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How to Transfer Cassette Tapes to Digital

Cassette tapes have become more or less obsolete. However, if you have recorded interviews on tape or have hard-to-find music on cassette, you can digitize the audio for safekeeping. Once digitized, you can save the cassette audio on your computer's hard drive, transfer it to a portable media player, or burn it to a CD-R.

Things You'll Need

  • Cassette deck
  • 1/8-inch mini-plug to mini-plug cable
  • Headphones
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Instructions

    • 1
      CDs eventually replaced casette tapes.

      Place the cassette deck near the computer. Plug the cassette deck into an electrical outlet and turn it on.

    • 2

      Plug one end of the 1/8-inch cable into the output or headphone jack on the cassette deck. Plug the other end of the cable into the computer's "Line In" jack, which is generally blue. Plug headphones into the computer’s headphone jack.

    • 3

      Click the “Start” button. Click on “Control Panel." Click on "Hardware and Sound," then click “Sound." Select the “Recording" tab. Select “Line In" and click "Set “Default." Click "OK."

    • 4

      Click the “Start” button. Type “Sound Recorder” into the search box and press "Enter."

    • 5

      Click “Start Recording.” Press the “Play” button on the cassette deck and play the portion of the audio that you want to transfer. Listen to the audio on the headphones as you record and adjust the volume as needed.

    • 6

      Click "Stop Recording." Type a name for the digitized cassette tape into the "File name" box. Click "Save" to save the audio as a Windows Media Audio file.

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Digital Music

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