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MUSIC.CNET.COM: CNET EDITORS' GUIDE TO MUSIC

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How to turn CDs into MP3 files

It's inevitable: One day, you'll find that downloading MP3s from the Internet just isn't enough. You'll want to start doing your own encoding--after all, who has better taste than you? One great reason to get into MP3 encoding is so that you can put together an online mix and send the location to your friends. But whatever your reason, you'll need to be able to encode MP3s for free and without a lot of undue hassle.

Required attention span: 1 minute to 3 minutes per song

Before you start, you'll need to gather these elements:

CDs
CD-ROM drive

Musicmatch Jukebox

	Follow these simple steps

Step one
Download and install Musicmatch Jukebox. There are other options, but at present it's the easiest way to encode MP3s at high quality without paying for registration.

Step two
Quit all other programs and run Musicmatch. Allow the software to perform whatever diagnostic tests it wants to on your CD-ROM drive and system. The more accurately it knows the read speed of your drive and your computer's system resources, the better it will be at ripping your CDs.

Step three
Click the Record button on the player to open the encoder and insert an audio CD into the CD-ROM drive. Musicmatch will sync up with the CDDB to find the names of the tracks, which will be automatically turned into ID3 tags in the MP3s you're making. This makes them easy to identify after they're converted.

Step four
Go to the Options menu and choose Recorder/Settings. In the Recording Quality section, choose the bit rate at which you want to record. For CD-quality sound, we recommend setting the bit rate at 128Kbps (or higher if you think better sound is worth larger file sizes).

Step five
Check the boxes next to the tracks you want to encode. Click the Record button to begin encoding. Don't use your computer for anything else while encoding, or else you risk adding skips to your MP3s.

Step six
After you're done encoding, the file is ready to be archived in your music collection, sent to friends, or uploaded to a Web page. See our "Next steps" section below for more info on how to do those things well.

	Next steps

Now that you've converted your CDs to MP3s, why not take them on the road? CNET's portable-audio page features the latest products available on the market.

Read CNET's review of Musicmatch Jukebox.

Tutorials

CNET's quick guide to free media jukeboxes
In the endless battle of the Windows-based PC vs. the Mac, at least one thing's for certain: if you're a Windows user, choosing the right audio jukebox software involves wading through a plethora of choices. Luckily, we're here to help you in your quest.

MP3 player buying guide
The MP3 player market covers a range of shapes, sizes, features, storage capacities, file formats, and download services. Amid such variety, how are you to choose? That's where we come in. This guide will help you pick the perfect player.

Which MP3 player is best for me?
These days, there are almost as many types of MP3 player as there are types of MP3 listener. Take our MP3 player personality test to find out which one suits you best.

Burn an audio CD
Online music stores let you pick out the exact songs you want, without leaving the comfort of your home. Just don't expect to get a CD out of it--you'll have to make that yourself. Find out how to do so with these step-by-step instructions for burning a CD from iTunes.

Turn your CDs into MP3 files
One great reason to get into MP3 encoding is so that you can put together an online mix and send the location to your friends. But whatever your reason, you'll need to be able to encode MP3s for free and without a lot of undue hassle.

Turn vinyl LPs into CDs
Turning your records into CDs is a great idea, and it's completely legal under the Fair Use provision of the American Home Recording Act.

Record an Internet radio show
Ever wish you could set up a timed recording for a radio show as you would for a TV show? If your favorite radio programs are available online, you can.

Burning Down the House: Ripping, Recording, Remixing, and More!
This book teaches you how to do all sorts of new stuff with your digital music, from setting up your own Internet radio station to remixing your favorite songs.

Music Center glossary

Spoof - To make a computer pretend to be someone else's computer by identifying itself using the same IP address as the victim's machine. In this way, it can be possible to pretend to be that person in many Internet protocols (posting to Usenet, sending ICQ messages, and so on).

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