How to convert disk to mp3 format for use in car?

[lennoxavesosa]

Typically I'm pretty computer saavy, but for the life of me I cant figure out how to convert all my music files to mp3 format so I can play them through my SGII. I have a new Gateway Media Center 610 PC with burner so I'm sure my computer is capable of doing it (just like burning a regular CD right?). I think there are various programs out there that you need in order to convert the files, but I'm just curious as to what programs you guys are using? I assume people have taken advantage of being able to choose from 6000+ songs <Ive heard you can put about 1000 songs on a disk X 6 disk changer>. Makes the whole awaited IPod hack seem a little obsolete. Ehh I dont need an stinkin Ipod anyways.....just another gaget to clutter my pockets with or loose!

[MHC]

You'll probably get varying opinions as to the best program to use, but I wholeheartedly believe that Apple's iTunes is the easiest one to use. You can download it at www.apple.com/itunes

After you install it, be sure to go to Edit -> Preferences, and under the Import tab, choose MP3 format, and a quality setting (why not splurge and set it to "high"?)

Now, put a CD in your computer and click the Import button in the top-right corner. The music will be copied to your computer. To burn songs to a CD, a playlist has to be created (use the + icon at the bottom left to add a new playlist). Drag any songs from the main window to the new playlist. When you're ready, click the playlist, and the Import icon (top-right) will have turned into a burn icon. Insert a blank CD and click the burn icon.

-Christian

[Mr.DJ]

Originally Posted by lennoxavesosa

Typically I'm pretty computer saavy, but for the life of me I cant figure out how to convert all my music files to mp3 format so I can play them through my SGII. I have a new Gateway Media Center 610 PC with burner so I'm sure my computer is capable of doing it (just like burning a regular CD right?). I think there are various programs out there that you need in order to convert the files, but I'm just curious as to what programs you guys are using? I assume people have taken advantage of being able to choose from 6000+ songs <Ive heard you can put about 1000 songs on a disk X 6 disk changer>. Makes the whole awaited IPod hack seem a little obsolete. Ehh I dont need an stinkin Ipod anyways.....just another gaget to clutter my pockets with or loose!

If you still can't figure it out, then just PM me. I'll try and dig-up an article which I had written about this awhile ago.

[300TouringNproud]

Originally Posted by MHC

You'll probably get varying opinions as to the best program to use, but I wholeheartedly believe that Apple's iTunes is the easiest one to use. You can download it at www.apple.com/itunes

After you install it, be sure to go to Edit -> Preferences, and under the Import tab, choose MP3 format, and a quality setting (why not splurge and set it to "high"?)

Now, put a CD in your computer and click the Import button in the top-right corner. The music will be copied to your computer. To burn songs to a CD, a playlist has to be created (use the + icon at the bottom left to add a new playlist). Drag any songs from the main window to the new playlist. When you're ready, click the playlist, and the Import icon (top-right) will have turned into a burn icon. Insert a blank CD and click the burn icon.

-Christian

This creates another audio CD, which will only hold an album's worth of songs.

INSTEAD:

I too advise you use iTunes. In order to burn an MP3 CD download and install iTunes. Follow MHC's advice about selecting MP3 under the Import options, that way anything you rip through iTunes will be in MP3 format, which is the easiest to use (for burning, transfering, etc). If you have previous files other than MP3 (say .WMA if you used Windows Media Player to rip them) then you'll need to find a tool to convert them from that file type to MP3 (most likely, iTunes has a function for this, though if the media is protected it won't work. So I advise just re-ripping your favorite CD's via iTunes. If they're songs you've downloaded from Kazaa or something then you should be fine.

----> The important part: in the options dialog find the "Burning" options and select MP3 CD rather than Audio CD. This will allow you to burn the 1000 songs you want. The actual capacity depends on the size of the CD you're burning onto, and the length of the songs. Average file size for a song is say 2MB so if you have a 800MB disk you can put around 400 songs on. <-----

Now, that said, you may find that scrolling through 400 songs one by one (which is the way it works with our stereos) starts to piss you off. So, I advise making a play list of your favorite songs so you can just put the stereo on shuffle and let 'em rip. Hope that helps.

Correction: average size for a song is about 4MB, so an 800MB MP3 CD will hold about 200 songs

[300Con23s]

You can use Nero to burn a MP3 disc. What type of files are you trying to convert to mp3? Wav files?

[iwanna300c]

I'll bet that any audio files in your computer are allready .mp3's. All you have to do is burn a data disc and the stereo should read it (if it reads .mp3 files).

[urbanchemist]

nero is probably the best to use if you already have the mp3's on your computer. if you want to take songs from a cd and make them into an mp3 i beleive you can use windows media play to rip them from the cd and then save them in the mp3 format. good luck

[joeSRT8]

Just say no to windows media player for ANYTHING. Most of us hardcore audio guys use the following; of note is it's ability to handle scratched CD's:

(For Windows PC's):

Audiograbber (used to be a pay program, now free since author sold part of his code to another company) - still the best. It will rip your CD's to WAV or MP3 files in one shot, can be configured for an "fully automatic" mode where it gets done ripping the first CD and ejects it and you pop in the second CD it keeps going on the next without any buttons to press. Especially effective with multiple CDROM drives and/or computers. Download it at http://www.audiograbber.com-us.net/download.html

For burning the MP3's once you've got them on your computer: www.ahead.de and download NERO 6.6, latest version.

[HEMEEE]

I've found Easy CD-DA Extractor to be, as they say, easy... and very versatile all the way around. You can download a 30-day free trial version here. It's stripped of a few features and is not full speed, but if you like it, it's only $25 to buy the faster full-featured version.

Features:
Rips Audio CD's

• High performance CD-ripping
• Copies "Copy-Protected" CD's
• Reads badly scratched CD's
• Download disc data from thefreedb (database)
• Advanced sound processing
• Creates Cue Sheets (.cue)
• Creates Playlists (.m3u)
• Supports CD-Text
• Supports ID3, ID3V2, and other format specific metadata

Converts audio files from one format to another

• Convert audio files from a format to another
• Advanced sound processing
• Splits Cue Sheets (.cue) and encodes them to individual files
• Supports ID3, ID3V2, and other format specific metadata

Creates Audio CD's

• Writes Audio CD's that are compatible with all CD-players
• Writes CD-Text
• Supports Cue Sheet (.cue) files
• Supports buffer underrun prevention technologies

Easy CD-DA Extractor supports the following audio file formats: MP1, MP2, MP3, Windows Media Audio 8, Windows Media Audio 9, Windows Media Audio 9.1, Ogg Vorbis, MP4, M4A, AAC, FLAC, Musepack, VQF, WAV, AIFF, Monkey's Audio, Shorten, CUE and M3U. Also, the Nero Digital (Nero AAC) is supported if you have the Nero Burning ROM installed on your computer.

More info & download here: http://www.poikosoft.com/index.html

[HEMEEE]

So many choices... so little time!!