Faulty Quicktime export in Keynote 6 - embedded .m4a audio files get truncated

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Faulty Quicktime export in Keynote 6 - embedded .m4a audio files get truncated

I have embedded .m4a audio files (which were recorded in Garageband) in a Keynote presentation. The audio files are just speech - they comprise my narration of the slide's contents. They play fully in Keynote, and in the slideshow whilst I am recording it. However, when the recorded slideshow is then exported to QT, the problem arises: In the QuickTime movie I have exported, some of the (usually longer) audio tracks are truncated, typically by only the last one, two or three words of the particular slide's narration (e.g. in a narration of just over a minute's duration). It looks like only the audio file's playback is truncated - the slide still advances in the QT movie at what I presume to be the right time; it's only the audio playback that prematurely stops.

File > Advanced > Change file type > Package Contents as elsewhere suggested doesn't solve it. Exporting to Powerpoint first, as elsewhere suggested, also doesn't fix it. I am running the latest versions - Keynote 6.6.1, El Capitan 10.11.1, and editing QT movies in QT Pro.

I also tried Format > Custom > Apple ProRes 422 and > Apple ProRes 4444 when exporting from Freehand to QT. (The only alternatives to H.264 that display on my system). This had no effect - the audio stopped at the same point as before in both cases.

I've also tried an off-canvas item in Keynote, both timed and manual appearance after the audio file should finish, and also an on-canvas invisible item, both timed and manual. In all cases, (working with an audio that has played in truncated style in my initial QT export) the audio in the exported QT video stops prematurely at the same spot, a few seconds before it should end. But listening to the audio in Keynote (by clicking on it), and in the record slideshow process, it plays fully. Most frustrating!

My Keynote files are stored on iCloud Drive, after discovering the mess that Google Drive makes of them.

Any suggestions? This bug is ruining many months of work. Any help would be most welcome!

iMac (27-inch, Late 2012), OS X El Capitan (10.11.1), Latest software used

Posted on Nov 26, 2015 5:58 PM

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Answer 1

rmeurant Author

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Nov 26, 2015 7:15 PM in response to rmeurant

P.S. I record slideshow in Keynote using System Preferences: Sound: Input: VoilaDevice.

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Answer 2

rmeurant Author

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Nov 26, 2015 8:40 PM in response to rmeurant

P.P.S. Using instead System Preferences: Sound: Input: Internal Microphone has no effect; the truncation occurs at the same point of the track.

So I presume the bug is not related to using VoilaDevice for sound input when recording the slideshow in Keynote.

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Answer 3

Nov 27, 2015 8:26 AM in response to rmeurant

There are numerous problems being reported by users who are running Keynote in El Capitan when exporting to Quicktime.

None of these issues occur when users are running Yosemite.

Tried and tested software maintenance does not fix these issues, if this was happening on my machine, I would revert to Yosemite immediately.

when the recorded slideshow is then exported to QT

I assume you are using: Play > Record Slideshow?

My Keynote files are stored on iCloud Drive

I do hope you mean you store your Keynote files on a local drive and a copy of the file on iCloud.

Accessing and editing Keynote files directly from any remote server, (iCloud) is a very bad idea, there is no guarantee files are kept available and file corruption can often occur.

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Answer 4

Nov 27, 2015 8:34 AM in response to rmeurant

Are you selecting: Slideshow Recording in the QT export dialogue box?

If you are using Slideshow Recording as noted above, where does Freehand and Voila fit in this workflow?

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Answer 5

rmeurant Author

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Dec 9, 2015 6:58 PM in response to Gary Scotland

Sorry Gary, I've just picked up your response. My bad. The Apple iWork Team responded two days ago (is that you?), so I've just now sent them some information and files. I could attach to the email a sample QT video with audio clipping, and the sysdiagnosis they requested, but found I couldn't attach the source Keynote file - so I've had to package > single file it in Keynote: File: Advanced: Change file type.

1. I store the Keynote files in my iCloud Drive folder on my iMac. Is that part of the problem? I was using GoogleDrive for the Keynote storage, but that was indeed corrupting the files, as you advise. Can I just simply move the files out of the iCloud Drive folder into a folder in my Documents folder on my hard drive?

2. Yes, I'm selecting Slideshow Recording in the QT export dialogue box.

3. Sorry, "Freehand" was a mistake, I meant "Keynote". (Even after all these years, I still can't let dear Freehand go! But I'm not using it here at all.)

I use VoilaDevice in System Preferences: Sound: Input when making my Slideshow recording in Keynote.

Many thanks, a very confused Robert C. Meurant.

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