exit("Usage:\n\t%s <%s>" % (sys.argv[0], 'input_cuesheet'))

cuesheet_fname = sys.argv[1]

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rob · January 3, 2021, 5:35pm

I tried XLD before posting, but could not get it to split without re-encoding.

How can I achieve that?

(I’m afraid the “lossless” on their web page only refers to source files, not to the splitting process)

rob · January 3, 2021, 5:38pm

This might work, since it uses “copy”!

Will try it later tonight when I boot up my Mac.

rob · January 3, 2021, 8:41pm

Seems to work after a bit of editing!

(It crashed because my cue file did/does not contain meta data like “artist”, “title”, and “album”)

rob · January 10, 2021, 1:25pm

In a second experiment this Python script (or ffmpeg) seems to be inaccurate; it does not properly match the cue file…

(again a recording of a live show; some of the talk at the end of a song becomes part of the start of the new song with this tool)

However, mp3splt seems to do the job?!

majorgear · August 24, 2025, 3:21am

XLD worked for me all these years later, so thanks! The trick was opening first the cue file and then the source audio file.