converting CDs to digital media (1 Viewer)

[Osaurus]

As someone who long ago ripped a couple of thousand CDs to MP3 and then followed a few years later to flac and then placed them on a media server to serve up to TVs and cell phones (which is still running), I'd say don't bother. Unless you get satisfaction in collecting things and maintain such collections, there is no payoff in 2024. I'd recommend to give up the fight and enjoy the benefits that streaming services offer. While on the music side others might be better able to address this, I think at least some of the music services allow you to supplement their offerings with your obscure stuff. That would be for me the only reason to rip anything in 2024.

I converted everything and serve it up on a poor man's NAS (hard drive attached to router). I can access it anywhere I have an innerwebs connection.

 

[belljr]

I'm sure Andy will give you some HD DVDs..... too soon?

 

[SWC]

if you want the ladies convert those things to 8 track like i said when i bought my first player once you go 8 track you never go back take that to the bank bromigos

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I'm sure Andy will give you some HD DVDs..... too soon?

I sold my HD-DVD player to a FBG the week before the bottom fell out. He bought the ticket. He knew what he was getting into.

I am currently re-purchasing several of my favorite movies on 4k though.

 

[belljr]

I'm sure Andy will give you some HD DVDs..... too soon?

I sold my HD-DVD player to a FBG the week before the bottom fell out. He bought the ticket. He knew what he was getting into.

I am currently re-purchasing several of my favorite movies on 4k though.

It's all in jest. Yes I still remember the discussion from teh olden days lol

 

[Peggy]

As someone who long ago ripped a couple of thousand CDs to MP3 and then followed a few years later to flac and then placed them on a media server to serve up to TVs and cell phones (which is still running), I'd say don't bother. Unless you get satisfaction in collecting things and maintain such collections, there is no payoff in 2024. I'd recommend to give up the fight and enjoy the benefits that streaming services offer. While on the music side others might be better able to address this, I think at least some of the music services allow you to supplement their offerings with your obscure stuff. That would be for me the only reason to rip anything in 2024.

Same. I do a fair amount of home video producing so I'll go grab an appropriate mp3 to splice together with video shots. But other than that the millions of songs on my server never get played. It's just too much and isn't manageable anymore. We just listen to the radio stations or say "Alexa play 80s" which is the equivalent of listening to a radio station. We've come full circle with music collecting.

 

[Sand]

Yeah, at this point, using a music streaming service just seems like a no brainer. You'll have access to everything you own plus millions more, no need to go through time and hassle of converting everything, in a simplified interface that works with everything.

Since we are heavy into the Amazon ecosystem (Echos and Alexa, etc, Amazon Prime), doing Amazon Unlimited is a no brainer for us.

Amazon does a lot right but the music app sucks balls.

 

[Rand al Thor]

You all make fun of us old dinosaurs, but I'm with the OP. I've burned my entire CD collection and have everything stored on a wallet sized external SSD. I've also got an iPod classic and it plugs directly into my car's aux in jack and I just listen to everything through there. I'm not necessarily against streaming, but I get the whole "I've already paid for it and have everything I want so why should I pay 12 bucks a month" argument. Also, I've got an original copy of Body Count's first CD with Cop Killer on it. Go ahead and try to find that on your commie streaming service. And again, make fun of us all you want, but when I sell my Rod Stewart Live double cassette for 8 bucks on ebay, who's going to be laughing then? Believe it or not, cassettes are making a comeback. And so are CDs.

 

[Sand]

If you rip music you can load it into YouTube music. My whole collection is there. And it used to be free. Only problem is if I wanted to download i think I needed a monthly fee. All my music is currently on my Chromebook

this is one of the things i know is coming

i have the music on cassette/vinyl/cd. can't play cassettes and vinyl in a car. my car still has a cd player but it's malfunctioning. most cars don't have cd players in them anymore.

i've paid for the music. i can pay to have my current stock ripped to a cloud service and pay a fee up front and eventually a monthly fee.. and anytime that service decides, additional fees to move to a different service.. or even just to access what i'm already paying for. or the service shuts down without an easy way to move my music to a different platform and i lose some/most/all, wash, rinse, repeat.

in just the last, say, 20 years the "best" way to listen to music has changed, what, a dozen times? and every time people say "just switch, it's easy! it's the best new thing!". then 6 months later you have to move to another new service, etc. not interested in chasing. when the option no longer exists to listen to the music i like because the players don't exist, i just won't listen to music anymore

BTW, finding a good CD ripper is a maze. So many malware items out there. I use Freac. Not sure if it's the best, but it isn't scammy.

 

[The Z Machine]

I was afraid that was the answer. Have a decent collection of both CDs and DVDs which will be time consuming. Which is why I haven't and they are taking up space in bins in the garage

Pay a teenager to do it for you. Unless those DVDs aren't suitable for teenagers.

 

[The Z Machine]

If you rip music you can load it into YouTube music. My whole collection is there. And it used to be free. Only problem is if I wanted to download i think I needed a monthly fee. All my music is currently on my Chromebook

this is one of the things i know is coming

i have the music on cassette/vinyl/cd. can't play cassettes and vinyl in a car. my car still has a cd player but it's malfunctioning. most cars don't have cd players in them anymore.

i've paid for the music. i can pay to have my current stock ripped to a cloud service and pay a fee up front and eventually a monthly fee.. and anytime that service decides, additional fees to move to a different service.. or even just to access what i'm already paying for. or the service shuts down without an easy way to move my music to a different platform and i lose some/most/all, wash, rinse, repeat.

in just the last, say, 20 years the "best" way to listen to music has changed, what, a dozen times? and every time people say "just switch, it's easy! it's the best new thing!". then 6 months later you have to move to another new service, etc. not interested in chasing. when the option no longer exists to listen to the music i like because the players don't exist, i just won't listen to music anymore

BTW, finding a good CD ripper is a maze. So many malware items out there. I use Freac. Not sure if it's the best, but it isn't scammy.

I would probably load up a bootablebLinux distro and rip using a Linux application. Far less malware in that space.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Yeah, at this point, using a music streaming service just seems like a no brainer. You'll have access to everything you own plus millions more, no need to go through time and hassle of converting everything, in a simplified interface that works with everything.

Since we are heavy into the Amazon ecosystem (Echos and Alexa, etc, Amazon Prime), doing Amazon Unlimited is a no brainer for us.

Amazon does a lot right but the music app sucks balls.

Hmmm I don’t have any issues with it. Occasionally there’s a song or album I can’t find but for the most part they have everything I’m looking for

 

[kupcho1]

You all make fun of us old dinosaurs, but I'm with the OP. I've burned my entire CD collection and have everything stored on a wallet sized external SSD. I've also got an iPod classic and it plugs directly into my car's aux in jack and I just listen to everything through there. I'm not necessarily against streaming, but I get the whole "I've already paid for it and have everything I want so why should I pay 12 bucks a month" argument.

I think you're confusing dinosaur with cheapskate.
If you were a dinosaur, you'd be hand-cranking the old Victrola playing 1/4" think 78s, not using space age technology.
You're basically Save-a-Buck Rogers in the 25th century.

 

[Peggy]

If you rip music you can load it into YouTube music. My whole collection is there. And it used to be free. Only problem is if I wanted to download i think I needed a monthly fee. All my music is currently on my Chromebook

this is one of the things i know is coming

i have the music on cassette/vinyl/cd. can't play cassettes and vinyl in a car. my car still has a cd player but it's malfunctioning. most cars don't have cd players in them anymore.

i've paid for the music. i can pay to have my current stock ripped to a cloud service and pay a fee up front and eventually a monthly fee.. and anytime that service decides, additional fees to move to a different service.. or even just to access what i'm already paying for. or the service shuts down without an easy way to move my music to a different platform and i lose some/most/all, wash, rinse, repeat.

in just the last, say, 20 years the "best" way to listen to music has changed, what, a dozen times? and every time people say "just switch, it's easy! it's the best new thing!". then 6 months later you have to move to another new service, etc. not interested in chasing. when the option no longer exists to listen to the music i like because the players don't exist, i just won't listen to music anymore

BTW, finding a good CD ripper is a maze. So many malware items out there. I use Freac. Not sure if it's the best, but it isn't scammy.

If you rip music you can load it into YouTube music. My whole collection is there. And it used to be free. Only problem is if I wanted to download i think I needed a monthly fee. All my music is currently on my Chromebook

this is one of the things i know is coming

i have the music on cassette/vinyl/cd. can't play cassettes and vinyl in a car. my car still has a cd player but it's malfunctioning. most cars don't have cd players in them anymore.

i've paid for the music. i can pay to have my current stock ripped to a cloud service and pay a fee up front and eventually a monthly fee.. and anytime that service decides, additional fees to move to a different service.. or even just to access what i'm already paying for. or the service shuts down without an easy way to move my music to a different platform and i lose some/most/all, wash, rinse, repeat.

in just the last, say, 20 years the "best" way to listen to music has changed, what, a dozen times? and every time people say "just switch, it's easy! it's the best new thing!". then 6 months later you have to move to another new service, etc. not interested in chasing. when the option no longer exists to listen to the music i like because the players don't exist, i just won't listen to music anymore

BTW, finding a good CD ripper is a maze. So many malware items out there. I use Freac. Not sure if it's the best, but it isn't scammy.

I would probably load up a bootablebLinux distro and rip using a Linux application. Far less malware in that space.

Throughout the digital coming of age I found a great forum based website , coincidentally, that helped out a ton in figuring DVD and CD ripping/converting. Videohelp dot com. And most all the download links are direct without any malware crap. If there is malware it will tell in you the description. I still use the forum today for video editing and conversion help occasionally. I think most all of the main software I used back then still holds up to the test of time and some like Handbrake I still use today.

DVD Ripping: AnyDVD + DVDFab HD Decrypter

Video Conversion: Handbrake

CD Ripping: Exact Audio Copy

Audio File Conversion: dBpoweramp

Type any of those into the search at the website and it will take you to the download page that provides a full description, tells you if it's free/trialware/etc., and provides you a malware free link to download. Plus a whole forum full of guides and answers. Highly recommended.

 

[mr. furley]

If you rip music you can load it into YouTube music. My whole collection is there. And it used to be free. Only problem is if I wanted to download i think I needed a monthly fee. All my music is currently on my Chromebook

this is one of the things i know is coming

i have the music on cassette/vinyl/cd. can't play cassettes and vinyl in a car. my car still has a cd player but it's malfunctioning. most cars don't have cd players in them anymore.

i've paid for the music. i can pay to have my current stock ripped to a cloud service and pay a fee up front and eventually a monthly fee.. and anytime that service decides, additional fees to move to a different service.. or even just to access what i'm already paying for. or the service shuts down without an easy way to move my music to a different platform and i lose some/most/all, wash, rinse, repeat.

in just the last, say, 20 years the "best" way to listen to music has changed, what, a dozen times? and every time people say "just switch, it's easy! it's the best new thing!". then 6 months later you have to move to another new service, etc. not interested in chasing. when the option no longer exists to listen to the music i like because the players don't exist, i just won't listen to music anymore

BTW, finding a good CD ripper is a maze. So many malware items out there. I use Freac. Not sure if it's the best, but it isn't scammy.

 

[mr. furley]

guy, you could just sign up for Prime/Amazon/Youtube/(name one of 79 other services) at various price points, with various tiers of access, whose prices escalate resulting in gates to information unless you pay more, that might cease to exist at any time in favor of a new, obviously better service, that costs more but everybody is using it because they aren't lame... and don't forget to add a tip on top of your monthly bill... it's only $14.99 this month, $22.99 next month and $78.99 per month once the trial expires... and you can't ever actually cancel unless you pay an additional, undisclosed, fee due at cancellation and billed to your card without your consent but only people who are cheap don't willingly pay because it's, like, 2024, bro and iPhones are $5500 to buy outright.

just eat less and sleep in a tent at the park, bro. worth it.

 

[Peggy]

Just for info: Amazon's 100 million plus music selection is included with the cost of prime now so if you're a prime guy you have that, the catch is that the music is shuffled. For on demand whatever song you want when you want it, it's an additional $9.

 

[SWC]

you can put two boomboxes facing eachother and then hit record on one but man you better make sure everyone is really quiet because nothing ruins nickelbacks you remind me like mom yelling in the background that your underwear is in the dryer take that to the bank brohan

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

As for being cheap (and a dinosaur)

Oh, the days of staying up while one radio station played 6 album sides at Friday midnight and another played complete albums Saturday midnight (flipping and rewinding during the commercial was tight) being recorded on 4 for $1 Montgomery Wards cassettes.

 

[mr. furley]

you can put two boomboxes facing eachother and then hit record on one but man you better make sure everyone is really quiet because nothing ruins nickelbacks you remind me like mom yelling in the background that your underwear is in the dryer take that to the bank brohan

MA! THE MEATLOAF!

 

[snogger]

When I transferred my CD's, records and cassette tapes.. (Yea, yea I'm old.. Get off my lawn!) I setup my computer next to me while watching football/golf/nascar/etc.
Multitasking is your friend

 

[PIK95]

I still have a couple thousand CD's and DVD's fwiw. Just buy a new CD player for the car, no?

Yesterday in my garage, I was trying to hook up a bunch of old tape decks to my receiver. NONE of them worked. They may just need a cleaning or new belts, but I draw the line at tapes. I may just donate them to good will. The pioneer one is nice though. Love my vintage audio.

 

[mr. furley]

I still have a couple thousand CD's and DVD's fwiw. Just buy a new CD player for the car, no?

Yesterday in my garage, I was trying to hook up a bunch of old tape decks to my receiver. NONE of them worked. They may just need a cleaning or new belts, but I draw the line at tapes. I may just donate them to good will. The pioneer one is nice though. Love my vintage audio.

the thing about cassette tapes is that material wears thin over time and they become unplayable anyways. so many snarled cassettes. or ones that just straight up ripped in half. lost a lot of music that way.


eta: i think the car CD player just needs a good cleaning