How to Get a Music Clip from the "Highway to Hell" AC DC Album

AC/DC is an influential classic rock band.

"Highway to Hell" was Australian rock band AC/DC's last album with Bon Scott as the lead singer. Released in 1979, "Highway to Hell" includes such hits as "Touch Too Much," "Highway to Hell" and "Walk All Over You." Getting a clip from one of the songs is easy using a computer and the right software. While Windows doesn't automatically include software to cut and trim audio files, many free programs that are available for download make the task quick and simple.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet access
• "Highway to Hell" CD or digital album

Instructions

Using iTunes

1. Visit Apple's website and follow the directions to download and install the latest version of iTunes. Open the program when installation completes by pressing "Start," then "Programs" and then by locating and selecting "iTunes."

2. Insert the "Highway to Hell" album into your computer's CD-ROM drive. When asked to import the CD, click "No" if you wish to upload only one track before clicking "Import CD"; to import the entire CD, choose "Yes" instead of "No." If "Highway to Hell" is already on your computer, you can simply press "File," "Add File to Library" and find the song you want to clip in the Windows Explorer window.

3. Click "Music" under the "Library" pane and find your "Highway to Hell" song of choice. Right-click the track and select "Get Info"; then navigate to the "Options" tab. Check the "Start Time" and "Stop Time" and enter the times you wrote down. Click "OK." The next time you play the track in iTunes, it will remember the times you set.

Using Audacity

1. Download and install Audacity from the software manufacturer's website. After installation, click "Start," "Programs" and "Windows Media Player"; then insert your CD. If you have a digital version of the file, you won't need to import the CD or use Windows Media Player.

2. Click the CD name in the left pane if the player window doesn't automatically come up. Right-click anywhere on the navigation bar and click "Tools" and "Options."

3. Select the "Rip Music" tab and, under "Format," choose your desired audio format; MP3 will have the most compatibility. (Make a note of where Windows Media Player saves your ripped music for easy access later.) Click "Apply" and "OK," then check the box next to the "Highway to Hell" track or tracks that you want to add to your computer. Click "Rip CD" and wait for the process to finish.

4. Click "Start," "Programs" and "Audacity." Click "Open" and locate the "Highway to Hell" track you'd like to trim and click "Open." Locate the "Selection Start" box at the bottom of the window and check the "Snap To" box. Press the upside down triangle on the box's right side and select "hh:mm:ss + CDDA Frames (75 fps)."

5. Type your desired start time into the "Selection Start" box and, in the next box, your desired ending time. Ensure "End" is highlighted above the second box. Click "File" and "Export Selection" to bring up a Windows Explorer "Export File" window. Under "Save as Type," choose your desired audio format and change the name, if you wish. Select a location on your computer to save the file, then click "Save" and "OK."

Using Free Audio Editor

1. Visit the Free Audio Editor's website and click "Download" to download the software. When it finishes, open the file and follow the on-screen directions for installation. After it finishes and the installer closes, click "Start," "Programs" and "Free Audio Editor."

2. Insert your CD and press the "Load CD" button before choosing the track you want to edit. If you have a digital file, click "Open," locate and select the file before pressing "Open" again. Locate the two boxes near the bottom of the window with numbers in them in the "0:00:00.000" format. Under the first box, labeled "Selection," enter your desired start time into the first set of numbers. In the set of numbers to the right but in the same box, type your desired end time.

3. Press "Ctrl" and "T" simultaneously on your keyboard to trim away the unselected areas of the song. Click the "Home" tab, then select "Save" and "Save File As." Choose a name and file format for your song in the bottom of the Windows Explorer window. Select a location on your computer to save the file and press "Save."

Tips & Warnings

• While the iTunes method only applies to listening to the song within iTunes, the other methods allow you to save the file externally as its own sound file, allowing playback with any compatible program or music device.

• Consider what you'll use the song clip for when trying to decide on an appropriate start and finish time for your track's shortened version.

References

• TUAW Tip: Trimming Tracks in iTunes; Victor Agreda, Jr; January 2006
• Apple Support: Adding Music and Other Content to iTunes
• Beyond Thinking: Ripping (Copying) Music CDs in Windows Media Player 12
• Source Forge: Audacity: Cutting Up Long Tracks
• Free Audio Editor: Audio Editing Tutorials
• Classic Rock Legends Start Here: AC/DC Discography and Fact Sheet

Resources

• Apple: Download iTunes Now
• Source Forge: Download Audacity
• Free Audio Editor: Free Audio Editor 2011