How to Merge Books on Tape to a File

Transfer books on tape to digital files so you can enjoy them for years.

The cassette tape’s popularity declined rapidly in the late 1990s due to the advent of new forms of digital media. Merging content stored on a cassette tape, such as an audio book, to a computer file requires an application that facilitates the process. Several applications merge books on tape to a computer file, including Audacity, Spin It Again and Tape 2 PC. You'll need one of those programs, a computer with a sound card that has RCA ports and a cassette player.

Things You'll Need

• Audio software
• RCA cables
• Computer with sound card
• Cassette player

Instructions

1. Power up your computer and cassette player.

2. Connect the red and yellow RCA cables to the line-out ports on your cassette player and the line-in ports on your computer’s sound card. Alternatively, use a headphone-to-RCA cable.

3. Open the PC audio file converter software and set the record settings to record in stereo. Set the software’s input setting to line-in.

4. Click the red “Record” button if using Audacity. Most PC audio file converter software follow the same prompts as Audacity. Press the play button on your cassette player.

5. Press “Stop” when finished.

6. Left-click on the audio file you converted and select “Save.” You have the option of saving in an MP3, .wav or .wma format. If using a Mac, select AIFF.

7. Edit the recording. Your audio file converter software allows you to cut the lag time between tracks.

References

• Audacity: How do I Record from Vinyl Records, Cassette Tapes or Minidiscs?