How to Record Music from Cassette to PC

Audio on cassette tapes can be transferred to a computer.

Prior to the MP3 audio file, music was contained on various types of media, including audio CDs, vinyl records and cassette tapes. If you have music on an audio cassette, it can easily be transferred to your PC with the proper hardware and software. This includes using audio recording software such as Plus! Analog Recorder, Audacity or All Sound Recorder. You can record music from cassette to PC; you just need to know which cassettes in your collection that you want to record.

Things You'll Need

• Cassette player
• Stereo mini-jack connector cable
• Plus! Analog Recorder
• Audacity
• All Sound Recorder

Instructions

Connect Cassette Player to Computer

1. Plug one end of the stereo mini-jack connector cable into the headphone jack of the cassette player.

2. Plug the other end of the stereo mini-jack cable into the line-in input on the computer sound card or on-board audio controller.

3. Insert the cassette tape to record into the tape player.

Use Plus! Analog Recorder

1. Double click the icon on the desktop for the Plus! Analog Recorder. Alternatively, you clan click the Start menu and go to the "Programs" or "All Programs" option and search for the program.

2. Click the "Next" button when the welcome page appears on the screen. Click the "Next" button after detecting the audio levels.

3. Go to the "Record your music" page in the program. Click the "Record" button and then press the play button on the cassette player. Click the "Stop" button when the audio you want to record has finished.

4. Go to the "Review and name your tracks" page. Enter the information for the track name and the artist. Click the "Next" button when you are finished.

5. Go to the "Save music tracks to this location" section of the program. Select any of the options that you want to apply to the saved audio. Click the "Next" button to save the audio track.

Use Audacity

1. Download Audacity from its website and install the program on your PC. Double-click the Audacity icon on your desktop to open the program.

2. Click the "Record" button (the icon with the red dot) in Audacity.

3. Press the play button on the cassette player. Wait while the audio plays on the cassette.

4. Press the "Stop" button (the icon with the yellow square) in Audacity to stop the recording. Press the stop button on the cassette player.

5. Click the "File" drop-down menu and then select "Export as MP3." Enter a name for the music file and then click the "Save" button to complete the transfer process.

Use All Sound Recorder

1. Go to the Audio Utilities or MP3Do website. Download the program and install it on your PC. Double-click the All Sound Recorder icon on your desktop to open the program.

2. Click the drop down selection for the Output Format and select "MP3" from the list. If you are using the XP version of the program click the "Sound Source" button.

3. Click the "Record" button in the program and then press the play button on the cassette player.

4. Press the "Stop" button in the software and then press the stop button on the cassette player when the song or track has ended.

5. Click the "Rec List" button to open the folder for your saved music files. If you are using the XP version of the program, click the arrow in the upper right.

Tips & Warnings

• The Plus! Analog Recorder and Audacity are free to use.

• All Sound Recorder will cost $37.95 for the Vista version and $26.95 for the XP version of the program.

References

• Microsoft: Record Music from a Cassette Tape to Your Computer
• Online Tech Tips: How to Record Cassette Tapes to PC/Computer
• MP3Do: All Sound Recorder XP Video Tutorial

Resources

• Newegg: Stereo Mini Jack Cable
• Audacity: Download
• MP3Do: All Sound Recorder
• Audio Utilities: How to Record Stereo Music from a Cassette Tape to Computer or PC