If you've got an MP3 player and want to convert your purchased music CDs to a digital music format, then media playing software like RealPlayer 11 will help you do this easily. Even if you haven't got an MP3 player, then you might want to consider ripping your CDs anyway to keep your expensive music collection safe from accidental damage. You can also burn digital audio files onto recordable CD (CD-R) if you wish for added security - incidentally, a standard recordable CD (700Mb) can hold approximately 10 albums of MP3 music! RealPlayer 11 is an often overlooked piece of software that is feature-rich and can extract the digital information on your physical CDs and encode it to several digital audio formats; MP3, WMA, AAC, RM, and WAV. From a convenience point of view, having your music collection stored in this way enables you to enjoy all your music without having to sort through a stack of CDs looking for a particular album, artist, or song.
Legal Notice: Before continuing this tutorial, it is imperative that you do not infringe on copyrighted material. The good news is that you can usually make a backup for yourself as long as you have purchased a legitimate CD and don't distribute any files; read the Dos and Don'ts of CD ripping for more information. Distributing copyrighted works in the United States via file sharing, or by any other means, is against the law and you could face being sued by the RIAA; for other countries please check your applicable laws.
The latest version of RealPlayer can be downloaded from RealNetwork's website. After installation, check on any available updates by clicking Tools > Check For Update. When you are ready to begin this tutorial, click on the My Library tab which is situated at the top of the screen.
