The Problem – CDs Are an Outdated Format
Let’s face it. You really need to rescue your old CDs. While they are protected from dust by that nice Case Logic binder, they are likely to never see the light of day again. You probably don’t even remember half of your collection. If you are like me, you have been listening to music digitally for quite some time and haven’t used a CD player in years. That’s okay. I’m going to get you started on how to reclaim your music collection
The Solution – Rescue Your Old CDs
Many years ago, CDs were still the most popular way to listen to music. Vinyl, which is experiencing renewed popularity, was still considered dead. In the early age of digital music, I discovered the mp3 file format and started ripping, or converting, all of my CDs to digital files. I could listen to music on my computer!
This was before the advent of the iPod or any other portable digital music player. An enterprising person, I naturally built a portable mp3 player. It was really just a compact PC that fit under the seat of my car.
I have tried many different CD rippers over the years and I find fre:ac to be intuitive and easy to use. At this time, rather than recreate a tutorial for how to rip a CD to mp3 files, I will refer you to a good one that already exists. On most modern PC’s, you will be able to convert a standard CD to mp3 files in three or four minutes, sometimes less.
If your PC doesn’t have a CD-ROM Drive, check Amazon. Whatever you choose, look for a high rating and a USB 3.x Interface. There are many available for around $20 – well worth it.
The Payoff – Enjoy Your Music Collection
Once you rescue your old CDs, you are going to want to be able to listen to them. There are many ways to do this. On a PC, I recommend WinAmp. There are also a number of streaming options. For example, the free version of YouTube Music allows you to upload all of your mp3 files. It also allows you to stream them anytime you want for free. You can also use an old phone as a dedicated music player. If it takes an SD card for storage expansion, you can probably fit your entire music collection on it.
Have fun saving all of those old tunes you forgot even existed.
