Opus Encoder (Run)

This article explains how you can use Transcoder.Run to encode a WAV file to Opus audio stored in an OGG container.

The code snippets in this article are from the enc_opus_file sample.

Source Audio

For source we use the equinox-48KHz.wav file from the AVBlocks Assets repository. After downloading and unzipping you will find equinox-48KHz.wav in the aud subdirectory.

Code

This code takes a WAV file and encodes it to Opus audio in an OGG container.

Initialize AVBlocks

The first step in any AVBlocks application is to initialize the library. This must be done before using any other AVBlocks functionality. The Library.Initialize() method sets up the internal state and loads necessary codecs. Always remember to call Library.Shutdown() at the end of your program to properly clean up resources and release any allocated memory.

static int Main(string[] args)
{
    var opt = new Options();

    if (!opt.Prepare(args))
        return opt.Error ? (int)ExitCodes.OptionsError : (int)ExitCodes.Success;

    Library.Initialize();

    // Set license information. Without this AVBlocks runs in Demo mode.
    // Library.SetLicense("<license-string>");

    bool encodeResult = Encode(opt);

    Library.Shutdown();

    return encodeResult ? (int)ExitCodes.Success : (int)ExitCodes.EncodingError;
}

Configure Output Socket

The output socket defines where and how the encoded audio data will be written. In this case, we’re configuring it to output an Opus stream in an OGG container. The socket represents the output destination, while the pin represents the specific audio stream within that destination. The AudioStreamInfo object specifies the audio format parameters - you can customize the bitrate, sampling rate, or number of channels by uncommenting the relevant lines.

static MediaSocket CreateOutputSocket(Options opt)
{
    // create stream info to describe the output audio stream
    AudioStreamInfo asi = new AudioStreamInfo();
    asi.StreamType = StreamType.Opus;

    // The default bitrate is 128000. You can set it to 192000, 256000, etc.
    // asi.Bitrate = 192000;

    // Optionally set the sampling rate and the number of the channels, e.g. 48 Khz, Stereo
    // asi.SampleRate = 48000;
    // asi.Channels = 2;

    // create a pin using the stream info
    MediaPin pin = new MediaPin();
    pin.StreamInfo = asi;

    // finally create a socket for the output container format which is OGG in this case
    MediaSocket socket = new MediaSocket();
    socket.StreamType = StreamType.Ogg;

    socket.Pins.Add(pin);

    // output to a file
    socket.File = opt.OutputFile;

    return socket;
}

Configure Transcoder and Encode

This is the main encoding function that ties everything together. First, we create an input socket that points to the WAV file we want to encode. Then we create the output socket using our helper method. The transcoder is the core component that performs the actual encoding - it takes the uncompressed LPCM data from the input and converts it to compressed Opus data for the output.

The AllowDemoMode = true setting allows the transcoder to work even without a valid license (useful for testing, but not recommended for production). We then add our input and output sockets to the transcoder, open it to prepare for processing, run the actual transcoding operation, and finally close it to clean up.

static bool Encode(Options opt)
{
    // transcoder will fail if output exists (by design)
    DeleteFile(opt.OutputFile);

    // Create output directory if needed
    string outputDir = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(opt.OutputFile);
    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(outputDir))
        System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(outputDir);

    // create input socket
    MediaSocket inSocket = new MediaSocket();
    inSocket.File = opt.InputFile;

    // create output socket
    MediaSocket outSocket = CreateOutputSocket(opt);

    // create Transcoder
    using (Transcoder transcoder = new Transcoder())
    {
        transcoder.AllowDemoMode = true;
        transcoder.Inputs.Add(inSocket);
        transcoder.Outputs.Add(outSocket);

        bool res = transcoder.Open();
        PrintError("Transcoder open", transcoder.Error);
        if (!res)
            return false;

        res = transcoder.Run();
        PrintError("Transcoder run", transcoder.Error);
        if (!res)
            return false;

        transcoder.Close();
    }

    return true;
}

Complete C# Code

Here’s the complete working example that demonstrates Opus encoding using AVBlocks. This code combines all the previous snippets into a functional program that can be compiled and run. The Main method handles command-line argument parsing, initializes AVBlocks, performs the encoding operation, and properly shuts down the library before exiting.

using System;
using PrimoSoftware.AVBlocks;

namespace CliSample
{
    class Program
    {
        static int Main(string[] args)
        {
            var opt = new Options();

            if (!opt.Prepare(args))
                return opt.Error ? (int)ExitCodes.OptionsError : (int)ExitCodes.Success;

            Library.Initialize();

            // Set license information. Without this AVBlocks runs in Demo mode.
            // Library.SetLicense("<license-string>");

            bool encodeResult = Encode(opt);

            Library.Shutdown();

            return encodeResult ? (int)ExitCodes.Success : (int)ExitCodes.EncodingError;
        }

        static bool Encode(Options opt)
        {
            // transcoder will fail if output exists (by design)
            DeleteFile(opt.OutputFile);

            // Create output directory if needed
            string outputDir = System.IO.Path.GetDirectoryName(opt.OutputFile);
            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(outputDir))
                System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(outputDir);

            // create input socket
            MediaSocket inSocket = new MediaSocket();
            inSocket.File = opt.InputFile;

            // create output socket
            MediaSocket outSocket = CreateOutputSocket(opt);

            // create Transcoder
            using (Transcoder transcoder = new Transcoder())
            {
                transcoder.AllowDemoMode = true;
                transcoder.Inputs.Add(inSocket);
                transcoder.Outputs.Add(outSocket);

                bool res = transcoder.Open();
                PrintError("Transcoder open", transcoder.Error);
                if (!res)
                    return false;

                res = transcoder.Run();
                PrintError("Transcoder run", transcoder.Error);
                if (!res)
                    return false;

                transcoder.Close();
            }

            return true;
        }

        static void DeleteFile(string filename)
        {
            try
            {
                if (System.IO.File.Exists(filename))
                    System.IO.File.Delete(filename);
            }
            catch { }
        }

        static MediaSocket CreateOutputSocket(Options opt)
        {
            // create stream info to describe the output audio stream
            AudioStreamInfo asi = new AudioStreamInfo();
            asi.StreamType = StreamType.Opus;

            // The default bitrate is 128000. You can set it to 192000, 256000, etc.
            // asi.Bitrate = 192000;

            // Optionally set the sampling rate and the number of the channels, e.g. 48 Khz, Stereo
            // asi.SampleRate = 48000;
            // asi.Channels = 2;

            // create a pin using the stream info
            MediaPin pin = new MediaPin();
            pin.StreamInfo = asi;

            // finally create a socket for the output container format which is OGG in this case
            MediaSocket socket = new MediaSocket();
            socket.StreamType = StreamType.Ogg;

            socket.Pins.Add(pin);

            // output to a file
            socket.File = opt.OutputFile;

            return socket;
        }

        static void PrintError(string action, ErrorInfo e)
        {
            if (action != null)
            {
                Console.Write("{0}: ", action);
            }

            if (ErrorFacility.Success == e.Facility)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Success");
                return;
            }
            else
            {
                Console.WriteLine("{0}, facility:{1} code:{2} hint:{3}", e.Message ?? "", e.Facility, e.Code, e.Hint ?? "");
            }
        }

        enum ExitCodes : int
        {
            Success = 0,
            OptionsError = 1,
            EncodingError = 2,
        }
    }
}

How to Run

See the build instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and the enc_opus_file sample for details.

Command Line

enc_opus_file --input <wav file> --output <opus file>

Examples

List options:

./bin/net10.0/enc_opus_file --help
enc_opus_file 1.0.0.0

  -i, --input     input WAV file

  -o, --output    output Opus file

  --help          Display this help screen.

  --version       Display version information.

The following example encodes input file ./assets/aud/equinox-48KHz.wav into output file equinox-48KHz.opus:

# Linux and macOS
mkdir -p ./output/enc_opus_file

./bin/net10.0/enc_opus_file \
    --input ./assets/aud/equinox-48KHz.wav \
    --output ./output/enc_opus_file/equinox-48KHz.opus
# Windows
mkdir -Force -Path ./output/enc_opus_file

./bin/net10.0/enc_opus_file `
    --input ./assets/aud/equinox-48KHz.wav `
    --output ./output/enc_opus_file/equinox-48KHz.opus