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Introduction |
| An MP3 ripper is a software program that
takes audio from a CD, extracts it, and converts it to MP3 all in
one process. These are also commonly known as ripper and encoder combos.
CD rippers, digital audio extractors (DAE), and cd grabbers are essentially
the same thing. They all take audio from CD but may or may not convert
it to MP3. |
| How do they work? |
There are two ways that rippers get audio
from CD; digital extraction and analog extraction.
Digital extraction is the most accurate method as it seeks to take
the exact data on a CD and copy it to your hard drive before encoding
to MP3. There are routines that developers can add to check and double
check the accuracy of the rip.
Analog extraction records the audio as it is played through the computer's
sound card. Accuracy is dependant on the quality of the sound card
and if the CD-ROM reads the audio correctly in light of dust, scratches,
and other defects. This is the least accurate of the two methods but
is one way to copy audio from newer CDs that are copy protected. |
| Where can I get
FREE MP3 Rippers? |
| You can find them for free in our mp3
converter freeware directory or you can try out a ton more in
our shareware
category. Shareware programs allow you to download and try programs
for free, often for 30 days before you decide to buy. These programs
are often developed and supported better than freeware since most
people don't like to work for free. |
