'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xff in position 0: invalid start byte

[Mte90]

Ticket migrated from nicfit/MishMash#810 that is of this library

ERROR:mishmash:'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xff in position 0: invalid start byte
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/mishmash/__main__.py", line 55, in main
    retval = args.command_func(args) or 0
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/mishmash/core.py", line 37, in run
    retval = super().run(args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/nicfit/command.py", line 93, in run
    return self._run()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/mishmash/commands/sync/sync.py", line 504, in _run
    result = _syncLib(lib)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/mishmash/commands/sync/sync.py", line 497, in _syncLib
    return eyed3_main(args, None)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/main.py", line 41, in main
    eyed3.utils.walk(args.plugin, p, excludes=args.excludes, fs_encoding=args.fs_encoding,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/utils/__init__.py", line 88, in walk
    handler.handleFile(f)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/plugins/__init__.py", line 172, in handleFile
    self.audio_file = core.load(f, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/core.py", line 442, in load
    return mp3.Mp3AudioFile(path, tag_version)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/mp3/__init__.py", line 145, in __init__
    super().__init__(path)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/core.py", line 231, in __init__
    self._read()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/mp3/__init__.py", line 151, in _read
    tag_found = self._tag.parse(file_obj, self._tag_version)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/tag.py", line 99, in parse
    tag_found, padding = self._loadV2Tag(fileobj)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/tag.py", line 131, in _loadV2Tag
    padding = self.frame_set.parse(fp, self.header,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/frames.py", line 1788, in parse
    frame = createFrame(tag_header, frame_header, data)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/frames.py", line 1888, in createFrame
    frame.parse(data, frame_header)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/frames.py", line 611, in parse
    self.description = decodeUnicode(desc, encoding)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/frames.py", line 1904, in decodeUnicode
    return str(bites, codec).rstrip("\x00")
UnicodeDecodeError: 'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xff in position 0: invalid start byte
General error:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/mishmash/__main__.py", line 55, in main
    retval = args.command_func(args) or 0
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/mishmash/core.py", line 37, in run
    retval = super().run(args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/nicfit/command.py", line 93, in run
    return self._run()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/mishmash/commands/sync/sync.py", line 504, in _run
    result = _syncLib(lib)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/mishmash/commands/sync/sync.py", line 497, in _syncLib
    return eyed3_main(args, None)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/main.py", line 41, in main
    eyed3.utils.walk(args.plugin, p, excludes=args.excludes, fs_encoding=args.fs_encoding,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/utils/__init__.py", line 88, in walk
    handler.handleFile(f)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/plugins/__init__.py", line 172, in handleFile
    self.audio_file = core.load(f, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/core.py", line 442, in load
    return mp3.Mp3AudioFile(path, tag_version)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/mp3/__init__.py", line 145, in __init__
    super().__init__(path)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/core.py", line 231, in __init__
    self._read()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/mp3/__init__.py", line 151, in _read
    tag_found = self._tag.parse(file_obj, self._tag_version)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/tag.py", line 99, in parse
    tag_found, padding = self._loadV2Tag(fileobj)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/tag.py", line 131, in _loadV2Tag
    padding = self.frame_set.parse(fp, self.header,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/frames.py", line 1788, in parse
    frame = createFrame(tag_header, frame_header, data)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/frames.py", line 1888, in createFrame
    frame.parse(data, frame_header)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/frames.py", line 611, in parse
    self.description = decodeUnicode(desc, encoding)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.9/dist-packages/eyed3/id3/frames.py", line 1904, in decodeUnicode
    return str(bites, codec).rstrip("\x00")
UnicodeDecodeError: 'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xff in position 0: invalid start byte

[coofercat]

I have no idea if this is you problem or not, but this looks like the file wasn't opened in binary mode (ie. it was opened with "r" instead of "rb").

[Mte90]

I was facing this issue (I am not using this tool since months) so I have no idea...

[hardfau1t]

I faced same problem, it seems like it is specific to some Files, converted the file to wav and converted back to mp3 resolved this issue