Mp3 faq - make an MP3 from a CD

How do I make an MP3 from a CD?

You need a CD Ripper. The CD-Ripper or CD-Grabber will take the CD file and convert it into a WAV formated file.
Finally, you run a MP3 encoder over the WAV file to convert it into MP3 format.
The critical point in the process is to rip the files from cd digitally and not using analog methods. Rippers are digital. Microphones and LINEIN are analog. Try not to connect the audio out of your cd player into the IN line on your sound card or lots of sound quality is lost in the analog to digital conversion. Some rippers wont support your digital cd to sound card connection, and linein is your only choice.
To check if your CD is capable of digital ripping, try this page for a list of known compatible drives.

top of the page