How to convert CDA to MP3?

Introduction.

Actually, CDA format doesn't exist. CDA stands for CD Audio, and it has nothing to do with files. When your operating system detects an Audio CD, it reads some basic information on the CD, including the number of tracks, CD Text (if present), total duration etc. As a way to access audio tracks, it also creates CDA labels. However, those CDA aren't real files, and it is impossible to copy CDA as usual, by selecting and dragging them. The audio tracks won't be copied. Only CDA labels will be, and they are useless without the Audio CD.

So, if you want to convert CDA to MP3, you should rip your Audio CD. CDA labels can't be converted at all, as they contain no audio information.

Let's consider how to rip Audio CD with AudioConverter Studio.

Step 1: Download and install the program.

Download AudioConverter Studio to a known location. Run setup and follow on-screen instructions to install the application.

Step 2: Insert your Audio CD. Start the program, select tracks.

Insert the Audio CD that you want to convert to MP3.

Launch AudioConverter Studio. By default, it starts in the Wizard mode. If the Wizard doesn't show up, you can press "Ctrl" + "W", or click "File" - "Show Wizard".

Select to rip an Audio CD, click "Next". This will switch the program into the CD ripper mode.

If you have only one CD/DVD device, your CD will be detected automatically. AudioConverter Studio reads CD Text to get information about tracks. If no CD Text is found, the program fetches information from the Internet:

As next, the track list is shown in user-friendly format, with titles, artists etc.:

If you have several CD/DVD devices, you may need to choose the one you have inserted you Audio CD into from the dropdown list.

Click "Next" to continue.

Step 3: Set output folder and filename format.

AudioConverter Studio offers to set output folder (1) and filename format (2):

You can use any folder on your computer (only make sure that you have necessary permissions on the folder).

The filename format option allows you setting a pattern for filenames and folder names, i.e. your converted files can have user-friendly names and sorted by folders according to artist, album etc. The information for filenames and folder names is taken from CDDB, or from CD Text (if present).

Click "Next".

Step 4: Set output format and its quality.

On the next page of the Wizard, we specify MP3 as output format:

As for quality, we prefer 44 KHz, 192 Kbit/s, Stereo, but you can adjust the settings according to your wishes. The full range of MP3 bit rates is supported.

The "Prelisten conversion" box, if checked, will make the program convert only a few seconds of each track. As we want to convert whole tracks, we keep it unchecked.

Step 5: Check the summary. Rip your Audio CD to MP3.

The last page of the Wizard shows a summary. You can check all settings once again here.

If everything is OK, click "Finish" to rip the Audio CD. The converted MP3s can be found in the folder specified by you in the step 3.

The trial version of AudioConverter Studio will rip only 10 tracks at once, but the process can be repeated as many times as you wish.

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