FLAC to MP3 Converter - macOS Automator App

Quick Recreation Prompt

Create a macOS Automator application that converts FLAC audio files to MP3 format with the following requirements:

Technical Requirements

• Platform: macOS Automator application (double-click to run)
• Dependencies: ffmpeg (installed via Homebrew at /opt/homebrew/bin/ffmpeg)
• Interface: Native macOS dialogs using AppleScript (no Python GUI)
• Functionality:
  • Browse and select folder containing FLAC files
  • Choose MP3 bitrate (128k, 192k, 256k, 320k) with 320k as default
  • Option to include/exclude subfolders (recursive search)
  • Convert all FLAC files to MP3 in the same location
  • Preserve metadata (artist, album, title, etc.)
  • Show progress notifications during conversion
  • Display completion summary (successful/failed/total)

    Implementation Details

• Use bash shell script with AppleScript for dialogs
• Add Homebrew paths to PATH (/opt/homebrew/bin and /usr/local/bin)
• Check for ffmpeg installation before starting
• Use find command for file discovery (recursive or single-level)
• Use ffmpeg with flags: -ab for bitrate, -map_metadata 0, -id3v2_version 3
• Output MP3 files with same name as FLAC in same directory
• Handle user cancellation gracefully
• Suppress ffmpeg verbose output (stderr to /dev/null)

  Key Features

• No Python dependencies (avoids Tkinter compatibility issues)
• Works on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs
• Simple double-click execution
• Native macOS look and feel
• Real-time progress notifications
• Error checking for missing dependencies

  Deliverable

A complete bash script for Automator’s “Run Shell Script” action that can be saved as a standalone macOS .app file.

Step-by-Step Recreation Instructions

1. Open Automator ? New Document ? Application
2. Add “Run Shell Script” action
3. Set “Pass input:” to “as arguments”
4. Paste the complete shell script
5. Save as “FLAC to MP3 Converter.app”
6. Ensure ffmpeg is installed: brew install ffmpeg
7. Double-click the app to use

Expected User Experience

1. User double-clicks app
2. Folder selection dialog appears
3. Bitrate selection dialog appears (4 options)
4. Include subfolders dialog appears (Yes/No)
5. Notification shows conversion starting
6. Progress notifications for each file
7. Completion dialog shows final results
8. MP3 files created alongside original FLACs

Prerequisites for Users

• macOS (any modern version)
• Homebrew installed (brew.sh)
• ffmpeg installed (brew install ffmpeg)
• FLAC files to convert

Troubleshooting Notes

• If “ffmpeg not found” error: Add Homebrew paths to script PATH
• If app shows gear but nothing happens: Use shell script approach, not Python
• If permission denied: Right-click app ? Open (first time only)
• Apple Silicon Macs: ffmpeg location is /opt/homebrew/bin/ffmpeg
• Intel Macs: ffmpeg location is /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg

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