Learn Vista - Ripping Music From CD Using Windows Media Player 11

By using Windows Media Player 11, you can copy (rip) digital media content from an audio CD (an album or selected tracks) into your computer. You can also convert the content into different file format.

To rip media files from an audio CD:

1. Run Windows Media Player.

2. Now i think it's a good idea to choose a format and a bit rate you'd like to use for your files before perform ripping. So, click the down-arrow below the Rip tab, then click Format to choose a format you want, or click Bit Rate to choose bit rate for your copied files.

There are six file formats options you can choose. Here are some explanations about them:
- Windows Media Audio. This is the default format. It provides the balance level between file size and sound quality. Its file extension is .WMA.
- Windows Media Audio Pro. It's same with Windows Media Audio except it reduce the files size optimally without loosing sound quality. It suits cellphone and other devices with low storage capacity. But you'll find not all devices can support this format. Its file extension is .WMA.
- Windows Media Audio (Variable Bit Rate). You can try this format if you got problem using Windows Media Audio Pro. Its file extension is .WMA.
- Windows Media Audio Lossless. This format will increase sound quality optimally, as well as file size. Its file extension is .WMA.
- MP3. This is a familiar format. It has good compression and good sound quality. Many audio softwares and devices support it. Its file extension is .MP3.
- WAV (Lossless). This is the standard of audio file format developed by Microsoft and IBM. The file created with this format has high audio quality but with big file size. Its file extension is .WAV.

About Bit Rate, it is the number of bits transferred per unit of time. Rather complicated to understand, isn't it? But the necessary things you should know, the bigger bit rate you use, so the better audio quality and bigger file size you'll get.

3. Place the music CD into the drive, and then click the Rip tab.

4. If WMP automatically performs ripping, click the Stop Rip button. Then select any tracks which you want to copy (rip) and you don't want to copy.

5. After making selections, then click Start Rip button to start ripping.

6. After the ripping process finishes, you can exit the CD. Then you can find and play the ripped music from the Library tab.