Resources
Supplementary class materials
“Revolution in Sound: An Introduction to Digital Audio”
“Rip and Burn! An Introduction to Digital Audio”
Books and e-Books
- The Free iPod Book
- Burn, Baby, Burn!: Recording Audio CDs from any Source, LPs to MP3s. by Josh McDaniel and Bob Starrett. Peachpit Press, 2004, ISBN: 0-321-24131-2,256 pages. Read the review as it appeared in the CPCUG Monitor, January 2005; requires Acrobat Reader.
- Build Your Own PC Recording Studio. by Jon Chappell. McGraw-Hill/OsborneMedia, 2003, ISBN: 0-07-222904-7,272 pages.
- Podcasting with Audacity: Creating a Podcast With Free Audio Software — purchase this e-book as a getting-started guide
- Converting Vinyl LPs to CD — another basic guide available for purchase
Tutorials
- MP3 tutorial
- In-depth tutorial on digital audio — more than you ever had an inkling of
- What Are the Differences Between All Those Audio Formats?
- How To Rip and Clean Your Analog Audio Collection
Media players (software)
Programs which will play MP3 files on your computer. Programs generally will play other audio formats as well, and some video formats. Also use the media player to synchronize with your iPod or other digital media device.
MP3 information
Tutorials, sources for related software, etc.
Free (and legal) music downloads
Stuff changes, stuff gets moved! You may have to hunt around a site to find the good stuff.
- Download.com
- WashingtonPost.com — look under The Singles Files
- Amazon.com — the free stuff is intermixed with music for sale, but get on their mailing list and get a weekly pointer to freebies
- Salon — they have discontinued their daily audio feature, but the archive of musical selections remains available for downloading
- Opsound.org
- Epitonic
- We7
- BetterPropaganda.com
- Rcrd Lbl
- Jamendo.com
- All About Jazz — daily downloads and more
- MySpace Music
- Classic Cat — classical MP3s
- ClassicalPlus
- Magnatune — free daily classical download, preview entire catalog for free
- AmieStreet.com — free and cheap indie music
- Wikipedia classical music
- Magnatune — public domain music
- Live Music Archive
- MP3.com
- 30+ Sites for Free & Legal Music (includes some of these plus others)
- ...and check the web sites of your favorite artists — many offer free downloads
CD rippers
These programs will extract the audio files on a compact disc to your computer. Many media players have this capability built in as well, although these dedicated programs typically give you more options.
- Audiograbber
- Easy CD-DA Extractor
- dBpowerAMP Music Converter
- fre:ac — free CD ripper, audio encoder and converter for various formats
- AoA Audio Extractor — extracts the audio portion from video files
CD burners
These programs will burn a CD with the audio files of your choice. Some of the media players also have this capability, although typically with fewer features and less control over the final result.
- CDburnerXP (free)
- InfraRecorder CD/DVD burner (free)
- DeepBurner (free)
- Roxio Easy Media Creator
- Nero (lite version is free)
Audio editors
These programs are useful for recording sound (such as when converting analog audio to digital), cleaning up the audio signals by removing pops, clicks, hiss, etc., converting from one file format to another, and more. Also listed here are some free web-based services that can convert file formats (such as converting an AAC or WMA file to MP3 format) — just upload a file and download the converted version.
- GoldWave (my favorite — inexpensive and easy to use)
- Audacity (free open source, multi-platform) (be sure to download the LAME MP3 encoder)
- Roxio Easy Media Creator (suite includes editor)
- Nero (suite includes editor)
- Free Audio Editor (that's its name, and it is free)
- Free Audio Converter (ditto)
- Free Video to Audio Converted (extracts audio portion of video files)
- Fileminx on-line file converter
- Zamzar on-line file converter
Podcasting
Here are just a few sites providing podcasts. Most media sites (such as WashingtonPost.com and CSMonitor.com) provide podcasts. And the iTunes program provides easy access to a very large number, through the iTunes store. (Look at iTunes U for educational materials.)
- National Public Radio
- podcastalley.com
- podcastbunker.com
- podiobooks.com
- Open Culture (has links to free podcasts for learning many different languages)
Podcast Listening Software
To subscribe to podcasts, you need a media aggregator. Here are a few possibilities:
- iTunes (free from Apple, runs on MacOS and Windows)
- Ziepod (both free and "plus" versions available)
- Juice (free open-source)
- PodNova — no software install needed
- gPodder (free open-source, runs on Windows, MacOS, and Linux)
Internet radio
There are literally thousands of Internet radio stations available for your listening pleasure, so this list gives a mere smattering!
- Radio station locator
- Folk Alley
- Hober
- IceBergRadio.com
- Live365.com
- Shoutcast.com
- radio.yahoo.com
- beethoven.com
- Sky.fm
- "Morning Becomes Eclectic"
- ClassicFM.com
- ClassicalMusicAmerica
- Contemporary Classical
- Check the web site of your favorite radio stations — many of them simulcast on the Internet.
- ...and hundreds of other choices!
Capturing audio streams
You can listen to many Internet radio stations using most media player programs. (Some stations require a custom player, launched through their web page.) These programs have additional features to make it easier to select the desired station and to record the broadcast. Some of these programs will automatically record programs according to your schedule. Some of these programs are free.
- Radio? Sure! — my current favorite
- Screamer Radio
- Raima GetRadio
- Streamripper for Winamp
- Ask & Record Toolbar
- Replay Radio
- AudioStreamer Pro
Legal issues
Additional resources
- iLounge — iPod articles, reviews, etc.
- Apple support — "iPod 101"
- Is Your Data Disappearing? — article on CD-R media durability
- How to Sync Your iPod With Another PC Without Losing Your Music