Question for the technically savvy

rml_16
rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
in Chit-Chat
I have a little SanDisk MP3 player that I absolutely love. It's only 4GB (I say "only" -- that holds 30 hous of music!). Anyway, half my CD collection filled that up and I finally got a micro SD chip for it so I can add the rest of my music.

Now, I can plug the MP3 player into the computer and move music from my CDs to the player/card that way. But it would be so much easier if there were a way to just stick the card in and move the music straight from the CDs to the card. I tried everything I could think of last night to do that, but no go. Does anyone know if there's a way? Dragging and dropping from the media players didn't work.

I was able to drag and drop the music on my cell phone SD card with no problem. I just can't do it from the CDs.

EDIT: I think I need to clarify.

I know I need to rip the music first. But when I rip the music, I only see an option to burn another CD, not an option to save the music to a folder where I can just copy the files and paste them to another folder (on the SD card).

Like I said, when I moved the music from my cell phone SD card to my MP3 SD card, I was able to do that. I need to get the CD music from the CD to the SD card somehow. I can plug in my MP3 and do it that way (I already have 30 hours of music on it. I know how to do that and will do it that way again if I have to.).

I just want to be able to rip the music from the CD and move it directly into a folder on the SD card and cut out the middle man.

Replies

  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Bump.

    Anyone? Bueller?
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    No, you can't transfer music straight from the CD to your MP3 player.

    You would need to rip the CD first then move the tracks. Windows Media Player et al can help with this.
    I couldn't do that even, though. It will burn it to another CD, but there was no option to put it on the card.

    I'm thinking I'm just going to have to do it the hard way. *sigh*
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
    It's all going to depend on the software you are doing to rip from the cd.. You just need to point it to rip the files from the cd to your memory card.
  • madtownjeremy
    madtownjeremy Posts: 249
    I'm thinking the MP3 player formats that card in such a way that it's not available directly to the computer when you plug it in. So it looks like you'll need to move music to the player, then on the player move it around to where you want it.
  • mcibty
    mcibty Posts: 1,252 Member
    As above, you can't transfer it straight over without ripping it from the CD. You should be able to store the tracks in a folder without burning it to another disc and creating unnecessary copies.

    Or, you could buy an iPod.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I'm thinking the MP3 player formats that card in such a way that it's not available directly to the computer when you plug it in. So it looks like you'll need to move music to the player, then on the player move it around to where you want it.

    I think it's more the ripping/burning software that's the issue. I tried before I ever put the SD card into the MP3 and it's just a generic SD card, not specifically for the MP3 player. I tried three different media players (including the one specific to the MP3) and none of them gave the option to put it on the card.

    Ah well. Thanks, anyway, everyone. I was hoping there was something I was missing but I think it's just the technology. It's two extra steps this way, but I guess I just need to dedicate a few hours to it.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Or, you could buy an iPod.
    Yeah ... $40 for the small MP3 that has a clip that attachs to my running shorts or $200 for an iPod that I have to buy an arm band for to use for my workouts. Not worth it.

    Plus, my daughter has an iPod and it's the same basic thing. She has to move the files onto Apple's software and then move it to the iPod, so I'm not seeing it as any easier.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    You have to rip from the cd to the computer. Only way to do it. Music tracks on CDs are not in mp3 format, so the card and MP3 player wouldnt recognize what's on the cd. Plus the uncompressed format on the CDs would be much larger files than an mp3. You'd only be able to fit 3 or 4 CDs worth of songs onto a 4gb card.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    You have to rip from the cd to the computer. Only way to do it. Music tracks on CDs are not in mp3 format, so the card and MP3 player wouldnt recognize what's on the cd. Plus the uncompressed format on the CDs would be much larger files than an mp3. You'd only be able to fit 3 or 4 CDs worth of songs onto a 4gb card.

    I get that I have to rip it. The problem is, once it's ripped it only offers the option of burning it onto another CD. There is not option to move to a folder on the computer or the SD card. I guess what I'm asking is how do I DO that?
  • JcMey3r
    JcMey3r Posts: 431 Member
    Maybe buy a card reader, then you have one for the future as well?
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I'm trying to figure out how to get the music onto the card without plugging the MP3 into the computer and having to rip the music and then one-by-one move the music from the player to the MP3.

    When I moved it from the cell phone card, I just copied and pasted the files from a folder on the card to a folder on the other card -- like you would move a Word document. That's what I want to be able to do. So once the music is ripped (I'm not a complete idiot! :laugh: ), how do I get it into a file that can be copied and pasted between folders?
  • JcMey3r
    JcMey3r Posts: 431 Member
    Read that wrong

    http://www.freerip.com/frmmanual/tutorials/what_is_cd_ripping.php

    Download it, rip it from the CD to MP3 format and you should be fine
  • KissMeImShtFaced
    KissMeImShtFaced Posts: 85
    Does your computer have a card reader that you plug your micro SD into? If so, when you plug it in it should show up as a removable disk in the Windows Explorer file manager. It will even be assigned a letter like any other drive (this happens for any device where you can access storage actually, phones, mp3 players, etc). You should be able to drag/drop any files to it. As far as getting the music off a CD to portable music player you'd need an application which can make the conversion. If you want mp3 format Google "rip cd to mp3" and you'll find a billion of them. If you're not format sensitive Windows Media Player rips but I believe it uses whatever the Windows Media format is. Some players support this but some don't. Hope this helps some.
  • mojohowitz
    mojohowitz Posts: 900 Member
    Assuming you are not using Linux or a Mac, try Windows Media Player. You can change the location where the music gets saved. I don't know if you can navigate right to the card though. May have to move stuff to the card to open space on the mp3 player.

    WMP_Options_RipMusic.gif
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Try Windows Media Player.

    I did. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place? It didn't have an option to save it to a folder.
  • JcMey3r
    JcMey3r Posts: 431 Member
    Then look for some decent ripping software on google like the URL I provided. You should be able to rip into MP3 and choose where you want to store it.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Then look for some decent ripping software on google like the URL I provided. You should be able to rip into MP3 and choose where you want to store it.
    I will definitely check your link when I'm home. Thank you.

    I'm wondering if I'm just not looking in the right place on what I have. Blah. I need to look at it more closely tonight, I guess.
  • Parmcat
    Parmcat Posts: 268 Member
    I have a Sandisk player with micro mp3 and love it. I use Windows Media player to rip all my disks, and then they are on my computer...then you plug in the MP3 player, and can drag and drop the music right within WMP to your MP3 player, and it takes seconds.
  • Texusmc
    Texusmc Posts: 129 Member
    once you are in windows media player and you insert your CD and hit rip, and it has gone through all of that, look at your Song Library. Hit the Songs icon on the left and it should have listed Album, Title, Length and Rating (stars). from there , you can now build a play list or drag and drop to the right side of the Player to Sync it with your MP3 player.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    You should take your music collection and re-purchase all the songs in digital format.

    maybe itunes or google or amazon. Shouldn't be more than $300-$500 or so.

    Or I guess you could use this, its free. If you want to save a few bucks. Personally I'd rather send the record companies my money.

    http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

    Should probably get the lame .mp3 encoder as well.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I have a Sandisk player with micro mp3 and love it. I use Windows Media player to rip all my disks, and then they are on my computer...then you plug in the MP3 player, and can drag and drop the music right within WMP to your MP3 player, and it takes seconds.
    See, that's what I'm trying to figure out how to do. I can't find the option on Windows Media to save the music to a file instead of it staying on the Player to burn a new CD.

    I've had the MP3 for a couple years, but I filled it up really quickly and just now got the card. I got a 32 GB so I should be good for the rest of my life. lol Half my music fit on 4 GB.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Figured it out. Everything I rip goes into the "my music" folder and I can drag and drop from there. I have to open it separately.

    Simple and easy. I knew I was missing something.

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