Ever wanted to combine several MP3s in to one file? Now you can with MP3 Trimmer.
You used to be able to import tracks from a CD when ‘ripping’ them in iTunes and have them pulled in as one, but it seems Apple has removed this option. There are plenty of third party options, which is great, but what if you have a folder of already created MP3s that you want to join?
This is fairly easy to do on Windows. However, finding a Mac tool – especially a free one – wasn’t so easy.
MP3 Trimmer
I stumbled across a piece of shareware called MP3 Trimmer. The main function of it is to trim and fade MP3s, but it has a neat side option called MP3 joiner.
MP3 Trimmer requires an Intel Mac, and although the site says it is OS X 10.10 Yosemite compatible, I am using in on 10.11 El Capitan without any issues.
Open the app, select MP3 joiner from the Tools menu. Then simply drag the files you want to combine into the window. You can rerrange the tracks if you like, but it puts them in track order by default.
There is a tick box labelled Keep ID3-tag – this will keep the ID3 information from the first file and apply it to the finished joined MP3. This is great, as it maintains album info, etc. and can be edited later anyway.
Once you are ready, press Select target folder and then input the file name and the destination, and then click Save.
Now sit back and watch MP3 Trimmer do its magic. It will scan through each file, stitching them together. Depending on your Mac will depend on how fast it does. My 2012 MacBook Air took about two seconds per song, so the average album took about 40 seconds to combine.
One bonus of this tool is that it doesn’t re-encode your files, which could potentially alter the quality.
The process works very well. There is a small noticeable split-second delay when moving from track to track, but nothing annoying.
Nagware
While the program is offered for free, you can purchase it for $12.95. This will remove the nagging popup screens. When opening the app and when choosing MP3 join, there is a long pause that with regular use could really annoy. Purchasing the app will remove these.
Purpose
Why did I want to do this? I buy a lot of mixed albums where the tracks might be split up but they are blended. When I shuffle the music on my iPhone, I come across these and they suddenly jump in. This was bugging me, so I decided to combine each mix album into one continuous playable file.
Conclusion
MP3 Trimmer is simple to use and the only free option I have found so far. If you use it regularly, purchase it for its small fee.
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