Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2017 April 24
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April 24[edit]
Recommendation for software to make compilation music CDs[edit]
I'm asking for a recommendation for software to make compilation music CDs from other CDs. I want to read in several CDs, store the files on the HD, and then pick sets of them to burn to a CD. Years ago I used Roxio and Nero for this, but they got too difficult to use for this purpose. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 00:59, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- For ripping CDs I use Sound Juicer, Ubuntu's default ripper. To compile compilations I use SoX to take the sources and emit a .CDR file which I burn with wodim. -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 08:49, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- Just saw this query and thanks for the suggestions. I've used Windows software for the purpose till now but I am inclining towards moving to Linux as I just have had so many problems with databases, and things just stop working with new releases of windows. I think it would allow me more control as I could fix the software if things go wrong. I need interoperability with a spreadsheet and to be able to print labels and CD covers easily. Actually I only put the track names only on the case rather than the CD - this makes for less work. I just print an identifying picture and id on the CDs. Dmcq (talk) 12:04, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- Personally I don't create a cover slip (the audio CDs I create are small samples for a pub quiz, so obviously a track listing is a bad thing). Perhaps unfortunately, I'm a "I'll write a Python program" type person, so if I did need some kind of database and cover-sheet printing solution, that's what I'd probably do, and it wouldn't be helpful for other people in general. -- Finlay McWalter··–·Talk 12:10, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- Thanks, but I should state that I want to use Windows and I don't want to use a command-line interface. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 14:19, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- I use a completely customized setup, with a front-end I wrote, a batch files modified from one I found on SO, VLC Media Player and a custom MySQL database for similar functionality at my home. If you're looking to create such a system, I wouldn't mind sharing some of the insights I got from (and difficulties I had) setting that up, but I don't want to bore you to tears if the answer you're looking for is more "SoftwareSoft's Generic Media Player Classic Plus Lite 2017 v1.2 Enhanced Edition does everything you want." ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 14:43, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- Yes, basically what I want is a simple system, really for two slightly different things. (10 I want to read in several CDs and it shows me the complete list of songs. I want to choose songs from that list to burn to a CD. It keeps track of the total amount selected from a CD, so I know how many I can get. After I burn that CD, it marks those songs as done and I can choose another set to burn to another CD, etc. Mode (2) - similar, but I want to read only certain songs from the source CDs. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 17:07, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- Windows Media Player should actually do all that. it will rip and burn music, and .wma's have a lossless codec option, so no mp3 distortion. It's just a matter of setting up your library to show all files instead of automatically sorting them. Since you need to be there to swap CDs, I don't see how ripping them one at a time is a bad thing (if you have multiple drives, I believe WMP will rip from all of them simultaneously, though I'm not sure). ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 17:36, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- My first thought was iTunes, which I'm sure will do all that. --Viennese Waltz 07:36, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- I've never used iTunes, but I read that it's really strict with DRM (to the point of adding DRM to ripped music), so I wonder if it's suitable for something like this. ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 12:58, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- I don't think it is as strict as it used to be. My brother lost a lot of music he personally ripped when iTunes decided it was pirated and deleted it from his laptop and phone. That was years ago and they've apparently been much better since. 209.149.113.5 (talk) 13:33, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- Same thing happened to a friend of mine, hence my reservations. I'm sure they've gotten a bit better, though. They couldn't possibly have gotten any worse. ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 14:07, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- I suspect you have other bugs - Windows or iTunes on Windows bugs. I've used iTunes on the Mac since Powerbook G4 times, and while iTunes Store music used to come with DRM, I've never had iTunes delete any of my music or add anything to ripped music, wether ripped to MP3 or AAC. iTunes has quirks, and they keep deproving the UI, but it is reasonably to use, and it can burn playlist in most formats to plain old CDs. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 17:31, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- My friend (to whom this happened) has a Mac. Used it with his iPod at the time, and now with his iPhone. He also has a (neck) beard and wears flannel to his job in a call center. Sometimes I wonder if I want to remain friends with him. (Yes, I'm being facetious.) He's not particularly technical, though he is young enough to have grown up around computers. It could have been a head space and timing fault. ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 17:51, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- Or a classical PBCK error with a touch of Chinese Whispers ;-). --Stephan Schulz (talk) 18:31, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- Well it definitely wasn't Chinese whispers, but it certainly could have been one of the others. He is, after all, marginally smarter than your average box of rocks. Yes, Scott. I know you're reading thing. Knowing my handle on WP and how to find my contributions page does not make you a hacker. ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 18:49, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- Or a classical PBCK error with a touch of Chinese Whispers ;-). --Stephan Schulz (talk) 18:31, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- My friend (to whom this happened) has a Mac. Used it with his iPod at the time, and now with his iPhone. He also has a (neck) beard and wears flannel to his job in a call center. Sometimes I wonder if I want to remain friends with him. (Yes, I'm being facetious.) He's not particularly technical, though he is young enough to have grown up around computers. It could have been a head space and timing fault. ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 17:51, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- I suspect you have other bugs - Windows or iTunes on Windows bugs. I've used iTunes on the Mac since Powerbook G4 times, and while iTunes Store music used to come with DRM, I've never had iTunes delete any of my music or add anything to ripped music, wether ripped to MP3 or AAC. iTunes has quirks, and they keep deproving the UI, but it is reasonably to use, and it can burn playlist in most formats to plain old CDs. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 17:31, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- Same thing happened to a friend of mine, hence my reservations. I'm sure they've gotten a bit better, though. They couldn't possibly have gotten any worse. ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 14:07, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- I don't think it is as strict as it used to be. My brother lost a lot of music he personally ripped when iTunes decided it was pirated and deleted it from his laptop and phone. That was years ago and they've apparently been much better since. 209.149.113.5 (talk) 13:33, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- I've never used iTunes, but I read that it's really strict with DRM (to the point of adding DRM to ripped music), so I wonder if it's suitable for something like this. ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 12:58, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- My first thought was iTunes, which I'm sure will do all that. --Viennese Waltz 07:36, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
- Windows Media Player should actually do all that. it will rip and burn music, and .wma's have a lossless codec option, so no mp3 distortion. It's just a matter of setting up your library to show all files instead of automatically sorting them. Since you need to be there to swap CDs, I don't see how ripping them one at a time is a bad thing (if you have multiple drives, I believe WMP will rip from all of them simultaneously, though I'm not sure). ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 17:36, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- Yes, basically what I want is a simple system, really for two slightly different things. (10 I want to read in several CDs and it shows me the complete list of songs. I want to choose songs from that list to burn to a CD. It keeps track of the total amount selected from a CD, so I know how many I can get. After I burn that CD, it marks those songs as done and I can choose another set to burn to another CD, etc. Mode (2) - similar, but I want to read only certain songs from the source CDs. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 17:07, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- I use a completely customized setup, with a front-end I wrote, a batch files modified from one I found on SO, VLC Media Player and a custom MySQL database for similar functionality at my home. If you're looking to create such a system, I wouldn't mind sharing some of the insights I got from (and difficulties I had) setting that up, but I don't want to bore you to tears if the answer you're looking for is more "SoftwareSoft's Generic Media Player Classic Plus Lite 2017 v1.2 Enhanced Edition does everything you want." ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 14:43, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- Thanks, but I should state that I want to use Windows and I don't want to use a command-line interface. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 14:19, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- I tried Windows Media Player. It does rip and burn, bu I still have to do most of the work in making compilation CDs. There is a fluke where it says to drag songs to the playlist, but that doesn't work - you have to right click and send it. But it still leaves most of the work to me - things programs are good at. As far as I can tell, it doesn't tell me the total length of the selected songs until I get them into the area ready to burn. This is needed to see if I can get more songs on the CD or if I have selected too many to go on the CD. Also, after I have used a song on a CD, it doesn't mark that it has already been used. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 01:27, 26 April 2017 (UTC)
- MySQL, SharpDevelop and the right google search time, then! Seriously, I'm out of ideas that don't involve hacking something together. Sorry bout that. ᛗᛁᛟᛚᚾᛁᚱPants Tell me all about it. 04:48, 26 April 2017 (UTC)
- Yeah I used to use Windows Media Player. But then its database got into a mess. And so now I hate it though to a much lesser degree that Windows Word which I just hate hate hate. So I moved away to Wiamp, which isn't supported. Dmcq (talk) 12:04, 26 April 2017 (UTC)
- I tried Windows Media Player. It does rip and burn, bu I still have to do most of the work in making compilation CDs. There is a fluke where it says to drag songs to the playlist, but that doesn't work - you have to right click and send it. But it still leaves most of the work to me - things programs are good at. As far as I can tell, it doesn't tell me the total length of the selected songs until I get them into the area ready to burn. This is needed to see if I can get more songs on the CD or if I have selected too many to go on the CD. Also, after I have used a song on a CD, it doesn't mark that it has already been used. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 01:27, 26 April 2017 (UTC)