The ABCs of ripping CDs and downloading music
If you've ever wondered what people mean when they say they've "ripped a few CDs" or "downloaded some new music," don't worry. You're not alone. There are all kinds of people looking for an introduction to the new ways to find, buy, and listen to music.
Ripping CDs
The curious term rip refers to the process of copying songs from an audio CD. During the ripping process, the songs are copied from the CD to your computer, where they are saved in a file format that your computer can read.
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| Ripping a CD in Windows Media Player |
Windows Media Player is one program that you can use to rip CDs. It's included in nearly every edition of Windows and it lets you easily rip your songs into two of the most popular file formats: Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3. Other programs let you rip songs into other file formats.
So, what's the point of ripping a CD? After you rip your CDs, you'll be able to:
| • | Put your discs away for safekeeping and listen to music on your computer without touching the original CDs. If you have a laptop computer, you have the added benefit of being able to take all of your music with you wherever you bring your PC. |
| • | Find any song, artist, or album on your computer in seconds: no more hunting through your stacks of CDs in vain. |
| • | Sync your favorite songs to a portable MP3 player so you can enjoy your tunes wherever you go. |
| • | Burn custom mix CDs to play in your car or home stereo. |
For more information about ripping CDs in Windows Media Player, see Rip music from a CD.
Downloading music
If you want to find some new music to listen to, try downloading a song or an entire album from an online store. One of the nice things about Windows Media Player is that it lets you download songs (and audio books and movies) from a wide range of stores.
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| Downloading songs from Napster in Windows Media Player |
If the store you're interested in isn't available from within Windows Media Player, you might have to install additional software that works specifically with that store. For example, if you have a Zune device and you want to use the Zune Marketplace store, you'll need to install Zune software.
Buy vs. rent
Nearly every online store lets you buy individual songs. When you buy a song, the store typically gives you the right to play it on your computer, burn it to an audio CD, and sync it to a compatible portable music player.
Some stores, such as Napster, also give you the option of renting just about every song in their entire catalog for a monthly fee. Depending on the store and the type of subscription account you set up, you might have the right to play, download, and sync all the music you want each month. However, you won't be able to burn any of the rented songs to an audio CD (you'd have to buy the songs to do that). Also, if you cancel your monthly subscription, you won't be able to play any of the songs that you haven't purchased.
If you're a music buff, a subscription plan can be a great deal because it gives you access to millions of songs for about the price of a single CD each month. It's a convenient and economical way to explore a wide range of musical styles and artists from the past and the present.
For more information about downloading songs in Windows Media Player, see Shop online in Windows Media Player.
If your computer is running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate, you can also use the Windows Media Center feature to access certain online stores and other music services. For more information, see Browse, stream, and download digital media from Online Media in Windows Media Center.
Burn
To copy files to a recordable CD.
Synchronization
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Synchronization
In Windows Media Player, the process of maintaining digital media files on a portable device based on the rules in a partnership or actions specified by the user. This may require copying digital media files from a computer to a device, updating information on the device, or deleting files from the device.
Help and How-to
