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Q: I would like to convert my audiobook cassette to MP3 files and I have the hardware/software to do that.  What I would like to know is what you would recommend for a CD Ripper/Burner software so that I can put these files on a CD.  Most books are less than 10 hrs and would fit on one disk very nicely which would reduce my storage needs as compared to boxes of cassettes, not to mention hauling them around to listen to them.  I need something simple without alot of bells and whistles; preferably cheap.

– Crystal G.
Baker, Fla

A: The last sentence in your e-mail made the answer very simple for me, Crystal.  You can’t get cheaper than something you already have.  What I have in mind doesn’t have a whole lot of bells and whistles, and the chances are you’ve used it before.  I’m talking about Windows Media Player, or WMP for short.  Yes, the self-same “player” that is Windows’ default software for most audio and video files also has the ability to act as a CD ripper/burner, and it does a respectable job of it, all things considered.  For those of you unfamiliar with the terminology (and who didn’t attend my class on digital audio at the Fort Walton Beach Library a couple of weeks ago) “ripping” is the process of reading the digital audio encoded on a CD, and saving it as a file on your hard drive.  “Burning” on the other hand, is the process of taking files from your hard drive and writing them to a CD.

There are so many ways for WMP to be configured that you’re going to need to do a little exploring to figure some of this out, Crystal.  Start by launching a copy of WMP.  There are often shortcuts on the desktop and Quick Launch toolbar for it, but if you can’t find those, it’ll be on your Start menu.  If you don’t see a line near the top that says stuff like “Now Playing”, “Library”, “Rip”, “Burn”, and “Sync” you’ll need to get the player in that mode by selecting View->Full Mode.  To use WMP effectively to create discs, you’ll need to add your audio files to the “library” which WMP’s repository of media files that it can play and manipulate.  To get files in the library, select File->Add to Library… then click on “Advanced Options”.  Click “Add…” and select the location(s) where you have stored the MP3s you’ve created from your cassettes.  Once WMP has all your files in the library, you can manipulate them any way you like.  You’ll find the tools to create CDs on WMP’s “Burn” tab.  Just select the files you want from the library, and drag them to the “Burn List” on the right.  When you’re ready to create the disc, just click “Start Burn”.

One thing I’d encourage you to do is explore the possibility of using an MP3 player rather than CDs to make your audio portable.  There are some very good quality players available in the $30-$40 range that will hold 2-3 times what a CD will hold, all in a package that can disappear into a pocket or purse.  WMP even has tools built right in to help copy files out of your media library directly to many types of players.