AppleScript Quicktime Player to play audio file generates error

applescriptaudiomp3quicktime

My Quicktime Player (Version 10.3 727.4) can play mp3 files without any problems, but when I use AppleScript I get an error message:

The document “audio.mp3” could not be opened. The file may be damaged or may not be a movie file that is compatible with QuickTime Player.

I've been trying different sound files, different compressions, aif, wav, with the same result.

A minimum script goes:

set audioFile to "/Path/to/the/audio.mp3"

tell application "QuickTime Player"
    activate
    open audioFile
    play the front document
end tell

Does anyone have any suggestions of what I'm doing wrong or any other solution to script a media player.

Best Answer

A pure guess would be that you are passing it a text/string reference rather than a file ref.

try set audioFile to POSIX file "/Path/to/the/audio.mp3"

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Which standalone player or system plugin works well for WMV media on Mac OS X

I've tried them all flip4mac, perian... trust me, VLC is your simplest and most efficient solution. It handles almost every single video type known, including WMV. Perian with Quicktime would come a good second, but still doesn't beat VLC as it doesn't have VLC's codec coverage. So that would most definitely be the best solution.

But is there any specific reason you're looking for a quicktime based solution? If only "playing" a video, is your primary requirement, VLC takes care of that (and pretty darn well i might add).

Cheers.

(I've written a post on my blog covering most of the "good" software that I use. You're welcome to check it out. VLC was my final vote there. Excuse the shameless self promotion. Ignore if offended)

Use AppleScript to launch and manage Quicktime Player in the background

How about this: It's not exactly what you want, but achieves roughly the same thing.

I seem to remember pre-OS X you could activate an app and keep it from being frontmost, but that appears not to be possible these days (or I imagined it.)

to replaceFrontQTPlayerWithFile(aFile)

tell application "QuickTime Player"
    activate

    try
        set frontDoc to front document
        close front document
    on error err number errNum
        if errNum is -1719 then
            -- There is no open document
        else if errNum is -10000 then
            -- Front doc exists, but does not really...
        else
            log err
        end if
    end try

    open aFile
    play front document

    -- Hide QTP
    tell application "System Events"
        keystroke "h" using command down
    end tell

end tell
end replaceFrontQTPlayerWithFile


on run
    set unixFile to "/Users/diggory/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Music/Underworld/Oblivion With Bells/01 Crocodile.m4a"
    set macFile to POSIX file unixFile
    set fileRef to (macFile as alias)
    my replaceFrontQTPlayerWithFile(fileRef)
end run

Best Answer

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Which standalone player or system plugin works well for WMV media on Mac OS X

Use AppleScript to launch and manage Quicktime Player in the background

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