Avidemux Cannot Use That File As Audio Track 【2024】

If you do not want to convert your audio file to MP3 because you want to preserve quality (e.g., you have a high-bitrate AAC file), you can try changing the Output Format of your project.

Avidemux supports the MKV (Matroska) container much more flexibly than MP4 or AVI when it comes to audio streams.

Steps:

By switching the container to MKV, you often bypass the strict header requirements of the MP4 container, allowing Avidemux to accept the audio file. avidemux cannot use that file as audio track

Avidemux is a beloved, free, and open-source video editor, primarily used for simple cutting, filtering, and encoding tasks. Its lightweight nature and non-linear workflow make it a go-to tool for quick edits. However, users frequently encounter a frustrating roadblock: the dreaded red error message at the bottom of the interface: "Cannot use that file as audio track."

This error typically appears when you try to load an external audio file (like an MP3, M4A, or AAC) to replace or add a new audio track to a video. Instead of seamlessly integrating the sound, Avidemux rejects the file entirely.

Why does this happen? Is the file corrupt? Is Avidemux broken? The answer is usually more technical but entirely fixable. This article will explore every possible cause and provide step-by-step solutions. If you do not want to convert your

The quickest fix is to tell Avidemux to re-encode the external audio track into a compatible format.

Steps:

Now, go to Track 2 (or wherever you want external audio). Click the folder icon and load your external audio file.

The error should disappear. Avidemux will now re-encode the audio to AAC/MP3 before muxing.

Why this works: By setting Audio Output to “AAC” instead of “Copy,” Avidemux stops trying to preserve the original audio format and instead creates a brand new, container-friendly audio stream. By switching the container to MKV, you often

Before diving into fixes, it’s crucial to understand how Avidemux handles audio. Unlike professional editors like DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro, Avidemux does not perform "on-the-fly" audio transcoding or extensive format negotiation.

Avidemux operates on a direct stream copy principle by default. This means it tries to copy audio data directly from the source file (or external track) to the output without re-encoding. For this to work, the audio format must be compatible with the video container (MKV, MP4, AVI) you are using.

When you see "Cannot use that file as audio track," Avidemux is essentially saying: “I cannot mux this audio stream into the selected video container without re-encoding, and my current audio output settings do not allow re-encoding, or the audio format is unsupported.”