Reader Recommendation: Exact Audio Copy Software

AT:HT Reader Jon wrote us:
I was reading your CD encoding post, and I thought I'd let you know that I went through the same thing last year. I had about 700 CDs to rip, and I found the best software to use is Exact Audio Copy (EAC).

Instead of paying money to batch rip them, I'd suggest just doing CDs as you surf the web. You don't even notice you're doing them, and in a couple of months time, you're done.

This article is old, long, and not very scannable, but it describes some of that you might go through. Good Luck!

Thanks, Jon, for the tip and the thorough description of the process in your post on the matter. Sounds like you found a good solution definitely worth sharing with our readers, especially anyone looking to do this ASAP.

- Image by Jake Sutton.

Comments (8)

How did you dispose (sell) all your CDs afterwards? I'm in the same boat but make it close to 4000 CDs to get rid of. :(

I've taken CDs and DVDs to Laurie's Planet of Sound in Lincoln Square. The payoff on CD's is very limited (maybe a couple of dollars apiece). With such a large number of CDs, it would add up to quite a bit. There may be better ways to get rid of them in large batches though. Maybe craigslist?

Keeping the CD means that you have a license for the music. If you get rid of the CD by selling it you are transferring the license to the purchaser of the CD and you no longer have the right to keep the MP3.

If you were to throw the CD away I'm not sure whether you'd be legal or not. Clearly you haven't transfered the license to someone else, but by the same token you can't prove that you had a license in the first place.

techgirllaura,

yeah I've talked to a few people on craigslist but it's not worth the money they offer ($1 per CD). I'm contemplating opening an amazon marketplace account, though the task is pretty daunting and I'd like another easier option. If it comes down to it, that's probably what I will do though.

TheRealCMJ,

No one is going to come and check if you actually own the original CDs (they never did with cassette tapes) unless if they catch you distributing them online. If you keep them on your hard drive or mp3 player and don't make them available to others, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Sure it might not be 100% legal but many things aren't.

joebelt - I don't know where you're at but I'd just take them to a local used record shop and sell 'em off. You probably won't get a ton of money per CD but then again you probably won't via Amazon either. If you have any rare or sought-after CDs (for whatever reason) maybe try selling those on eBay.

There's always lala.com, where you can trade CDs with others.

Exact Audio Copy is the most accurate ripping software out there for the PC, but it's not at all easy to use. It is however very powerful, and it's probably worth learning to use if you're going to rip a large library (a task you almost certainly don't ever want to repeat).

I do recommend using a lossless format to store your music, like FLAC, Windows Media Lossless or Apple Lossless. With 500GB hard drives going for around $120, it just doesn't make sense to rip to a lossy format like MP3 or AAC anymore. As a general rule you can fit somewhere between 2-3 average-length CDs in a gigabyte of space uncompressed, so a 500GB drive can hold around 1000 - 1500 discs. Using lossless compression that translates to around 2000 - 3000 CDs - more than even most avid collectors own.

After you've made a perfect copy of your CDs, you can then generate MP3 or AAC copies of your library for use on your iPod or other portable device. MediaMonkey is an incredible Windows music manager / player that makes it easy to manage huge music libraries, supports a wide range of media formats, works with iPods and other devices and allows you to make synchronized copies of your library in different formats with just a few mouse clicks. It's also great for managing metadata, like artist name, album name, track title, year and so forth.

You can even playback your library wirelessly using Apple's AirPort Express and the Remote Speakers Output Plugin designed for use in WinAmp (MediaMonkey supports most WinAmp plugins - an extensive library). The plugin also supports Keyspan's wireless remote for the AirPort Express, if your stereo is in a different room from your computer.

Let me tell ya, echoing sunspot's sentiment, Apple's AirPort Express is one of my favourite home electronic products I've purchased in the last couple of years. I've ditched my Harmon Kardon SoundSticks II's since having the option to wirelessly enjoy my music collection through the vintage Bang & Olufsen speakers instead of tinny desktop speakers.