How to make an MP3 from anything on the web

Music is everywhere on the web, but being able to listen to it when not connected to the web is an issue. Learn how to make an MP3 from anything you can listen to on the web.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Audacity freeware
• a male to male stereo cable
• your pc

1. download Audacity software from Download-Audacity.org and install it on your pc.
   
   download Lame MP3.dll from http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Lame_Encoder.htm and unzip the dll file to c:\program files\audacity\
2. typical 1/8 inch "Y" adapter insert the 1/8 inch "Y" adapter into your headphone jack on the PC. plug in a set of headphone to one side of the "Y" adapter.
3. typical 1/8 inch to 1/8 inch cable plug in the male to male 1/8 inch stereo plug that you obtained; one end into the open headphone jack of the "Y" adapter and the other end into the microphone jack.
4. run the Audacity program.
   click File> preferences> audio tab > Channels> and select 2(stereo)
   On the main window, insure that "microphone" is selected at the input.
   
   set your PC volume very low.
5. click on the record button in audacity to begin recording.
   Don't worry that you are recording nothing, we will fix that later.
   open a web browser and select something to listen to.
   Put your headphone on and listen to it. Audacity should be picking up the sound too.
   if the meter levels in Audacity show that it is too loud (lots of blue) tone it down by lowering your volume some more.
   do the opposite to raise the volume.
6. after you record what you wanted. click the stop button in Audacity.
   
   Click play and listen to what you recorded.
7. If you need to delete the beginning of the recording (the blank part), use your mouse to drag and highlight the blank part and then press the Del key.
   
   you may edit the music the very same way you edit a word document. Drag, drop, highlight and delete.
8. Once you have the music you want it is time to save it.
   
   click file> export as mp3
   
   The first time you do this, it will ask you where the Lame mp3.dll is;
   we placed it in c:\program files\audacity\ in step 1; point the program to that file and click ok,
   
   it will now save the mp3 file to your pc.
9. Now that you have the mp3 file you were wanting, you can copy it to your listening device and listen to it without the internet whenever you want.

Tips & Warnings

• adjusting your volume levels, insuring that "mute" is not clicked on your microphone, and testing your volume will help produce perfect mp3 files.
• Never make illegal copies.