Rip MP3 CD?

Infopackets Reader William G. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I've been enjoying your recent discussions on Audio CDs and MP3s in the newsletter.

Quick question: is there any way I can 'rip' an MP3 CD? I have many different programs but I am unable to find a way to recover or 'rip' MP3s back into my computer. Can you suggest anything that I can do? "

My response:

Just for clarification, the term 'rip' -- although loosely coined -- means to extract data from a CD or DVD that would otherwise be uncopyable without using a specialized ripping software.

For example: you cannot insert an audio CD into your computer and extract the music tracks without using some sort of ripping software to get the job done. Similarly, you cannot insert a DVD into your computer and extract the DVD movie without using specialized DVD ripping software, like DVD Cloner 2.

In your case, however, the files contained on your MP3 disc are stored in a computer-friendly, standardized "data CD format" and do not require specialized ripping software. All you need to do is copy the files from the CD to the hard drive using copy and paste (much like you would "drag and drop" a document from one folder to the other).

On the other hand: if you were looking to convert your MP3 files into a standard music CD [playable in a standard CD player], you would first need to convert the MP3 file over to WAV file format, then burn the WAV files using your favorite CD burning program.

Most CD burning programs today can convert MP3s to WAV automatically, but there are some that don't. Ashampoo CD Recording Suite can do the conversion process for you (plus much more) and is highly recommended if you're new to burning CDs. A full review, in-depth can be read online our site:

Ashampoo CD Burning Suite 4 Review