what exactly is a mp3 disc, and how do i make one?

Question

i need to make a disc for a jutebox i just bought.

the directions say it uses mp3 discs.

they seem to say this disc could hold over 100 songs.

how is this possible?

can i use windows media player?

can i take songs from cds i already own, save them to my computer in media player, and then change them to mp3 format?

since i'm asking, what exactly is a mp3 anyway?

basically, i just need directions... and i already own most of the songs i want on the original cds. i just need all the songs on this one disc now...

thanks much!

i need to make a disc for a jutebox i just bought. the directions say it uses mp3 discs. they seem to say this disc could hold over 100 songs.

how is this possible?

can i use windows media player?

can i take songs from cds i already own, save them to my computer in media player, and then change them to mp3 format?

since i'm asking, what exactly is a mp3 anyway?

basically, i just need directions... and i already own most of the songs i want on the original cds. i just need all the songs on this one disc now...
- - - - -
thanks for the answers so far.... now i have more questions...

what is the best download to use for converting from .wav to .mp3?

can i take the songs i already have saved as .wav files in media player?

how do i move the songs from media player, to the encoder, convert them, and get them back to media player?

do i even want them back in media player, or do i get them right to into roxio somehow?

any help is so appreciated!! thanks much!

Answer 1

mp3 is an audio compression algorithm, basically it shrinks songs in digital format (.wav format) to approx 1/10 their normal size... hence you can store 10 times more songs on one cd.

you can use windows media player to play these songs.

yes you can rip songs from cd and convert them to mp3, there are tonnes of such programs available.

just google mp3 encoders and you'll find tonnes... go to download.com and do the same for perhaps a slightly quicker way to find a download link, then just burn all your mp3's as a data disk and your done.

cheers

Answer 2

Yes, you need a CD burner to do it.

Assuming you have one, simpy take the CDs/Songs you own and rip them to your PC's hard drive. You can use the burning software that came with your burner. It should support encoding them in the MP3 format.

Typically, ripping music from CD to your hard drive is done in the WAV format which is lossless (meaning CD-quality). MP3 format is a lot smaller (about 1/10 the size) but suffers from heavy compression. Some kinds of music, particularly classical or jazz, suffer the most. For MP3, you have many compression options. You can select 320kbps, 256kbps, 192kbps, and so on down the line. 320kbps is usually the highest setting you can select and is the best quality. For most types of music at this setting, you won't be able to hear a difference between the CD and the MP3.

192kbps is the lowest I would go. The lower you go, the more space you save.

Once you get your MP3's made, use the burning software (Roxio or Nero) to make an MP3 disc. You should find the option within the program. Then simply add the songs in the order you want to have them. If you care about the order, you might need to rename the files so they have a 3 digit number at the beginning. For example, instead of:

Eagles - Take it Easy
Metallica - Unforgiven
Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride

you would list them like this:

001 - Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride
002 - Metallica - Unforgiven
003 - Eagles - Take it Easy

As you can see, the first example shows them in alphabetical order which is what you're limited to. If you use the numbering system in the name of the MP3, you can select the playback order that they appear on CD.