How to Copy From a Cassette Tape to a CD
With a little computer know-how and some audio recording software, it's easy to convert your cassettes into digital files you can store on your computer or burn to CD.
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Things You'll Need
- 1/8-inch male to 1/8-inch male audio cable
- Cassette player
- Audio recording software
- Computer with audio input
- CD recorder
Instructions
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Choose the cassette tape you wish to transfer to a CD and put it in your cassette player. Rewind the cassette fully to be sure you start at the beginning. Connect the cassette player's headphone output to the input jack on your computer using a 1/8-inch male to 1/8-inch male audio cable.
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2
Start your preferred audio recording program and begin a new session if necessary. If you use a Windows computer, Sound Recorder should be included with the OS. Most Apple computers come with Garageband installed. Both of these programs will work. If you have neither program, there are many free sound recording programs available online (see Resources).
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3
Select "Audio In" as the recording device in your program's preference pane. Press "Record" in your audio software's main window, then press play on the cassette player. The computer will record any audio from the cassette player. It may be wise to test the recording process with a few seconds of audio before continuing to be certain the volume of the cassette player is appropriate for a good recording.
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Stop the cassette player when the song ends, and then press "Stop" in the main window of your recording program. Save or export the song or recording as an MP3, WAV, or other convenient file type. Repeat this process with the remaining songs on the cassette.
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Import the exported audio files to your preferred CD-burning/music organization software. Use the software to title each song, then burn the songs to a CD. You can now listen to the audio from your cassette in any CD player.
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References
- Photo Credit cassette tapes image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
