How to Convert CD to MP3 Music
If you have music CDs that you want to convert to mp3 files, the process is fairly simple using a computer and a media player software, available free from the Internet if you don't already have one installed. The easiest way to make the conversion is to have your media player convert it to mp3 as you are copying the music to your music library.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Computer with CD-ROM drive and sound card installed
- Media player software (e.g., Windows Media Player, iTunes or RealPlayer)
Instructions
-
Converting your CD to mp3
-
1
Open the media player software on your computer. Look through the menus for the "Preferences" or "Options" section.
-
2
Locate the preferences for "ripping" or "importing" CDs into your music library. There should be a list of formats available. Check the "mp3" option; this tells your software to convert your music CD songs to an mp3 format as it copies them to your computer. Click "OK".
-
-
3
Insert your music CD into the CD-ROM drive. In a moment, your media player should detect it. If it starts playing the CD automatically, stop it from playing for now, to keep from slowing down your computer.
-
4
Select "Rip" or "Import" CD (the term will depend on the media player you're using). The player will now begin copying the music to your computer. This may take a few minutes.
-
5
Open your music library within the media player and confirm the music you copied is now listed. If album and song titles weren't automatically copied, you can now do so manually. You can now play your mp3 files on your computer or copy them to your mp3 player.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If for some reason your media player doesn't give the option of saving music as mp3 files, or if you mistakenly saved the files in another format, you can usually convert those files to mp3 after they are copied to your computer using a conversion (CODEC) software. A number of these programs are available for free download from the Internet. Just be sure the software documentation says it can convert your current format to mp3.
Anytime you copy music, you assume all risks for copyright violations. The United States Copyright Law allows for limited copying under the "fair use" clause, but this is an ambiguous term and does not necessarily permit you to make copies of music for personal use. Never make mp3s of CDs you do not own or did not purchase, and never give, sell or lend copied music to others.
