TNL's Guide to The Music File Formats: Part Five
Introduction
In first four parts of this series, we looked at the various types of files to store your digital music. In my analysis, I decided that for the user looking to bring a larger collection with them in a portable player, the venerable MP3 format is still an excellent choice. In particular, the variable bit encoding at 160 kbps is a great compromise between file size, and audio quality As we continue, I’m going to help you choose the best software to rip your audio tracks. The best news? All the audio software described is available for the amazingly low price of free, so I’m sure you can afford the best.
I know, there are plenty of articles already written about these software programs, most focus on playing and purchasing tracks. I will spotlight only on the task of using these programs to rip your audio from the CD to your hard drive.
The More Popular Choices
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player 10 comes bundled in every Windows OS. The latest version is 10. If you’re not running it on your computer, head on over to the Microsoft web site (link), and upgrade to the latest and greatest.
Windows Media Player 10 clearly has a predilection for supporting Microsoft’s WMA files, as it can create regular WMA, variable bit rate WMA, and WMA Lossless files. In fact, it is one of the few programs that can create the variable bit rate, and lossless WMA variants.
Previous versions of Windows Media Player did not offer MP3 creation. In this latest iteration, there is limited MP3 creation support. It offers only the following four bit rates: 128, 192, 256, 320. They are all constant bit rate settings, with no variable bit rate support for MP3’s. Also, there is no support for the 160 kbps rate which is our recommendation. In short, it is behind the times, and there are better options for MP3 creation out there which offer a lot more options.
iTunes
I find it ironic, that one of the better programs to rip your audio on a PC, is Apple’s iTunes. Sure, it’s great for interfacing with your shiny, white iPod, but why use it to rip tracks? Well, like everything else Apple touches, it just plain works. In fact, I don’t own an iPod, and still like it better than Windows Media Player.
The latest version of iTunes is version 6. You can download it easily off Apple’s website. You don’t need to be a dedicated iPod hacker to figure out that they give the software away to sell more tracks from their iTunes store, and at 99 cents a track business is quite good from what I hear (850 million tracks sold at latest count).
However, hidden in iTunes is one of the better MP3 encoders out there. I say hidden, because it is found under the edit heading, by selecting preferences. Under preferences, it is the advanced tab. Under the advanced tab, it can be found under the tab of importing. I’m sure they hid this so that at least some users will give up, and buy the song from iTunes rather than import it from the CD they already own.
Users who wade through all those steps will find that the default setting is for Apple’s AAC encoder. However, it can be changed to create MP3’s instead. Under the custom setting, you can set up to create MP3’s of a full variety of bit rates, including the most popular 128, 160, and 192 bit rates. In addition, they can be created in either the constant, or the newer variable bit rate settings.
While it is a chore to find it, users will be rewarded with one of the better optioned rippers out there. I recommend this to Windows folks, even if they’re permanently saving up for an iPod (I’ll buy one when I can get 40 GB for less than $200), and don’t plan to purchase anything from the iTunes store.
In Part Six, we'll look at some less popular alternatives for your music creation.
Part One: An Introduction
Part Two: MP3's
Part Three: Windows Media Audio
Part Four: OGG, AAC, and a Preliminary Verdict
Part Five: Popular Software
Part Six: Conclusion & Links To Software
In first four parts of this series, we looked at the various types of files to store your digital music. In my analysis, I decided that for the user looking to bring a larger collection with them in a portable player, the venerable MP3 format is still an excellent choice. In particular, the variable bit encoding at 160 kbps is a great compromise between file size, and audio quality As we continue, I’m going to help you choose the best software to rip your audio tracks. The best news? All the audio software described is available for the amazingly low price of free, so I’m sure you can afford the best.
I know, there are plenty of articles already written about these software programs, most focus on playing and purchasing tracks. I will spotlight only on the task of using these programs to rip your audio from the CD to your hard drive.
The More Popular Choices
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player 10 comes bundled in every Windows OS. The latest version is 10. If you’re not running it on your computer, head on over to the Microsoft web site (link), and upgrade to the latest and greatest.
Windows Media Player 10 clearly has a predilection for supporting Microsoft’s WMA files, as it can create regular WMA, variable bit rate WMA, and WMA Lossless files. In fact, it is one of the few programs that can create the variable bit rate, and lossless WMA variants.
Previous versions of Windows Media Player did not offer MP3 creation. In this latest iteration, there is limited MP3 creation support. It offers only the following four bit rates: 128, 192, 256, 320. They are all constant bit rate settings, with no variable bit rate support for MP3’s. Also, there is no support for the 160 kbps rate which is our recommendation. In short, it is behind the times, and there are better options for MP3 creation out there which offer a lot more options.
iTunes
I find it ironic, that one of the better programs to rip your audio on a PC, is Apple’s iTunes. Sure, it’s great for interfacing with your shiny, white iPod, but why use it to rip tracks? Well, like everything else Apple touches, it just plain works. In fact, I don’t own an iPod, and still like it better than Windows Media Player.
The latest version of iTunes is version 6. You can download it easily off Apple’s website. You don’t need to be a dedicated iPod hacker to figure out that they give the software away to sell more tracks from their iTunes store, and at 99 cents a track business is quite good from what I hear (850 million tracks sold at latest count).
However, hidden in iTunes is one of the better MP3 encoders out there. I say hidden, because it is found under the edit heading, by selecting preferences. Under preferences, it is the advanced tab. Under the advanced tab, it can be found under the tab of importing. I’m sure they hid this so that at least some users will give up, and buy the song from iTunes rather than import it from the CD they already own.
Users who wade through all those steps will find that the default setting is for Apple’s AAC encoder. However, it can be changed to create MP3’s instead. Under the custom setting, you can set up to create MP3’s of a full variety of bit rates, including the most popular 128, 160, and 192 bit rates. In addition, they can be created in either the constant, or the newer variable bit rate settings.
While it is a chore to find it, users will be rewarded with one of the better optioned rippers out there. I recommend this to Windows folks, even if they’re permanently saving up for an iPod (I’ll buy one when I can get 40 GB for less than $200), and don’t plan to purchase anything from the iTunes store.
In Part Six, we'll look at some less popular alternatives for your music creation.
Part One: An Introduction
Part Two: MP3's
Part Three: Windows Media Audio
Part Four: OGG, AAC, and a Preliminary Verdict
Part Five: Popular Software
Part Six: Conclusion & Links To Software
posted by digitaldoc at 11:29 AM
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