Changing bit rates and audio formats
Bit rates usually mean the quality of the track. A lower bit rate will mean a poorer sound quality. You can choose the bit rate by clicking on the arrow under Rip. The higher the bit rate, the larger the resulting file, and of course the quality will also be high. Poorer bit rates will affect the sound quality in order to shrink the files. Choose the bit rate best suited for you. The default is 128 Kbps.
Audio format involves many things, from the compression of the track to its quality (lossy or lossless) and to compatibility. The most compatible format is MP3. To select the audio format, click on the arrow under Rip. The default audio format is MP3.
Naming and storing tracks
If you have an Internet connection, Windows Media Player will automatically connect to the Windows Media online database and will get whatever information is available regarding the CD. If it cannot connect to the internet, tracks will be saved containing only Unknown information, and you will not be able to know which one is which.
You can avoid this by manually adding necessary information before you start ripping. Right click on the corresponding columns and select Edit in order to modify the information. You can select what information to be contained by the files by clicking on the arrow under Rip, selecting More Options, and then pressing the File Name button.
Files are saved by default in the Music folder of the current user. If you want to save them in a different location, click on the arrow under Rip, select More Options, click the Change button and select the desired path.
Ripping CDs
You can use Windows Media Player to copy music from your favorite CDs to your computer, being able to store them on the hard drive or to compile a CD. The process is called ripping.
To rip a CD, go to the Rip section. If your CD is inserted, then all the tracks will be displayed on the right, along with various information like Length, Rip Status etc. Select the tracks you desire to rip and press Start Rip.
Do not worry if the CD starts playing when ripping. Note that you don’t have to wait and let the whole track play in order for the CD to be ripped.
Renaming files already ripped
If you have some ripped albums which lack the correct information, you can have Windows Media Player rename them. Click on the arrow under the Now Playing button and select More Options. Go to the Library tab and check Rename music files using rip music settings and Rearrange music in rip music folder, using rip music settings. The first option renames files using the settings from File Name Options and the second one creates new folders using the information retrieved from windowsmedia.com.
Manually adding details
If you could not retrieve information regarding the current CD from the internet, you can add it yourself using this method: go to the Rip tab, right click and select Find Album Info. Now all you have to do is add the appropriate information. When you are done, click Finish. If you are going to rip the CD for which you entered the information, the files will be named appropriately.
Additional information
You can also add additional information to your library if you like. Right click on a sorting column and select Choose Columns. You can use the Advanced Tag Editor to edit metadata tags. To use it, select one or more files from the library, right click and select Advanced Tag Editor. Add and edit details through it if you can’t change them in the Library screen.
Adding lyrics and pictures
If you want you can add lyrics to a song and have them displayed as you play it. Select a song and right click on it, choose Advanced Tag Editor, go to the Lyrics tab and type in or paste the lyrics.
If you wish to have karaoke lyrics, click on the Synchronized Lyrics button after you have already inserted the lyrics. Use Play to hear the song and drag the indicators so each line appears at the correct time. To turn lyrics on, select the Play menu, go to Lyrics, Captions, and Subtitles and select On if Available.
You can also use the Advanced Tag Editor to add pictures to the chosen songs. Go to the Pictures tab and add how many pictures you desire.
Ratings
The rating category gives you the ability to sort your music by ratings. The rating system is composed of 5 stars. The rating will increase if you listen to the entire song. If you skip it, the rating will drop.
You can manually rate songs by selecting them and choosing the Rate option or by selecting a star from the Rating column.
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