Ripping Music from CDs
One of the most common problems that Songstall Artists mention to us is that they don't know how to create MP3 files from their old demo CDs. If that's you, don't worry- this guide will explain how to get a set of MP3 files from your CD.
1: Open Windows Media Player
We are going to use Windows Media Player to Rip the CD. "Ripping" is where the program very quickly plays the CD to itself and creates the files. You won't hear the music, but the computer will extract the tracks and create the MP3s.
This program is available on most Windows PCs, and is easily accessible from the Start Menu.
Find it, and open it.
2: Check the Options
Now find the "More Options" section, by clicking on the little white arrow under any of the tabs (e.g. Library or Rip) and selecting "More Options...".
3: Select the Format
On the options box, select the "Rip" tab. Where is says "Format", select MP3. You could use other formats, but Songstall accepts MP3s, so it is best to use these. You can choose the Quality setting yourself- Songstall accepts all qualities. But bear in mind that better quality = larger files = slower uploads.
4: Set the location
Now you need to check the location setting- this is the folder into which the program will create the MP3 files. So you know where to find them!
Select a location that you can find! I've used my Music folder.
5: Go to the Rip Tab
Go to the Rip tab!
The program will scan the CD and show you a list of tracks. It is likely that the computer will be unable to find the song names, but don't worry- you can rename them if you like.
Put a tick next to which tracks you would like to Rip, and then click the "Start Rip" button.
6: Rip!
In this example, I am ripping the first 3 songs on the disc. The computer has been able to find the names of the tracks, and has named them accordingly.
7: Find the files!
Go to the location you specified in the settings, and check that the files are there.
In this example, the folder and files have been created in my Music folder.
If your CD did not show up with track names, then they will probably be in a folder called "Unknown Artist". You can rename this once the rip has finished.
You now have a new set of MP3 files! Get them uploaded onto Songstall now!