How to Rip CDs in Windows Media Player 12

Take your music with you by converting it to a digital format

What to Know

  • Change the default audio format in Windows Media Player by selecting Organize > Option > Rip Music tab. Change the Format field to MP3.
  • Insert a CD into the drive and select its name in the left panel of Windows Media Player.
  • Right-click on the name again and choose Find Album Info. Select the correct album in the search result. Choose Finish. Choose Rip CD.

This article explains how to rip CDs in Windows Media Player 12. It includes information on changing the default audio format of Windows Media Player.

Changing the Default Audio Format

Ripping a music CD refers to the process of copying a CD's contents to your computer where you can listen to it without the CD in the drive or copy it to a portable music player. Part of the ripping process changes the format of the music on the CD to a digital music format. Windows Media Player 12 handles this process for you.

Before you rip a CD, change the default audio format in Windows Media Player.

  1. Open Windows Media Player and click Organize.

    Windows Media Player 12 with Organize highlighted.
  2. Select Options.

    Windows Media Player 12 with Options highlighted.
  3. Go to the Rip Music tab.

    Windows Media Player 12 options.
  4. The default format is Windows Media Audio, which may not be compatible with mobile devices. Instead, click in the Format field and change the selection to MP3, which is a better choice for music.

    Different format settings in Windows Media Player 12.
  5. If you will be playing the music on a high-quality playback device, use the slider in the Audio quality section to improve the quality of the conversion by moving the slider toward Best Quality.

    Be aware that this increases the size of the MP3 files.

    Audio quality settings in Windows Media Players 12.
  6. Click OK to save the settings and exit the screen.

    Selecting OK in the Windows Media Players 12 Options.

Ripping the CD

Now that you have the audio format set, it is time to rip a CD:

  1. Insert a CD into the drive. Its name should show up in the left panel of Windows Media Player's Rip Music tab.

    An album title in Windows Media Players 12.
  2. Click the name of the CD one time to display the track list, which probably won't include the names of the music on the CD, only generic track names. You could rip the CD at this point, but you might prefer to get the proper names for the songs first.

    An unknown album in Windows Media Players 12.
  3. To look up the names of the songs in the online CD database, right-click on the name of the CD again. Choose Find Album Info.

    Selecting Find album info in Windows Media Players 12.
  4. If the album isn't recognized automatically, type the name into the field provided. Select the correct album in the search results and click Next.

  5. Confirm visually that the track listing contains the CD music names. It should match the listing on the back of your CD. Click Finish.

  6. Unselect any song you don't want to rip and click Rip CD at the top panel to begin ripping the music.

    Selectin Rip CD in Windows Media Players 12.
  7. When the ripping process is complete, go to the Music in the left panel where you can see the newly ripped album.

Copying the contents of a CD to your computer or mobile device is legal as long as you own a copy of the CD. You can't make copies and sell them, though.

Was this page helpful?