Generations have witnessed the evolution of music formats from vinyl records to cassettes to CDs to MP3s. CD "ripping" is just another part of the process--moving your music from one step to another on the evolutionary ladder.

Facts

"Ripping" is term used to describe the copying of music files. In most cases, music from a CD is ripped to a computer hard drive with the use of a software program.

Significance

Most portable music devices currently available require an upload of music files of some type. In order to listen to music from a CD on an MP3 device, you need to rip, or copy, the CD's music and then upload it to your device.

Function

Ripping music from a CD is done for various reasons. Some people want to avoid losing the music on a CD, which could become damaged; others want to be able to share their music with others in different ways, such as via the Internet.

Types

There are basically two types of ripping, which differ in the types of copied files you end up with when the process is complete. One is known as "lossless," in which files are copied without any modifications; the other is "compressed," in which the file size is reduced.

Software

The most popular CD ripping software are Windows Media Player and Apple iTunes. Windows Media Player has the ability to rip the music files into WMA or MP3 format, while iTunes will rip music only into its own proprietary format, AAC.

Source:

CNET