How to Make MP3s

To make MP3s, you have to "rip" the song from the CD into a sound file and then "encode" it in the compressed MP3 format. Commercial software does this in one step, but Mac freeware does not.

Difficulty Level: medium     Time Required: 2 hrs.

1. Choose MP3 ripping/encoding software. For Windows, WinAmp is free. Others retail for $30-$50. Mac users can buy SoundJam or MPegger for a similar price.
2. Mac users opting for freeware must rip, encode and play with separate applications. Use Simple Text (yes, Simple Text) for ripping, and Blade Enc for encoding.
3. All software can be downloaded from links supplied on the "MP3" Netlinks page. There you'll also find links to other sites to do more research or get updates on what's out there.
4. To encode songs, simply insert a CD or CDR into your disc drive and follow the directions. Most apps are easy to use and default to the standard internet format: 128 bit stereo, 44.1 Mhz.
5. Mac users: To rip a song from a CD with Simple Text, make sure you have at least 30-50 Megs free on your target drive. Sound files are that big before you compress them.
6. Open Simple Text and choose "Open File" from the menu. Navigate to the track on the CD you want to open and choose it.
7. Dialog box will offer you the choice to "Convert" Go ahead. You can change the target directory but not the name of the file at this point.
8. Wait while Simple Text translates the track into a large sound file - a few minutes.
9. Open Blade Enc software. Choose encode from menu and then use the dialog box to navigate to and choose the newly created sound file. Default is the standard 128 bit stereo, 44.1Khz.
10. Wait while file is compressed. Make sure the filename has no spaces and ends with the extension .mp3 so that all applications will recognize it.
11. Now you're ready to upload your new MP3 files to the internet.

Notes:

1. Remember that idiots do this all the time.
2. Remember that it is illegal to sell, give away or upload MP3s of other people's copyrighted compositions.
3. It's always a good idea to test your MP3 files after you make them to make sure there were no encoding errors.
   

Related Features:

• How to Download and Play MP3s
• How to Upload MP3s to the internet
  

Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com