When using Cakewalk's MP3 encoder (the $20 one) to export a Variable Bit Rate (VBR) MP3, it comes out thinking it's more than twice as long as the file actually is.  For example, a 3:37 song shows up as 9:28. 
 
The crazy part is, there is no dead air in the file; it seems to be a tagging/metadata issue.  But it's really messed up playing it back, as the time is so off in the display.
 
Has anybody experienced this?  Is there a fix?

Cakewalk uses the LAME encoder. I recall a similar post some time ago. I am not sure what the resolution was. I could not replicate the problem and am not sure what the cause of the problem is but it may be content related. The only thing I can offer is an updated version of the LAME encoder used by Cakewalk. Another user kindly recompiled TTSLame with a newer version of LAME. The files are posted here.

What are you playing your mp3 in? I am not sure if the VBR is broken, but the player you are using. For example, Windows Media Player does this on VBR mp3s... (a 3:30 song shows up at 5+)... but when playing, it plays the time accurately (just the end marker isn't in the right spot)... the song ends at 3:30 as it should, and then the player stops as it should. Windows Media Player just "assumes" it is a constant bit rate file when it opens and calculates song length.

I have played the files in Windows Media Player and the built-in player in my Android phone.  The timing is messed up in both.
 
scook, are you recommending an update to the LAME encoder used by Cakewalk's MP3 encoder?  Or to ditch the Cakewalk encoder entirely and configure LAME as an external encoder?  (I've had mixed results with that method)

Hi Studious,
Just a quick "me too". I see the same thing. I've ditched the Cakewalk MP3 encoder and just installed a LAME dll and use it as an external encoder. I'd love to see a fix for this, but if you get fed up the external encoder option works great.
 
Dean

The link I provided is an updated version of the encoder Cakewalk supplies and can only be used by those that have purchased the original encoder from Cakewalk. It might make a difference. The other thing to try is exporting the file as a wave and using a different encoder to verify the problem is with vbr encoding in LAME. I don't do much with mp3 so probably not going to be much help with this particular problem. As I said there was a similar thread about 6 months to a year ago but I don't remember the details. If I find a the thread, I will post a link to it.

Thanks scook, I see what you were referring to now.  But that thread is over 4 years old.
 
Is there a way to update Cakewalk's MP3 encoder (fully legit/paid for) to the most current LAME version 3.99?  Or is some proprietary coding required to convert the lame dll to "tts"?

That is true but it is a newer version than you are running now.
 
Maybe another cleaver user would like to take a stab at updating the library but until that time, the ones I pointed to is the most recent available.

Back to the OP, I loaded the encoder scook provided (thank you!), but am still seeing the issue. Then I jumped into Adobe Audition and selected "Highest quality 44.1kHz VBR" and now that same 3:22 minute song shows up in Windows Media Player as 23 minutes!! But I will say this, Audition converted it so fast I blinked and missed the progress bar (no joke!).
 
So I am thinking the issue is the player you are using, not that the "converter is broken."

Thanks for that scook!
 
I must say though, it is quite lame (pun intended) that Cakewalk charges for an MP3 encoder, yet they don't update it.