Ripping the tracks on your music CDs into MP3 files is easier than ever, thanks to the latest music managers and jukeboxes. That said, there are a few settings to tweak to ensure your new files are named properly, stored in the proper directory, and sound their very best. Use this tutorial to guide you through the steps of ripping MP3s. Choose either Windows Media Player or iTunes, depending on your personal preference.
Required attention span: 3 to 10 minutes per CD, depending on your drive speed.
Before you start, you'll need to gather these elements:
Using iTunes:
Follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Launch iTunes
First things first -- open iTunes. If you're a Mac user, you'll find iTunes in your Applications directory; PC users who haven't yet installed iTunes can download it. You should also make sure you have the latest version of iTunes. Mac users, select Software Update under the Apple menu; PC users can click Help, then select "Check for iTunes updates."
Step 2: Configure your settings
Next, let's configure iTunes' encoding preferences. Mac users can go to the menu bar and click iTunes, then Preferences; for PC users, click Edit, then Preferences.
File format: By default, iTunes rips music to the AAC format. To switch to the MP3 format, click the Importing tab and select MP3 Encoder under the Import Using drop-down menu.
Bit-rate setting: Just below the Import Using settings, you'll find the Setting drop-down menu; click it and choose a bit-rate setting for your ripped files. We think 128Kbps is the best compromise between file size and sound quality, but those with sensitive ears may prefer 160Kbps or even 192Kbps.
Add the track number: If you plan on listening to your tunes on a portable music player, you'll probably want to append track numbers to your music files so that they'll play in the right order. To do so, click the "Create filenames with track number" check box.
Error correction: Trying to rip an older or scratched CD? If so, select the "Use error correction when reading Audio CDs" check box. The ripping process will last longer, but iTunes will stand a better chance of fixing any errors from scratches or excessive use.
Finishing up: Click the OK button at the bottom of the Preferences menu to return to the iTunes main menu.
Step 3: Get album and track info
Insert your CD into your system's CD-ROM tray; iTunes will automatically display a list of tracks and grab album and track info from the CDDB. If the track names remain blank, make sure you're connected to the Internet, click Advanced, then "Get CD track names." If you want to make changes to the track/album names, select the label you want to edit and start typing. To make album-wide changes, select all the tracks and hit Command+I (or Ctrl+I for PC users), click the Info tab, then make your changes.
Step 4: Pick your tracks
Want to rip only some of the tracks to MP3? If so, go to the track list and clear the check boxes next to the tracks you want skipped. If you want iTunes to rip all the tracks on the CD, just leave everything as is.
Step 5: Rip your music
You're ready to rip! Just click the Import button in the upper-right corner of the iTunes interface. To cancel ripping, click Import again.
Step 6: Find your new files
When iTunes is finished ripping, select Library in the left-hand column; you can then find your new tracks either by clicking Browse in the upper-right corner of the interface or by using the nearby Search box.
More resources
- If you're a Windows user with limited space, you may prefer to rip CDs into WMA files.
- If you're sick and tired of the little pauses you hear on your MP3 player between tracks on DJ mixes and other continuous albums, use this tutorial to rip an entire CD as one uninterrupted track.
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LTB2B
14/01/2007 10:23 AM
This is very good. Putting Diagrams and enough detailed descriptions made the process easier.
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Kenny
01/11/2007 07:20 PM
Greate Article, thank you. But there is a lot of 3-rd party cd rippers. I use 'Handy CD Ripper' and i like it.
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