ABOUT_FIXING

This file is about fixing MP3s

An MP3 file could be corrupt because of some reasons:
1) There is garbage before, between or after the frames. This garbage can be
   tags that are not recognized by the program, and therefore it is impossible
   to say if a MP3 is broken when garbage is found. If the rest of the file
   is OK, MP3 players should just play the file and ``fixing'' the MP3 is not
   useful.
2) Frames aren't at their right locations. After the first frame should be the
   second frame, and not something else. When there is, this is either
   garbage as described as above or the file is seriously damaged.
   Removing everything between two valid frames does not fix the MP3, because
   you then have lost a tiny bit of your song. You download it again or find
   a better source.
3) The CRC is not correct. The CRC checksum validates the data. It makes a
   check possible, which either is positive (the data is correct) or
   negative (the data is corrupted). If it is negative, removing the frame
   is not possible because you only damage the file more with removal of
   frames. Altering the CRC checksum so that it matches the data is possible,
   but then you only make a damaged file _look_ correct, it is still damaged.

That is why this program does not fixes MP3 files. It is not capable of and
probably never will be. If you have a damaged file, listen to it to
determine whether the damage is noticable in the music, or delete it.