Hello! I have a very regular issue where the dropbox web player is cutting off the very last seconds of audio files. This issue is NOT pertaining to the playback limits enforced by Dropbox plans. It's just the last few seconds of every audio file I upload, the player cuts off the end. These are all CBR MP3 files. Haven't tested with any other format. I'm a podcast editor and multiple times per week I have clients come back to me complaining that the end of their piece is cut off. It always turns out that they were listening to the file on Dropbox's web player. Once they download the file, it's perfect. Total time-waster for me and just not a good experience overall for clients. Love Dropbox otherwise, and with the subscription fee every month, I would expect not to have issues like these. Happy to provide further info or test to help resolve this issue!

Hello DaphneNo the issue isn't exactly resolved but I've made a work-around. The Dropbox support team have been in touch a few times but seem baffled. In the meantime, I have had 10 seconds of silence added to the end of the MP3 so that the voice is no longer cut off and that works for me!

End of Audio Previews Cut Off | The Dropbox Community

17 Replies

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Mark
Super User II
7 years ago
Send in the details to support with specific examples:

www.dropbox.com/support

And then track at http://dropbox.zendesk.com
Lusil
Dropbox Staff
7 years ago
Hey there, j2762mm !

I just wanted to let you know that I was able to locate your open request from my end and have passed your comments along to the member of my team reviewing this matter for you. When they have more info on this, they’ll get back to you as soon as possible via email.

Thanks in advance! :grin:
ZanaLu
Helpful | Level 6
7 years ago
I have the same problem as this with just one of my audio files uploaded to Dropbox. If I open the file in another app it plays perfectly, but in preview the last 5 seconds are cut off. The weird thing is, the MP3 is the same length however I open it (it's 35:09 long in Dropbox and in any other app). It's almost as if when uploading to Dropbox the recording has "slipped". It's a spoken track for hypnosis. Near the end I am counting 1,2,3,4,5 and in Dropbox preview I say "1" at 35:04, whereas in any other app I'm saying "1" at 34:59! It's like it's all "slipped" by 5 seconds over the length of the recording. I've deleted, uploaded again a few times but always the same result. It all plays in the sender's Dropbox preview.
The other files I have uploaded to Dropbox play fine with no cut off endings. The file is not too large: it's about 32MB. I think the limit for MP3 is 1GB?
Any idea what is going on?!
Lusil
Dropbox Staff
7 years ago
Hey ZanaLu, sorry to hear that you’re also having this issue.

Could you please let me know if the behavior persists when you play the video:

From another browser?

While you’re not running any third party browser extensions?

From an incognito/private browser mode?

After you’ve cleared the cache of your browser?

Additionally, could you confirm how you uploaded the video in question? Was it through the desktop app, the mobile app, or the website?

Let me know what you find!
ZanaLu
Helpful | Level 6
7 years ago
Thanks for your reply. It's not a video - it's audio MP3. I've uploaded the files (there are 3 similar ones but only one has the problem) from someone else's Dropbox. I've also uploaded the problem file from We Transfer (another file transfer app) - no difference. I've saved the file to my PC and added it to Dropbox from there - same problem.
I doubt it's a browser problem as the other two files play perfectly. I've tried logging into Dropbox on Chrome and MS Edge - same problem. I don't use any other browsers.
I have cleared the cache.
Thanks.
Lusil
Dropbox Staff
7 years ago
Thanks for the additional info, ZanaLu.

I’ve sent you a ticket to the email address connected to your Community profile, so when you get the chance, please have a look at your inbox and we’ll take it from there.

Looking forward to hearing back from you!
Daphne
Dropbox Community Moderator
7 years ago
Hey ZanaLu, just checking in to see if you were able to resolve the issue you were facing here, and if so, could you please let us know how?

Any updates would be much appreciated!
ZanaLu
Helpful | Level 6
7 years ago
Hello Daphne
No the issue isn't exactly resolved but I've made a work-around. The Dropbox support team have been in touch a few times but seem baffled. In the meantime, I have had 10 seconds of silence added to the end of the MP3 so that the voice is no longer cut off and that works for me!
Daphne
Dropbox Community Moderator
7 years ago
Thanks for letting us know that ZanaLu!

I’m sorry to hear that the issue wasn’t exactly solved but I’m glad you found a work around, great job on the troubleshooting there. :grin:

Hope you have a great week ahead - Cheers!
j2762mm
Helpful | Level 7
7 years ago
With all due respect, I'm not sure how spending extra time and adding complications to our own workflows to accomodate Dropbox's broken product should be accepted as a resolution.
Manually adding time at the end of files is not an acceptable solution. It takes extra time, can be forgotten about (I'm working with a team), and clients do not want 10 seconds of silence at the end of the files.
Not to mention the multiple times a week I have clients come back complaining the end of their files are cut off, then I have to explain to them that it's just Dropbox and to please download the file to verify. It's a waste of time for everyone involved and creates a poor experience.
Other than this issue, I love Dropbox, so I would respectfully ask this issue to not be forgotten about and not considered resolved until a proper fix has been implemented by Dropbox.