SDL_mixer poor quality with WAVE audio format

Question

I want to write a simple console music player, which supports both .mp3 and .wav audio formats. Playing .wav files with SDL_mixer lowers the quality of the sound, but with mp3 files it does not. When the .wav file starts playing there is a continuous "cracking" sound, the rest is fine tho.

I already checked if it is the wav file itself or a similar problem, but it doesn't matter which file I use, it ends up always the same. I also tried changing values in the Mix_OpenAudio function, the frequency and chunksize for example.

I've tried too to play the sound without SDL_mixer, but with SDL_OpenAudio etc... result is the same, MP3 is fine WAVE not.

It's not my computer, with vlc or rythmbox (audio player) .wav files play with no problem.

#include <SDL2/SDL.h>
#include <SDL2/SDL_mixer.h>

using namespace std;

    int main()
    {
        // Music which will be played
        Mix_Music* Music = NULL;

        // Init
        //
        // Init SDL Audio
        SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_AUDIO);

        // Init SDL_mixer
        Mix_OpenAudio(44100, MIX_DEFAULT_FORMAT, 2, 512);

        // Load the files
        //
        // Load the music
        Music = Mix_LoadMUS("Star Trek - Deep Space Nine.mp3");

        // Play the music
        Mix_PlayMusic(Music, 1);

        while (Mix_PlayingMusic() == 1)
        {

        }

        // clean up
        //
        // free the music
        Mix_FreeMusic(Music);

        // Quit Mixer
        Mix_CloseAudio();

        // Quit SDL
        SDL_Quit();

        return 0;
    }

I'm getting no error message or anything.

Here is the file.

Please provide a minimal reproducible example (a piece of code that we can actually compile), and the .wav file you have problems with. — HolyBlackCat
@HolyBlackCat It's my first post ever, I hope that'll be forgiven :D. I edited the code now, so you can compile it. — Anton Büttner

Anton Büttner Anton Büttner · Accepted Answer · 2019-08-01T11:03:15

So I tried the same with Windows now, it worked there without problems, so this might be an compiler issue or I don't know. Very strange. I'll leave it like it is and do .mp3 only.

SDL_mixer poor quality with WAVE audio format

2 Answers