Cassette songs to MP3 songs

Rus · 11-05-2011, 08:43 PM

I have audacity to download my cassette songs and convert them to MP3 files.

My question is: How do I cut and remove some of the songs that are on each side of my cassette? I only want to keep and burn to CD some of the music from my music cassette collection. I have about 78 cassettes and not all the songs do I want to burn to CD.

How best to edit out the songs I don’t want?

robertva · 11-06-2011, 01:26 PM

Normally each song is a different MP3 file. If you don't want a file on your CD, don't copy it to the hard disk folder you will be doing the CD burn from.

If you're going to put MP3s on a CD check to make sure the device(s) you want to play them on is compatible with CD-Rs and MP3s. With some equipment you would need to attach a MP3 player (like an I-Pad) to an AUX IN jack. You might be able to use a cell phone holder for some MP3 players.

RBTO · 11-06-2011, 01:36 PM

In converting your tapes to mp3, you're best to convert individual songs, otherwise, you'll have one long mp3 file that can't be edited, nor can any of the songs be deleted individually. Additionally, if you convert each song as a single mp3 file, you can enter the mp3 tag information which includes song title, artist, album, etc., etc., which will show up on most mp3 playback devices when the song is being played.

Transferring from a CD, this is an automated process using a program like CDEx or the like, but from a tape it can be a bit laborious, but will be worth it in the end.

Start your tape playback and well before the song starts, click the record button in Audacity (don't worry if you get a bit of the previous song - it can be deleted later). Be sure your levels are set right so you don't have clipping on the loudest passages. Also, be sure Audacity is configured for a high bit rate mp3 if you want quality transfers (Under FILE > PREFERANCES > FILE FORMAT tab).

After the song stops, you can stop the recording process, and clean up the front and back ends if needed (if you got something you didn't want from the adjacent tracks). To do this, click and drag the portion you want to delete (highlighting it on the waveform display) and then click "delete", under the EDIT tab. You may want to extend the tail a bit with silence, and you can do this by clicking and dragging where you want silence, and then click on "silence" under the GENERATE tab.

When you finish and get your song the way you want, export it as an mp3 file, at which time, Audacity will ask you for the tag information. If you don't want to tag it then, just skip that step (hit your ENTER key) and you can add tag info later using something like Mp3tag. You probably want to save your exported files in a folder with the name of the album you're transferring. Of course, you can also save the music as uncompressed Wave files if desired.

Audacity is a great little utility program and has quite a few features built into it. It's excellent for your application, and sound quality is limited only by your playback device and soundcard.

Take my word for it, transferring your music to mp3 will be a chore (being that you have 78 cassettes) but once done (and be sure to do it right), it will make your music library easy to access, and a lot more versatile.

Rus · 11-06-2011, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RBTO

In converting your tapes to mp3, you're best to convert individual songs, otherwise, you'll have one long mp3 file that can't be edited, nor can any of the songs be deleted individually. Additionally, if you convert each song as a single mp3 file, you can enter the mp3 tag information which includes song title, artist, album, etc., etc., which will show up on most mp3 playback devices when the song is being played.

Transferring from a CD, this is an automated process using a program like CDEx or the like, but from a tape it can be a bit laborious, but will be worth it in the end.

Start your tape playback and well before the song starts, click the record button in Audacity (don't worry if you get a bit of the previous song - it can be deleted later). Be sure your levels are set right so you don't have clipping on the loudest passages. Also, be sure Audacity is configured for a high bit rate mp3 if you want quality transfers (Under FILE > PREFERANCES > FILE FORMAT tab).

After the song stops, you can stop the recording process, and clean up the front and back ends if needed (if you got something you didn't want from the adjacent tracks). To do this, click and drag the portion you want to delete (highlighting it on the waveform display) and then click "delete", under the EDIT tab. You may want to extend the tail a bit with silence, and you can do this by clicking and dragging where you want silence, and then click on "silence" under the GENERATE tab.

When you finish and get your song the way you want, export it as an mp3 file, at which time, Audacity will ask you for the tag information. If you don't want to tag it then, just skip that step (hit your ENTER key) and you can add tag info later using something like Mp3tag. You probably want to save your exported files in a folder with the name of the album you're transferring. Of course, you can also save the music as uncompressed Wave files if desired.

Audacity is a great little utility program and has quite a few features built into it. It's excellent for your application, and sound quality is limited only by your playback device and soundcard.

Take my word for it, transferring your music to mp3 will be a chore (being that you have 78 cassettes) but once done (and be sure to do it right), it will make your music library easy to access, and a lot more versatile.

Using Audacity software I tried to export a song to a folder on my hard drive but because I already had an MP3 file exported there Audacity asked me if I wanted to replace it.

How do I save each song, individually, into my "Cassette Songs" folder on my computer?? Thanks for the help so far. It's been good.

DoctorCAD · 11-06-2011, 03:14 PM

With Audacity, just name the file the same as the song title and it won't replace the other ones.

Rus · 11-06-2011, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoctorCAD

With Audacity, just name the file the same as the song title and it won't replace the other ones.

I did that and it works. Thanks so much!!!

RBTO · 11-07-2011, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rus

How do I save each song, individually, into my "Cassette Songs" folder on my computer??

When you first click on "export to mp3", the dialogue box that opens allows you to specify what folder you put the file in (you'll have to locate your "Cassette Songs" folder), and it also allows you to name the file (which is best named with the song title as the previous posted suggested). You can also create a new folder (use the album title for that), put all the songs from a given album in that, and then later relocate (move [cut and paste]) that folder to your "Cassette Songs" folder. It's best to build folders for each album so the entire album can be moved as a collection (you can, of course, always copy or move individual songs out of that folder if desired).

Rus · 11-07-2011, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RBTO

When you first click on "export to mp3", the dialogue box that opens allows you to specify what folder you put the file in (you'll have to locate your "Cassette Songs" folder), and it also allows you to name the file (which is best named with the song title as the previous posted suggested). You can also create a new folder (use the album title for that), put all the songs from a given album in that, and then later relocate (move [cut and paste]) that folder to your "Cassette Songs" folder. It's best to build folders for each album so the entire album can be moved as a collection (you can, of course, always copy or move individual songs out of that folder if desired).

That's a great idea; thanks. But what I'm doing now is editing each cassette tape and recording only those songs I wish to burn to CD. I am naming each song by it's title whenever I can determine it but some instrumentals I've had to label "Instr 1, Instr 2, etc. whenever I don't know the name of the song.

Thanks again for the great suggestions though. That goes for all of the responses.

brettfarmer · 07-23-2012, 05:31 AM

Requires an automatic software.

ee soft · 09-17-2012, 08:15 AM

Thanks so much..rus

johnthedeere · 11-23-2012, 11:41 PM

RBTO:
Thanks much for the tutorial! Useful instructions. I can also see this as a way to, for example, make better use of rare music only found on tape, which could perhaps be bought from somewhere.

h2youtube · 10-14-2017, 02:22 PM

many software support

ancoll · 11-16-2017, 08:59 PM

Did you try Audacity?

Terryl3 · 11-17-2017, 12:52 PM

I would use .WAV instead of .MP3, no compression loss with a WAV file, sounds a whole lot better too.(if your computer sound card or audio input can do this or not)

One problem is that the WAV file will be bigger, and you may have playback problems if the player your using does not support a WAV file..

11-05-2011, 08:43 PM	#1
Rus Vizio Really Does Rock!!! Thread Starter Join Date: Oct 2009 Age: 81 Posts: 212	Cassette songs to MP3 songs I have audacity to download my cassette songs and convert them to MP3 files. My question is: How do I cut and remove some of the songs that are on each side of my cassette? I only want to keep and burn to CD some of the music from my music cassette collection. I have about 78 cassettes and not all the songs do I want to burn to CD. How best to edit out the songs I don’t want?

11-06-2011, 01:36 PM	#3
RBTO High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 614	In converting your tapes to mp3, you're best to convert individual songs, otherwise, you'll have one long mp3 file that can't be edited, nor can any of the songs be deleted individually. Additionally, if you convert each song as a single mp3 file, you can enter the mp3 tag information which includes song title, artist, album, etc., etc., which will show up on most mp3 playback devices when the song is being played. Transferring from a CD, this is an automated process using a program like CDEx or the like, but from a tape it can be a bit laborious, but will be worth it in the end. Start your tape playback and well before the song starts, click the record button in Audacity (don't worry if you get a bit of the previous song - it can be deleted later). Be sure your levels are set right so you don't have clipping on the loudest passages. Also, be sure Audacity is configured for a high bit rate mp3 if you want quality transfers (Under FILE > PREFERANCES > FILE FORMAT tab). After the song stops, you can stop the recording process, and clean up the front and back ends if needed (if you got something you didn't want from the adjacent tracks). To do this, click and drag the portion you want to delete (highlighting it on the waveform display) and then click "delete", under the EDIT tab. You may want to extend the tail a bit with silence, and you can do this by clicking and dragging where you want silence, and then click on "silence" under the GENERATE tab. When you finish and get your song the way you want, export it as an mp3 file, at which time, Audacity will ask you for the tag information. If you don't want to tag it then, just skip that step (hit your ENTER key) and you can add tag info later using something like Mp3tag. You probably want to save your exported files in a folder with the name of the album you're transferring. Of course, you can also save the music as uncompressed Wave files if desired. Audacity is a great little utility program and has quite a few features built into it. It's excellent for your application, and sound quality is limited only by your playback device and soundcard. Take my word for it, transferring your music to mp3 will be a chore (being that you have 78 cassettes) but once done (and be sure to do it right), it will make your music library easy to access, and a lot more versatile. Last edited by RBTO; 11-06-2011 at 01:49 PM..

11-06-2011, 01:26 PM	#2
robertva Saving my pennies for HD Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 204	Normally each song is a different MP3 file. If you don't want a file on your CD, don't copy it to the hard disk folder you will be doing the CD burn from. If you're going to put MP3s on a CD check to make sure the device(s) you want to play them on is compatible with CD-Rs and MP3s. With some equipment you would need to attach a MP3 player (like an I-Pad) to an AUX IN jack. You might be able to use a cell phone holder for some MP3 players.

11-06-2011, 03:14 PM	#5
DoctorCAD Direct TV Fresh Meat Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2,464	With Audacity, just name the file the same as the song title and it won't replace the other ones.

07-23-2012, 05:31 AM	#9
brettfarmer My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 5	Requires an automatic software.

09-17-2012, 08:15 AM	#10
ee soft My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 5	Thanks so much..rus

11-23-2012, 11:41 PM	#11
johnthedeere Simple man, simple plan. Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: USA Posts: 6	RBTO: Thanks much for the tutorial! Useful instructions. I can also see this as a way to, for example, make better use of rare music only found on tape, which could perhaps be bought from somewhere.

10-14-2017, 02:22 PM	#12
h2youtube My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Sep 2017 Posts: 4	many software support

11-16-2017, 08:59 PM	#13
ancoll My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Nov 2017 Posts: 3	Did you try Audacity?

11-17-2017, 12:52 PM	#14
Terryl3 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: May 2013 Location: Deep in the Duraflame National Forest Posts: 1,456	I would use .WAV instead of .MP3, no compression loss with a WAV file, sounds a whole lot better too.(if your computer sound card or audio input can do this or not) One problem is that the WAV file will be bigger, and you may have playback problems if the player your using does not support a WAV file..