# Install mp3cat with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix Reads and writes mp3 files. Version 0.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:mp3cat ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install mp3cat ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install mp3cat ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: audio/mp3cat/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#mp3cat ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mp/mp3cat/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:mp3cat - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.5 - **Source summary:** Reads and writes mp3 files - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - mp3cat (cli) - mp3dirclean (cli) - mp3http (cli) - mp3log (cli) - mp3log-conf (cli) - mp3stream-conf (cli) - mp3cat (alias) - mp3dirclean (alias) - mp3http (alias) - mp3log (alias) - mp3log-conf (alias) - mp3stream-conf (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.5 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/tomclegg/mp3cat - Upstream latest detected: 0.5 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage mp3cat is a small Unix-style MP3 stream utility distributed from Tom Clegg's site and GitHub repository. Its core behavior is deliberately narrow: it copies a byte stream while skipping everything except MP3 frames with valid headers, so it can clean concatenated or noisy input and write the remaining frames to standard output or to its own directory format. ### Project history The distinctive feature is the "mp3dir" workflow. Instead of producing one file, mp3cat can append valid frames to current.mp3 and rotate timestamped segment files after a size threshold. The same format can be read like a following log: mp3cat waits at the end of current.mp3, notices rotations, and continues from the next file. The accompanying tools, including mp3log-conf and mp3stream-conf, place it in the same practical niche as daemontools-style audio logging and simple MP3 streaming. ### How it is used The project page says the software was written for Kootenay Cooperative Radio in Nelson, British Columbia, and presents a live-radio use case: record from a sound card into an mp3dir, clean old segments, and stream the directory to network clients. In package managers it is a niche command-line audio utility rather than a general editor or encoder; Homebrew describes it simply as a tool that reads and writes MP3 files. ### Sources - - - ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** mp3cat - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - mp3cat: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/mp/mp3cat/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - MacPorts - mp3cat: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: audio/mp3cat/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [mp3check](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mp3check/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mp3, utilities. - [mp3gain](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mp3gain/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mp3, utilities. - [mp3splt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mp3splt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mp3, utilities. - [abcde](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abcde/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mp3. - [clamz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clamz/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mp3. - [easy-tag](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/easy-tag/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mp3. - [ebook2cw](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ebook2cw/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, mp3. - [go-librespot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go-librespot/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, streaming. - [mpck](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mpck/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, files, media, mp3. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/mp3cat.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/mp3cat.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph