Amazon MP3 FAQ: What Is Amazon AutoRip?

If you buy vinyl albums or CDs from Amazon, you may have noticed some albums have the Amazon AutoRip logo next to them. This logo indicates that when you buy that particular physical album or CD from Amazon, and Amazon ships it to you, a digital copy is placed in your music library. In most cases, you can start enjoying the album without waiting.

Free MP3 AutoRip Music

When you buy a physical music-based product elsewhere, you typically receive just one physical copy. If you also wanted a digital copy of the CD, you'd have to rip it yourself. In the case of an AutoRip CD purchased at Amazon, you are automatically provided with an online digital audio version in the MP3 format on qualified purchases.

Amazon's AutoRip feature places the digital music in your Amazon music library, so you can either download the MP3 or stream it from any of your digital devices. Usually, the MP3 version is added to your library immediately, but it can take up to 48 hours in some cases.

About AutoRip and Previous Purchases

Even if you haven't purchased anything in a long time, this service provides digital versions of qualifying music products that you purchased as far back as 1998. If you purchased physical copies of music from Amazon in the past, look in your music library. If you see an AutoRip logo next to any previous purchases, Amazon placed an AutoRip copy of the music there whenever its licensing rights allowed it to do so.

Not All Albums and CDs Qualify

Not all products in Amazon's physical music catalog qualify, although thousands of them do. The best way to see the ones that are AutoRip-enabled is to use the Amazon Store's search filter. Just type "AutoRip" in the search field and then modify the search as needed in the left column to display only AutoRip-enabled albums and CDs. Open the purchase screen for the album or CD to confirm that it includes the AutoRip feature.

AutoRip Digitizes Vinyl Albums for You 

AutoRip isn't only available for CDs. There's also a large collection of vinyl albums with the AutoRip logo at Amazon. The AutoRip feature is even more convenient for vinyl recordings than for CDs considering that you have to digitize vinyl (or any analog-based music recording) if you want a digital copy.

It can take a long time to digitize vinyl recordings yourself, especially if any restoration work is needed, such as removing pops, clicks, or hiss. If you do it yourself, digitizing vinyl involves significant extra costs, such as purchasing a USB turntable or buying oxygen-free audio leads so you can connect from your stereo system to your computer's sound card. If Amazon does it for you, it is free.