Using libmad to play mp3 files with freepascal?

**paul_nicholls** · 29-05-2007, 11:16 PM

I am wondering if anyone has ever ported the libmad (http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/) mpeg audio decoder so it can be used with freepascal?

I am wanting to make a simple mp3 player and this library sounds great as it uses fixed-point math instead of floating-point. This would make it suitable for use on the gp2x.

cheers,
Paul.

**dmantione** · 30-05-2007, 05:04 AM

Do you have a license on the mp3 patents? If no, I wouldn't touch my hands on mp3.

**paul_nicholls** · 30-05-2007, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by dmantione

Do you have a license on the mp3 patents? If no, I wouldn't touch my hands on mp3.

would free, open source programs using mp3 decoders need licensing?

cheers,
Paul.

**dmantione** · 30-05-2007, 06:08 AM

Yes, they do. The bad thing with mp3 is that the patent owners are intentionally vague about what uses require licenses from them. They seem not so interrested in hobby activities, but more in "products", if your program, open source or not, free or not, looks like a product, they demand money.

**paul_nicholls** · 30-05-2007, 06:39 AM

Originally Posted by dmantione

Yes, they do. The bad thing with mp3 is that the patent owners are intentionally vague about what uses require licenses from them. They seem not so interrested in hobby activities, but more in "products", if your program, open source or not, free or not, looks like a product, they demand money.

D'OH!

maybe I will try Ogg format instead.

thanks
Paul.

**savage** · 30-05-2007, 07:14 AM

SDL_Mixer supports Ogg apparently, though I have not used it personally.

**DarknessX** · 05-06-2007, 09:55 PM

The BASS audio engine works great, can encode/decode streams, samples, and even create its own. With plugins works with .wma, and without, supports MP3, MP2, MP1, OGG, WAV, AIFF, also supports MOD Music, XM, IT, S3M, MOD, MTM, UMX, MO3 Music (MP3/OGG compressed MODs) and is all under 100kb in size. It takes some effort to get working, and for some features requires a {$mode delphi} switch, but otherwise, works perfect.

**DJMaster** · 12-09-2016, 07:08 PM

You can take a look at the mpg123 header binding for the Free Pascal Compiler:

https://github.com/DJMaster/mpg123-fpc

Strongly tested under Windows. Other OSs will be availble soon.

Originally Posted by paul_nicholls

I am wondering if anyone has ever ported the libmad (http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/) mpeg audio decoder so it can be used with freepascal?

I am wanting to make a simple mp3 player and this library sounds great as it uses fixed-point math instead of floating-point. This would make it suitable for use on the gp2x.

cheers,
Paul.