Ripping a CD means to copy songs from the CD to a computer hard disk. The Windows Media Player is an application from Microsoft that enables you to copy music from any CD onto your computer for free. You can then easily manage downloaded music files using Windows Media Player.
To rip a CD, first you have to be connected to the Internet. When you insert an audio CD, the media player should automatically open a window to ask what to do with the CD. Select the Rip Music from CD with Windows Media Player option, and then select the Rip tab from the Media Player. The download to your hard disk should start automatically. The player also downloads album cover art and track titles. You can add or edit information after ripping the CD. The default setting selects all the songs on the CD to rip, but you can change this setting by clearing boxes to leave only selected songs. The Windows Media Audio format is the default file format, but you can choose other available formats, which can affect the audio quality, file size, and ripping time. The smaller the file size, the lower the audio quality.
Once you rip a CD, you can listen to the songs directly from your computer, from your Windows library without the CD. You can also transfer the songs to compatible portable devices, such as an MP3 player or a smartphone, or you can burn a customized CD from different music files. The ripping format you choose affects the sound quality on these devices. You can try different settings and formats to compare and find the right balance for your needs.