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Best Format to Rip CD Audio [Read Definitive Guide 2024]

Audio Basis - articles about audio


A CD ripper software extracts audio from compact disk to number formats of computer files. Some of them can cause quality losses. Is it critical or not?
CD-audio contains music in 44.1 kHz / 16-bit resolution. But audio devices have a higher audio resolution. Does it make sense to convert CD to high resolution?
Read an easy explanation what is the best format to rip CDs?
updated

Author: Yuri Korzunov,
Audiophile Inventory's developer with 25+ year experience in digital signal processing,
author of the articles that make audio easy for beginners
Watch and share: How to rip CD in safe mode
video about safe/secure audio ripping
 

 

Best Format to Rip CD Audio

 

 

 

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Why can ripping CDs be useful?

If you rip CDs properly, you can get advantages:

  • better compatibility audio files with ler players, smartphones, DAP, streamers/servers, smartTV, and other musical devices;
  • optimize audio to your DAC;
  • backup recording to avoid compact disk aging with losses.

 

Does ripping a CD ruin it?

CD ripping may cause an additional mechanical load to compact disk and CD drive in some work modes comparing ordinary reading.
However, the author has no information about CD-audio that was damaged during ripping.
In some rippers, you can set one-time reading and force 1x CD reading speed (see details).

 

Does ripping a CD erase it?

No. Audio compact disk may not be erased in ripping.

 

Does ripping a CD lose quality?

Ripping a CD may be done with or without quality losses. Read details below.

 

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How do I rip an audio CD to lossless or lossy files?

Rip CD means copying of audio from the disk to computer files. Audio compact disc contains several tracks (songs). A ripping software can extract music from each track into individual sound file.

To copying audio compact disc you need a CD drive. Now this device is dissapear from laptops and desktops. But, in instance, MacBook users expliore external USB dirives for a long time.

On Apple computers, builtin iTunes/Music software can rip the optical disc an put it in the music library in the lossless AIFF, ALAC or lossy AAC format. Last 2 ones are compressed.

CD doesn't contain song-info metadata. They may be obtained from one of online databases.

CD ripping time is over several minutes and depends on:

  • the disc state (scratches on the surface, deformations);
  • the ripping way.

As rule, more safe algorithms works longer with the optical disc, because multiple re-readings occur. Some rippers can estimate reading process and decrease rotation speed.

In instance, AuI ConverteR software has 2 modes:

  • safe,
  • fast.

Fast mode is used for CDs that appear to be in good condition. But, we can't estimate it exactly. So, the safe mode is preferable. In both modes, rotation speed maybe decreased for better reading.

If you want to know in details, what happens when you rip a CD, you can read the guide...

How to rip CD losslessly or lossy, you can read in this detailed manual...

 

 

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What is the best quality to rip CDs?

To rip a CD in the highest quality, audio extraction should be done on a low access level. These data may be copied without losses.

But ripping is not 100% safe. Wrong data reading from a compact disk is possible. The best CD-ripping software for audiophiles should detect compact disk errors as well as possible.

And, some CD-rip software can recover audio data. It allows for avoiding music interruptions, pauses, skips, clicks, that may arise.

The first aim of compact-disc ripping is maximally qualitative copying of CD-audio data to sound files. It means no altering of music binary content. In this case, target file resolution is 44.1 kHz / 16 bit (lossless CD ripping).

Further, these data may be converted to other formats and resolutions of your choice. It can be improved by sound quality in some cases...

 

Should I rip CDs to MP3 or FLAC?

If you want to rip in the original sound quality, use FLAC format. To save hard disc space, use mp3 format. In the last case you can lose some audio information. But it may not be critical for the given case.

 

 

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What is the best file format to rip an audio CD?

What best CD rip format

When ripping a CD, lossless files are suggested as the best format:

 

What "lossless", "losslessly" means?

In instance, we have original digital music consists a number sequence: [1, 3, 9].

To reduce file size, we know how to write the source sequence as shorter one: [5, 6].

It allows saving computer file size where these numbers are stored. So we have more free space on a computer hard disk (file size compression).

When we play the compressed file, we convert [5, 6] back to original sequence [1, 3, 9].

The uncompressed original sequence is sent to digital-to-analog converter device for listening.

What is the best audio format for sound quality? All these formats are identical in binary audio content and are able to keep the full CD's sound quality.

FLAC and ALAC store compressed data. And we cannot directly compare binary content WAV and FLAC, in instance. But we can pack WAV1 to FLAC, unpack FLAC to WAV2 and compare the binary content of WAV1 and WAV2. If conversion software works correctly and without sound processing, the binary content will be identical.

There is an opinion, that lossless compression (like FLAC) can degrade sound when playback (as discussed here). In that case was implemented so-called "uncompressed FLAC". But the author still doesn't know about professional researches FLAC vs. "uncompressed FLAC".

 

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Tips

Tip #1. What about sound quality improvement?

As rule, your audio system (Digital Audio Player, home audio, mobile phone, DAC or others) supports sample rates higher than 44.1 kHz / 16 bit. And you want to ask: can I get better sound quality via upsampling to maximal sample rate and bit depth of my audio system?

Theoretically, upsampling can't improve sound quality. Contrarily, it causes some small losses (distortions; its level depends on used conversion software). But, when we consider this matter in conjunction with used equipment, we can get another result. Read details...

 

Tip #2. Does it make sense to apply dithering to ripped audio files?

In the general case, not. But for some recordings, special dithering can reduce the impact of correlated distortions, that degrade a sound, theoretically.

Dither applying can cause a higher noise level. Apply dither according to your taste.

NOTE: Dithering estimating on the lowest-loudness levels of a recording is encouraged.

Read more about dithering...

 

Tip #3. Which lossless audio format is the best?

If referring to sound quality, any lossless audio format (lossless or not) is the same to CD's 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.

However, audio player software compatibility issues are probable:

  • file type;
  • metadata.

In instance, iTunes can't play FLAC.

Or some players can't display WAV metadata.

Watch and share: FLAC versus WAV comparison
video: FLAC versus WAV comparison
 

General recommendations:

  • use FLAC files;
  • if you use iTunes, convert FLAC to ALAC or AIFF;
  • if you play AIFF on iTunes, use the compatible type of AIFF metadata.

NOTE: When converting to AIFF for iTunes, in AuI ConverteR in Settings > Metadata > check "Compatibility metatags with iTunes" switch.

 

iTunes compatibility

 

AIFF compatibility iTunes

Read more about audio formats...

 

Tip #4. Is there a difference between CD rippers?

For most compact disks, the difference is no there.

When a CD is damaged, different CD rippers (in conjunction with CD drive) can give different error numbers in converted audio files.

 

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Metadata

When a compact disk is ripped, track metadata (song, performer name, etc.) may be queried from an Internet database. So the target format must be storing metadata capable. All formats, mentioned in the article, is capable of metadata.

When you use iTunes on Mac, ripping to AIFF, ALAC is recommended, because both formats able to support metadata, that can be read by iTunes software.

When you use Windows or other Mac audio playback software to listen to ripped files, you have many options that have no issues with metadata for WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC.

When you use WAV format, the issue with the impossibility of metadata reading is more probable. As rule, more playback software/hardware have FLAC metadata compatibility. You can prefer uncompressed FLAC if you more like uncompressed storing of audio data.

 

Best Format to Rip CD Audio Conclusions

 

 

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What is the best format for ripping CDs? Conclusions

  1. The best format for ripping CDs is lossless files WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC. Why? To unlock perfect sound read our ultimate guide from the beginning.
  2. CD ripping may be performed with errors. If you have a ripping seance, that was performed without reported issues, it is recommended to backup the ripped files. Read the full CD ripping guide...
  3. Ripping to lossless formats is recommended for future conversion to other formats and resolutions. In the future may appear more qualitative audio converters and lossy formats.
  4. As rule, FLAC has a lesser probability of issues with reading metadata (song, performer name, etc.). But for iTunes compatibility, AIFF and ALAC are recommended.
  5. If you prefer FLAC due to better metadata compatibility than WAV, but you don't sure that FLAC sounds better than WAV, you can choose "uncompressed FLAC".

 

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

The best CD rip format FAQ

 

 

F.A.Q. sound quality

 

 

Are CDs lossless?

Yes. CD-audio optical disk contains lossless PCM audio stuff.

 

Does ripping a CD affect quality?

CD ripping affect to errors into the ripped files. It may be audible. Read more...

 

What is the best quality to rip CD?

A CD ripping software is capable to extract audio data from CD-audio without altering in 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.

CD-rippers should be considered together with a CD-drive device always. The quality of a CD-ripper is the ability to read sound data with minimal errors. Some CD rippers can recover damaged data. But the recovering haven't 100% guarantee.

Watch video for details...

Further, you can try to improve playback sound quality of ripped audio files...

 

What is lossless rip?

Lossless ripping is storing of original CD-audio content into a music file. The file format should be lossless.

 

Is ripping a CD lossless always?

No. CD ripping is lossless in stage of reading from CD (original content). Further a ripping software can apply lossy or lossless compressing to the original ripped audio data.

However, reading errors can appears in the ripping. There are ways trying to fix it. Read more...

 

What the best way to rip CDs losslessly?

Use CD ripping software rip audio data to WAV, FLAC, AIFF, etc. If you want to keep compact-disk content, use sampling rate 44.1 kHz and bit depth 16 bit. Turn off any digital signal processing (DSP).

 

Is FLAC better than CD?

Is FLAC CD quality or better? FLAC is a lossless format. It's capable to keep CD-audio content without losses.

Also, FLAC supports high-resolution audio (up to 32-bit / 384 kHz), which may give sound quality advantages. Read details...

 

What format should I rip my CDs?

In general case, losless formats (.flac, .wav, .aiff, etc. are recommended). Read more...

 

Can a CD be ripped to FLAC?

Yes. CD can be ripped to FLAC without losses.

 

Should I rip CDs to FLAC?

FLAC is good choise to rip CDs, because it's lossless format and support metadata.

 

Should I rip CDs to MP3 or WAV?

WAV is more recommended to keep original sound quality. mp3 is more compatible by metadata displaying with audio player software and hardware.

 

Should I rip CDs to MP3 or WMA?

WMA can provide lossless codec. However, for better compatibility FLAC or WAV are recommended.

mp3 is lossy format, but it's very popular and compatible with wider range of music devices.

 

Which is better WAV or FLAC?

Should you rip CDs to WAV or FLAC? FLAC and WAV are the identical by sound quality. However, FLAC provides better metadata support.

Read more...

 

What is the best format for audio quality?

The best formats for audio quality is lossless formats. Read details...

 

 

 

 

F.A.Q. CD-ripping and software

 

 

How can I rip a CD to my computer?

You can rip CD via computer software, that is called CD ripper.

Read step-by-step audio ripping guide...

 

How do I rip a CD to FLAC in Windows 10?

To convert CD to FLAC on Windows and Mac read step-by-step guide...

 

What is the fastest way to rip CDs?

Fastest way to rip CD is reading with minimum checking of CD ripping errors. Read details...

 

Why is CD ripping so slow?

If CD ripping is slow, it may means, that CD reading errors are analyzed and fixed (if the CD ripper is capable to it). Read details...

 

How do I rip a CD in lossless format?

You can rip a CD in lossless format in Windows and Mac with this manual...

 

How do I rip CDs to FLAC?

CDs may be ripped to FLAC according to the guide...

 

 

How do I rip a CD to mp3 in Windows 10?

To rip CD-audio to mp3 read step-by-step guide...

 

What is the best program for ripping CD to mp3?

Read guide: how to choose the best CD ripper...

 

What is the best program to rip CD?

Best CD ripper should provide minimum errors of reading of audio data from a compact disk. As rule, no public comparison by the criteria. However, you can do it right at home. Read more...

 

What is the best program to rip CDs?

Program to rip CDs should provide reading of an audio compact disk with minimum errors. Read details...

 

What is the best format to rip CD in iTunes?

To keep highest sound quality and metadata, the most recommended formats to rip audio in iTunes are:

  • ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) or
  • AIFF.

ALAC has a lesser file size than AIFF.

Read an audio format review...

Further, you can try to improve playback sound quality of ripped audio files...

 

Can iTunes rip CD to FLAC?

No. You can use an alternative way under Mac OS...

 

What is the best format to rip CD in Windows Media Player?

Lossless formats contain music in original sound quality. Recommended formats when audio is ripped in Windows Media Player are:

  • FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec),
  • ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec),
  • Lossless WMA;
  • WAV.

FLAC and ALAC have wide support of metadata.

If you need a minimum size, use mp3 or wma (lossy).

Read more about audio formats...

Also, try to improve sound quality when audio file playback...

 

Is Windows Media Player good for ripping CDs?

Important options of a CD ripper are abilities:

  • detect ripping error;
  • recover ripping error.

The author doesn't know, what the ripper to do inside. However, you can rip the same CDs with different audio rippers and check the number of detected and recovered (if this option is available) errors. It is desirable when CD ripper report about found errors.

NOTE: Errors may be detected but be inaudible.

For most CDs, ripper software does not matter. But for damaged CD, we can get different results for different CD ripper.

Also, your CD-drive device is a matter of ripping quality.

 

Can audacity rip CDs?

No. On the moment of the aswer to the question, Audacity can't rip CDs [latest state].

 

 

Read more CD ripping F.A.Q. >

 

 


Related articles

 

  1. What the best CD ripping software >
  2. Rip Audio CD [Frequently Asked Questions] >
  3. How to rip CDA to mp3 >
  4. CD to FLAC converter >
  5. Safe CD ripping technology >
  6. What is lossless audio? >

 

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