CDA to MP3

You've only about a thousand different programs to choose from. My favorites are two freeware programs - Exact Audio Copy and CDex.

 

If you are using CDex then try this:

1: Pop your Alicia Keys CD into your drive and CDex should display the tracks in the main window. If not you need to select the drive from the drop-down at the top right.

2: If you want to have CDex automatically download the album info then you need to go to Options>Settings and select the "Remote CDDB" tab, enter a valid e-mail address, then go to the bottom left and check "Auto connect to remote CDDB", don't click OK yet!. Now click on the "Filenames" tab to set where you want CDex to save your MP3s. You can set a destination for both WAVs and MP3s depending on where you want them. Now click OK.

3: Cdex should be set to rip to MP3 by default so all you need to do now is look to the right and you'll see seven square tabs with little CDs on them. When you hold your cursor over each one a box shows up that tells you what it does. The one you want is the second one from the top. Click it and CDex should do its thing.

 

Sure. Just open CDex and then look to the top left for the "Convert" tab. The drop down should give you the option to re-encode already compressed files, WAV to compressed and compressed to WAV depending on what you want to do. When you pick one it will open a small browser window where you can pick the folder where your files are.

As far as MP3 versus WMA it depends on what you want. WMA will give you smaller file sizes but has built in DRM which limits what you can do with your files. If you want smaller file sizes I would recommend MusePack as a better alternative to WMA.

MP3 has a lot going for it. With variable bit rate encoding you can get good sound and MP3 is pretty much a universal audio format. All the portables play MP3 as well as newer decks for your car and newer standalone CD/DVD players.

I've never had any interest in WMA because it offers NOTHING you can't get as good or better in another format. I mainly use the LAME MP3 encoder at a high VBR or Monkey's Audio lossless codec.