Connect your record player or turntable to your PC. Locate the red and white jacks on the back of your turntable, and connect a set of corresponding red and white RCA cables. For the easiest connection, use an RCA-to-3.5 mm cable. then you can easily connect the opposing end of your cable to the "Line-In" jack on your PC. If you have an audio interface (external sound card), you can use standard RCA cables. Connect one set of plugs to the turntable and the other set of plugs to the interface.
Open a digital recording program. You can use any program designated for recording digital audio, but for the simplest transfer, you may want to avoid the more complex multitracking software and stick with a program that lets you quickly capture and save sound waves, like Audacity, Mp3DirectCut or Power Sound Editor (see Resources).
Place your vinyl record inside the record player and set the appropriate speed. Use 45 RPM for 7 inch records and 33 RPM for 12 inch records. Place the needle over the first track that you wish to record (just look for the color changes on the record itself, designating the different tracks).
Press the "Record" button on your software window. Sometimes it appears as a large red or black dot, like the "Record" symbol you would find on a remote or tape recorder. When the song finishes playing, press the stop button (often indicated by a square) on your software window and lift the arm from your vinyl record.
Click (File > Save) on your menu bar to save your digitized file. Some programs may require you to export the track as an MP3 or other audio format. This option also appears under the File menu in most programs, usually labeled "Export," "Bounce" or "Save as MP3."
Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for each subsequent song on your vinyl record.