Rip Internet Radio (Audio Streaming)?

Infopackets Reader 'theMick37' writes:

" Dear Dennis,

There is so much great info on your web site! Thanks for that. I was wondering if there is any programs (freeware preferred) that can record Internet radio [audio]? I have WinAmp and there are some great radio stations. I'd like to record the audio to my hard drive so I can listen to that same music later or in WinAmp later on. Thanks for any information you can provide. "

My response:

According to zdNet.com, "recording Internet radio still remains in legal limbo, and there's some precedent for it being legal, since you can record regular broadcast radio." (Source: zdNet.com).

Now that you know the legal standpoint, I'll pass on some goodies that I was able to find using Google. For WinAmp specifically, I found a plugin called "StreamRipper". From the web site:

" Streamripper is an open-source (GPL) plug-in for Winamp 3 that connects to streaming MP3 servers such as Shoutcast and records tracks to your hard drive as individual files. With the emergence of file-sharing protocols such as Napster and Gnutella, the average Internet user now can download nearly any MP3 file quickly and easily. Streamripper, however, allows you to download an entire music station from the Internet. After installation, this plug-in can be activated in the Preferences menu of your Winamp player. "

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=6172

http://streamripper.sourceforge.net/

I also found an audio stream ripper called SilentBob. It's a pretty nifty utility, but hasn't been updated in 4 years and might not suit your every need. From the web site:

" Silent Bob is a pure recording application. It runs in the background and records all incoming music from the soundcard. When the user decides to record and pushes the button, no problem Silent-Bob has already started the recording 2 minutes earlier. "

And, after more digging, I found a program called a shareware program called 3D MP3 Sound Recorder. About.com gave this one a 9 out of 10 (the highest in their list of comparisons) because it does the most, and most importantly: in can record sound directly into MP3 format (which keeps the sound files small). From the web site:

" 3D MP3 Sound Recorder (Audio Playback Recorder) is a sound recorder software with a 3D interface that allows you to create digital files from any audio that can be played through your computer’s sound card, regardless of the audio source. This allows recording from external microphones, the line-in jack, the computer CD drive, Internet radio stations, movies, games, etc. These files may be saved in WAV or MP3 format, as desired. Files are created 'on-the-fly', in real time and no temporary files are created. The files are easily played back on common applications such as RealPlayer, WinAmp, Media Player, etc. without problem. The program also includes its own WAV/MP3 player for immediate validation of recorded files. "

For more information, refer to our article on 3D MP3 Sound Recorder:

3D MP3 Sound Recorder Review