How to rip audio cds

How to Rip Audio CDs to MP3 or WAV

Learn how to convert physical Audio CDs into fully tagged MP3 or lossless WAV files using Zortam CD Ripper.

Please Note: CD Ripper is supported in the 32-bit version of Zortam MP3 Media Studio only. If you are using the 64-bit version, you can download and register the 32-bit version using your existing serial number at no extra cost.

Automatic Metadata & Artwork Embedding

Zortam CD Ripper doesn’t just extract your audio—it automatically fetches and embeds all essential track metadata directly into the audio files while ripping:

  • Complete ID3 Tags: Track Title, Artist, Album, Year, and Genre via FreeDB database lookup.
  • Album Cover Art: Automatically downloads and embeds high-quality cover art into your files.
  • Lyrics: Searches and embeds both synchronized (SYLT) and unsynchronized (USLT) lyrics into the tags during the extraction process.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Insert your Audio CD & Launch the Ripper:

    Insert the physical CD into your optical drive. Open Zortam MP3 Media Studio and select Converters > Audio CD To Mp3 Converter from the top menu, or press F2.

  2. Select Your CD Drive:

    Choose your active optical drive from the CD Drive dropdown menu. The track list will automatically load.

  3. Fetch Track Info (FreeDB Query):

    Click Query FreeDB (or press Ctrl+Q) to download artist, album, and track details automatically from the online database.

  4. Configure Output Format & Bitrate:

    Check either the Mp3 or Wav checkbox. If encoding to MP3, choose your preferred target bitrate/quality mode from the Rate-Bitrate-Mode dropdown.

  5. Enable Cover Art & Lyrics Auto-Fetch:

    Ensure the Cover and Lyrics checkboxes are enabled so Zortam automatically embeds artwork and synchronized/unsynchronized lyrics while ripping.

  6. Start Ripping:

    Select the tracks you want to extract and click Record (or press F7). Your ripped files will be created with all tags, cover art, and lyrics pre-embedded!