What's the best file format to rip CDs?
Is it worth ripping CD to FLAC?
What's the best way to rip CDs?
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best file format to rip CDs?
Is it worth ripping CD to FLAC?
What's the best way to rip CDs?
Frequently Asked Questions
HD audio file conversion and CD ripping
Audio Basis - articles about audio
Read an easy explanation by audio software developer Yuri Korzunov:
CD ripping allows audio data extraction from a compact disk on a low level of access. These data may be extracted without losses.
Rip CD means copy tracks from a compact disk to computer audio files.
Audio CD contains several tracks (songs). A ripping software can extract music from each track into individual sound files.
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 CD 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.
Further, these data may be converted to other formats and resolutions of your choice. It can be improved by sound quality in some cases...
Lossless files may be recommended as the best format to rip CD:
"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 number 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".
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...
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...
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:
In instance, iTunes can't play FLAC.
Or some players can't display WAV metadata.
General recommendations:
NOTE: When converting to AIFF for iTunes, in AuI ConverteR in Settings > Metadata > check "Compatibility metatags with iTunes" switch.
Read more about audio formats...
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.
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.
Rip CD means reading data from compact disk and saving them into computer files. In instance, audio CD ripping produce musical file formats.
If you rip CDs properly, you get advantages:
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).
Yes. CD-audio optical disk contains lossless PCM audio stuff.
CD ripping affect to errors into the ripped files. It may be audible. Read more...
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...
Lossless ripping is storing of original CD-audio content into a music file. The file format should be lossless.
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...
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).
FLAC is a lossless format. It's capable to keep CD-audio content without losses.
However, FLAC is capable of support high-resolution audio (up to 32-bit / 384 kHz), which may give sound quality advantages. Read details...
In general case, losless formats (.flac, .wav, .aiff, etc. are recommended). Read more...
Losless formats (FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and others) are recommended for CD ripping. Read more...
Yes. CD can be ripped to FLAC without losses.
FLAC is good choise to rip CDs, because it's lossless format and support metadata.
WAV is more recommended to keep original sound quality. mp3 is more compatible by metadata displaying with audio player software and hardware.
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.
FLAC and WAV are the identical by sound quality. However, FLAC provides better metadata support.
Read more...
The best formats for audio quality is lossless formats. Read details...
The best formats to rip CD is lossless formats. FLAC, AIFF, ALAC are recommended due to good support of metadata (information about a song). Read more...
An audio CD contains audio data, packed losslessly at 44.1kHz / 16bit. Lossless formats (WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC) are capable to store the CD's musical data "as is". Read more...
However, further, you can optimize ripped audio-file resolution to your DAC...
Native audio CD format is 44.1kHz / 16bit. CDs may be copied to audio files WAV and FLAC without losses.
The audio content may be optimized for your DAC later.
Also, you can compress size more via coding to lossy files (AAC, mp3, etc.).
You can rip CD via computer software, that is called CD ripper.
Read step-by-step audio ripping guide...
To convert CD to FLAC on Windows and Mac read step-by-step guide...
Read CD ripping [Mac and Windows] step-by-step guide...
You can rip files from an audio CD according to the manual...
Fastest way to rip CD is reading with minimum checking of CD ripping errors. Read details...
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...
You can rip a CD in lossless format in Windows and Mac with this manual...
CDs may be ripped to FLAC according to the guide...
To rip CD-audio to mp3 read step-by-step guide...
Read guide: how to choose the best CD ripper...
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...
Program to rip CDs should provide reading of an audio compact disk with minimum errors. Read details...
WAV, ALAC, AIFF music formats are recommended for ripping CDs in iTunes.
To keep sound quality and metadata, the most recommended formats to rip audio in iTunes are:
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...
No. You can use an alternative way under Mac OS...
Lossless formats contain music in original sound quality. Recommended formats when audio is ripped in Windows Media Player are:
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...
Important options of a CD ripper are abilities:
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.
No. On the moment of the aswer to the question, Audacity can't rip CDs [latest state].
Read more CD ripping F.A.Q. >
