Message text:

After Effects warning: Audio conforming failed for the following file <filename>

Message interpretation:

A compressed audio file could not be decoded.

Possible causes:

When you import compressed media into After Effects, the program scans it in order to be able to access specific sections quicker. This also happens for audio, which in addition is also often fully decoded to a conventional PCM (WAV/ AIFF file). The resulting files are stored in the Media Cache directory. If this directory is somehow unavailable, locked or damaged, you will get a warning.

Resolution or workaround:

Adjust your preferences to point to a suitable directory for the Media Cache. Make sure you have full access to it and it is intact. Since the files stored therein are persistent, it is necessary to purge the directory from time to time to prevent it from getting full. Because of this heavy use, it is also critical that the directory is defragmented regularly.