The downloadable music files made available via cd-writer are in a number of different file formats. These include Liquid Audio, mp3 and windows media. Liquid Audio files are often optimised for CD however MP3 and windows media files can also be converted to make normal audio CDs. In its compressed form an MP3, windows media will be about 1Mb for every minute of near-CD quality stereo audio. Whereas actual CD quality Liquid Audio wil be around 1.4Mb for every minute.
Audiophiles are keen to point out the shortcomings of uncompressed or decoded audio. Clearly mp3 does not meet the exact quality of normal audio CDs and as such it might be wise to mark your music as being sourced from mp3. This will help to maintain the high quality of music on the internet.
If your selection consists of mp3 files and Liquid Audio files and you want to create normal audio CDs then you would be wise to download the Liquid Music Player. The Liquid Music player will allow you to manage your mp3 and Liquid Audio selection. You can shuffle your tracklist to get the most from your compilation. When you're ready to create your CD simply highlight your tracks and click create CD. To find out cd-writers supported by Liquid Player, click here for windows and here for mac here.
The majority of free downloads on the web are in mp3 format. A great player and manager of mp3 files is winamp. You can get the full version of winamp for free here. Winamp a well established product that should meet most requirements. It allows you to manage mp3 and windows media files into tracklists, play on the desktop and burn straight to CD.
A great alternative to Winamp is the MusicMatch player. It allows you to organise all the audio files on your system and converts your mp3 to allow them to be writen to a normal audio CD. This operation has a handy batch facility.
Some windows media files are copy protected - preventing the burn to CD. In some instances this can be overcome without infringeing copyright using the cooldecoder, available here. The current windows media encryption can be resolved using an application, found in news groups, known as unfuck.exe. Its use however is an offence to decode secure windows media files as it defies copyright laws. You'll find all the information you need about windows media here.
How do I "Download" MP3s
First download and set up your default player/burner for your audio files.
Find your music start at cd-writer.com
Left-click the link to file download.
Netscape users: If your default player is set properly, the file will download into a temporary directory then begin playing.
Internet Explorer users: You will be prompted to save the file to a directory. Find a directory and continue downloading. Remember the directory you placed it in!
Windows Media Player users: Media Player may attempt to play the song instead of downloading it. If this occurs, right-click the "Download" link and left-click "Save Target As". Name the file and click "save". If you receive an HTML or cgi file instead, you may have to left-click the link again and make sure to select download.
From your MP3 player load the MP3 file you downloaded.
Click the play button on your MP3 player.
Aren't mp3 files illegal?
MP3s files themselves are not illegal.They have simply received a lot of bad press regarding the piracy of copyprotected music. Illegal MP3's are no different to illegal cassette tapes: it is a breach of the copyright to make copies of the music in any form. But downloading tracks from places such as cd-writer.com and our partner sites is perfectly legal. And offers so many advantages to musicians and music lovers alike.