What C++ libraries should I be looking for if I want to modify a sound file and save it back?

Question

I am looking for some advices for sound-related libraries for C++.

My requirements are as follow:

• load a sound file - this means I need to know what type of sound is being input and then deal with it. For instance, an MP3 file should be decoded first before being further processed.

• modifying sound - we should be able to play around with the whole sound file. What I mean is, for instance, the ability to pinpoint a period of time (ex. the 10.25th second of this sound), moving a portion (ex. range of 10th to 20th second) of sound around, etc.

• save the sound file back to the disk - after we've done processing the respected sound, we should be able to save the sound back to the disk.

I am quite new to this field, so frankly speaking, I do not know where/how to approach. If you know how to approach sound programming-wise, please guide me. Thank you very much.

FYI, I am using both Windows and Mac.

Answer 1

Check out FMOD

Answer 2

Audacity is the leading open source audio editor and recorder. It's cross platform and C++, and browsing its source code should give you a good idea how to do this stuff. It's licensed under the GPL, so you may not be able to use its source directly.