Converting music collection to digital (finally) What file format?

[CU Tiger]

The wife and I are undertaking a project this week before the new year and plan to finally convert all of our hard copy music to digital and discard/sale/burn the physical CDs.

Most everything she has bought in the last few years has been digital through iTunes while I have prolonged my dinosauric ways and bought CDs, but finally I am moving out of the stone age I suppose.

So the question I have for the board are:
1) Is windows media player the best or at least an acceptable program for this? (If not what is a better FREE solution)

2) What is the best file format to provide the widest variety od access options? [The wife and daughter have iPods, my son a ZuneHD, both kids also just got iPads for Christmas, and I typically play music off my laptop mounted in my truck (Has to be there for work anyway so it just make sit convenient for me) so we need all files to work if possible in all formats]

3) Any opinions or tips for the process or even organizing after will be much appreciated.


Thanks

[Young Drachma]

MP3 can be used on your iPod or Zune or anything else you want. It's the best way to go. But iTunes only releases tunes in AAC format, but you can play unprotected AAC files on a Zune, so that's no big deal.

I don't like Windows Media Player all that much, but it's fine. iTunes is really annoying, but it does have the advantage of being useful if you have iPods and an iPad and you can still move everything into the son's Zune library too.

Pretty easy on the whole if you own all of the music physically and it's just a matter of ripping it. iTunes will do this for you, it'll just be a time thing. With the rest of the stuff you have already in iTunes, this would just be added to it.

[cartman]

1) If they are using iTunes already, the player in it is fine. WMP isn't a bad option either. Myself, I use Media Player Classic, a freeware player that also plays video files.

2) Can't go wrong with MP3 format, as it is the most ubiquitous one. Variable bit rate will give you the best quality while using the least amount of space.

3) Prepare yourself for a long journey. Ripping the CDs to disc is only the first step. Then you have to catalog everything, and if desired, get the MP3 tag info entered.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by cartman

Ripping the CDs to disc is only the first step. Then you have to catalog everything, and if desired, get the MP3 tag info entered.

What does that mean? Don't most ripping software programs automatically download artist/album/track/song/album cover info?

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by cartman

3) Prepare yourself for a long journey. Ripping the CDs to disc is only the first step. Then you have to catalog everything, and if desired, get the MP3 tag info entered.

Any reputable ripping software will do both of these for you, if it doesn't it's shit.

[cartman]

In my experience, the hit rate on the auto-tagging is only 85-90%. So I always go back, then check and adjust as needed.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

What does that mean? Don't most ripping software programs automatically download artist/album/track/song/album cover info?

Originally Posted by DanGarion

Any reputable ripping software will do both of these for you, if it doesn't it's shit.

Any suggestions on ripping software here?
will the WMP software do this?

I just tried a few CDs and it is pulling in info including track number, artist, album, year, etc...maybe not perfect but in my limited test no issues yet.

Is this the info that will display in the idevices or is there other info I am missing?

[Ksyrup]

When I was heavily into ripping CDs 5-7 years ago, I used a specific program that I don't even remember anymore. These days I don't rip much, but I use WMP and it seems to work fine once I mess with the settings a bit to get higher quality rips, etc.

[CU Tiger]

Thanks!
I am starting the process now using WMP set to MP3 and 320kbps bitrate and will go from there.

This is one of those things I should have done years ago and I am finally sucking it up and doing it now.

I fear this is going to be a long boring process...

[Ksyrup]

You know, my wife was dying to get me a real X-Mas present this year and I was willing to make the jump into digital music - which is why I bumped that MP3 thread a couple of weeks ago - but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, after doing some reserarch and conducting some tests in my car. The sound quality is just not there.

I have a 2005 Acura, which unfortunately is a couple of years too old for easy plug-and-play technology to have been included. However, they were thinking ahead and included a tape player in the dash, which at least gives me an easy solution for playing MP3s in the car. The problem is, the sound quality really sucks. So does the FM transmitter (not sure what's more annoying, the hiss of tape or the interference on the transmitter). I tried my daughter's iPod Touch, my old Zen Micro, and my Sanza Clip, and they all sounded like crap at the sound level I'm used to listening to in the car. For conversation-level background music, it's fine; for when I'm in the car and want to f'n rock, it's not even close.

I can always get the hardwiring professionally done, but (a) I'm not interested in spending that kind of money to have it done, and (b) I'm not sure the sound quality would be up to my standards. I'd definitely want to hear what it sounds like before laying down the cash for it.

And on top of that, the type of player I want doesn't seem to exist. Or at least, my choices are far fewer than I thought. So I've put this idea on the back burner again. I probably won't switch until I get a new car, but I'm not planning on that for several years.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Thanks!
I am starting the process now using WMP set to MP3 and 320kbps bitrate and will go from there.

This is one of those things I should have done years ago and I am finally sucking it up and doing it now.

I fear this is going to be a long boring process...

Just a quick comment on that bit rate : i am sure it has it´s merits, but personally i think that everything over 192 KB isn´t really nescessary for mobile devices (used with head phones, not high end speakers) and sort of a waste of space in the end. I have mine at VBR of 160-224 (winamp lets you choose a VBR min and a max) which gives me great quality allready and just takes up soooo much less space on my hard drive and later on my mp3 player.

as for free programs : While i mainly use winamp (paid for the pro-version years ago, it´s more than worth it) i also used a small program calles freerip for a while when i couldn´t get winamp to work. Nothing fancy but does the job and is fast to navigate.

For adding MP3 tags (when the ripping software doesn´t do it or you aren´t satisfied with some things) i use mp3tag which is very easy and accessible yet has a lot of options (choosing the source for your tags, editing everything you´d want, batch editing, convert file names into tags and vice versa).

Good luck with your work, believe me it´s worth it and will make you much more flexible in the long run

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by whomario

Just a quick comment on that bit rate : i am sure it has it´s merits, but personally i think that everything over 192 KB isn´t really nescessary for mobile devices (used with head phones, not high end speakers) and sort of a waste of space in the end. I have mine at VBR of 160-224 (winamp lets you choose a VBR min and a max) which gives me great quality allready and just takes up soooo much less space on my hard drive and later on my mp3 player.

as for free programs : While i mainly use winamp (paid for the pro-version years ago, it´s more than worth it) i also used a small program calles freerip for a while when i couldn´t get winamp to work. Nothing fancy but does the job and is fast to navigate.

For adding MP3 tags (when the ripping software doesn´t do it or you aren´t satisfied with some things) i use mp3tag which is very easy and accessible yet has a lot of options (choosing the source for your tags, editing everything you´d want, batch editing, convert file names into tags and vice versa).

Good luck with your work, believe me it´s worth it and will make you much more flexible in the long run

Yeah I'm sitting here 15 or so CDs in and looking at the file size already and wondering about this very issue.

Using media player I do not have a variable rate option for mp3, I do for WMA but all reviews seem to steer me towards mp3...

At least for me personally the size isnt as big an issue, as I'm loading it on a laptop with a 500+gb hard drive...but I can definitely see the drawbacks to use on the ipod/ipads etc.

I'll probably play around with it a bit and see...this is a bit of a selfish decision though tbh because I detest headphones, and the only way I will listen to this music is through either my truck audio system or my home audio system, both of which would benefit (I feel) from the higher bit rate.

[whomario]

try the freerip program set to VBR or look around on http://download.cnet.com/windows/rippers-converting-software/1950-2140_4-0.html?filter=licenseName%3D%22Free%22|&filterName=licenseName%3DFree|&tag=ltcol;narrow (just a bunch of freeware rippers on cnet.com)

you can allways change the program if one isn´t working for you, it´s not like they do different things "under the hood"

personally don´t think there´s much of a difference between, say, 192 and 320 kb on 99% of setups.

I do hear a difference between 128 and 200+ but none really between 200+ and 320 (on my home audio). VBR set to highest quality to me (and everyone i talked to about it) really doesn´t sound any worse than a fixed bitrate of 320 KB but still saves a considereable amount of space.

But if you´ve got the space on the drive, you obviously can´t go wrong with 320 kbps (although i´ve read that VBR generally keeps the quality more consistent than any fixed bitrate, whatever that means for normal home media setups)

[Draft Dodger]

back in the day, Exact Audio Copy was THE ripping software to use
Exact Audio Copy

If you do need a tagger, I've always used MP3 Tag Studio
http://www.magnusbrading.com/mp3ts/

finally, every mp3 that goes on my computer gets run through mp3 gain (MP3Gain) to make all your songs the same volume. I know many players have this ability built in now, but I've always gone this route so that I don't have to think about it.

[Easy Mac]

if you're anal like me, you'll want to rip in a lossless format. This basically means that the data in the file is the exact same as the data on the CD, just smaller sized. with formats like mp3 or lossy aac (mp4), its not an exact copy of the music.

So bascially, you can rip in Itunes using the Apple Lossless Encoder. The file sizes will be about 4 times as high. These files also play on Zunes, iPods, iPads, pretty much any mainstream player. iTunes also gives you the option to compress the files as they transfer to an iPod. So the file on your computer remains lossless, but it encodes it to a smaller size/lesser quality (not overly noticeable when using earphones).

This isn't necessary for everyone, most people are probably fine ripping their CDs to mp3 or normal mp4s. I just do it lossless for a worst-case senario situation (I also have everything backed up offsite, so if the house burns down, i still have a copy of all of my CDs in a non-lossless format).

For me, I use the aforementioned Exact Audio Copy using accurate rip (useful to make sure the copy is pristine) to copy to wav. Then I encode using the flac commandline encoder for a lossless copy. Then I run the file through thegodfather tagger to grab metadata from allmusic.com.

All that being said, using iTunes to rip CDs to either vbr mp3s or 256 mp4s is perfectly fine for the normal 99% of people.

And yes, on certain songs/albums, I really do hear a difference between even 220 vbr mp3s and lossless flacs. Of course, on others, I can't tell a difference in the slightest (I'm looking at you Bieber).

Of course, I still need to yell at my dad for ripping his vinyls to mp3 (come on man, it needs to be 24/96 flacs)

[FF]

dont deprive yourself, just go with the 320kpbs. to some it doesnt matter, but there is definitely a difference going from 192 to 256 to 320.

[thesloppy]

This must be a left/right brain thing, because I've had several friends go through this process, but it poses no attraction to my usually OCD and technofile mind. My two biggest stumbling blocks:

1> I have VERY few CDs that I would consider worthy of ripping cover-to-cover, and having a HD full of unwanted album tracks is just as revolting to my level of OCD.
2>My CDs have outlived my HDs at a ratio that I can't yet measure, because my CDs keep not-quite-dying (though many of them are right on that edge), while my harddrives have no problem kicking off at a rather regular rate.

...that said, I'll envy you when you're done.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

This must be a left/right brain thing, because I've had several friends go through this process, but it poses no attraction to my usually OCD and technofile mind. My two biggest stumbling blocks:

1> I have VERY few CDs that I would consider worthy of ripping cover-to-cover, and having a HD full of unwanted album tracks is just as revolting to my level of OCD.
2>My CDs have outlived my HDs at a ratio that I can't yet measure, because my CDs keep not-quite-dying (though many of them are right on that edge), while my harddrives have no problem kicking off at a rather regular rate.

...that said, I'll envy you when you're done.

For me its 3 fold.
#1 I often like the album tracks more so than the radio releases even of "mainstream" artists. And radio today is total garbage unless I am listening to sports and that is spotty reception locally.
#2 I sometimes just get in a mood to hear x...I want that ability anywhere anytime.
#3 CD's get scratched, they take up space, in short they are an imperfect medium. While hard drives crash, if I keep a hard drive and an external mirror (which I do and mirror every friday pm through the weekend, even if the laptop and office pc crash simultaneously Ill still have all my music safe on the external...not to mention fire, theft etc of the physical cds like mentioned earlier.

[CU Tiger]

DOLA...and knock on wood I have never experienced a full HD crash...Ive lost sectors but never beyond recoverable.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by cartman

In my experience, the hit rate on the auto-tagging is only 85-90%. So I always go back, then check and adjust as needed.

Interesting, maybe I've just been lucky with my ripping of 11,000 tracks, sure there are some that don't work, but I'd say it's about 99%.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Any suggestions on ripping software here?
will the WMP software do this?

I just tried a few CDs and it is pulling in info including track number, artist, album, year, etc...maybe not perfect but in my limited test no issues yet.

Is this the info that will display in the idevices or is there other info I am missing?

This what I used to use.
CDex | Open Source Digital Audio CD Extractor with more than 38,000,000 downloads

This is what I use nowadays.
http://www.mediamonkey.com/

Both are good, IMO.

[thesloppy]

I don't do much ripping, but I do loves mediamonkey!

[CU Tiger]

I will have to check out media monkey, THANKS!

Have to say so far this has not been going to bad. I worked from home today, as we are super slow, and the wife put some time in yesterday and last night. Those efforts combined with W.M.P having the built in "auto rip on insertion" and "eject after finished" options has made this uber simple. just jam a disc in walk away and every time the slide is open when you re enter the room feed it again. We are over 60 discs so far and only 400 or so to go...

[Young Drachma]

It costs money, but I swear by Audials Tunebite.

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

back in the day, Exact Audio Copy was THE ripping software to use
Exact Audio Copy

This is what I used back in the day. EAC ripping to WAV and LAME compressing to VBR MP3.

But we are talking like 10 years ago. Making me feel old.

[jeff061]

dola,

I also use Media Monkey as my music library app. Very happy with it.