Converting audio CDs into digital files How we store our music has changed somewhat over the years. Photograph: Thomas McAvoy/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image You wrote in another column: 'My preferred strategy for scanning things (or ripping CDs), is to do the job so well that it never has to be done again.' Please could you share your thoughts on the best way to do this?Michael Stevens Converting or "ripping" an audio CD into a digital file is a time-consuming process, and there are at least two sensible options. FLAC captures all the information in the recording, but it has two significant disadvantages: it produces large files, and not all portable music players can handle it. I could have used a lower bit rate than 320kbps (actually VBR: variable bit rate), and I can't reliably hear the difference between lossless and 196kbps MP3 files. I could also have used a lower bit rate with the AAC file format, because it is more efficient than MP3. So, what's the best way to rip your files?
Audio Expert - free online audio editor, converter and recorder Convert Audio Online - Free MP3, WAV, OGG, WMA file conversion & streaming Resurrect your old recordings | Audio Restoration | Brian Davies Top 10 Reasons Not To Become A Recording Engineer Recording can be fun. Sometimes it can be a career. But it’s not for everybody. And today, becoming a working engineer is no easier than becoming a working musician. Throughout my adult life, I’ve made most of my living recording, mixing, and editing music and sound. I also love language just as much as I love audio, and my work as a journalist has allowed me the opportunity to cover the aesthetics, techniques and economics of the business for some of my favorite outlets like AES, Tape Op, SPARS, Indaba, The Deli, and SonicScoop. Since I love talking about this stuff when I’m not in the studio, it means that people tend to ask me a lot of questions. Are you ready to get obsessed? In general, I like to encourage people wherever they show an interest. It’s no secret that in the past 10 years, the popularity of recording has exploded. 1) It can be hard to find paying work So it’s not all completely grim. Still, make no mistake: as an occupation, music recording is more competitive than ever.