How Do I Make MP3s?

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, again this is dependant upon your needs and your technological savvy. There are a variety of reasons to make MP3s (for archival purposes, personal listening, sharing, and distribution of personal music). Assess your situation. If you are just making MP3s for your personal use, you probably won't need to get into technical specs of your ripping software, nor will you need to go in and edit or remix your files. However, if you are making archival versions of LPs, rare and hard to find material, if you are trying to restore a long damaged track by removing hisses and pops, or if you are recording and distributing your own music, you'll want some serious software.

WARNING: If you are using ripping software manufactured prior to 1999, upgrade now!!! Pre-1999 software uses a codec that processes all sound through your sound card. Therefore, the digital source of the music (the CD) will be converted to analog through your sound card during the conversion process. This causes a loss in fidelity, and isn't nearly as efficient as a digital-to-digital process.

MP3s for the Beginner:
First off, think about when you bought your computer. If it is new, and came preloaded with a CD-R, odds are you have a good set of choices already loaded on your computer. Often, Easy CD Creator or Music Match come with most new systems. Each of these programs allows easy ripping of CDs. Easy CD Creator has the advantage in that it allows you to encode the MP3 from as low a 60 kbps to a high of 320 kbps. Both programs are at a loss in the fact that there are no editing functions accessible. For simple file sharing, these two programs allow you to encode MP3s with a simple click of the mouse.

Again, ripping and encoding programs are available throughout the Internet, some freeware, some shareware and some top shelf audio programs. If you have loftier goals, you need more in depth software.