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How to Turn Vinyl Records Into CDs

Vinyl records are gramophone records made of polyvinyl chloride that store analog sound modulated spiral grooves. They were the primary medium for the commercial distribution of music until 1991. Vinyl record sales have increased recently, indicating that they are still popular; however, digital media has made music more portable, and it can be expensive to repurchase several albums in new formats. Copying music from a legally-purchased vinyl record onto a blank CD for personal use is legal and can be done in a few simple steps.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 clean, scratch-free vinyl record
  • Turntable
  • Stereo receiver
  • Computer
  • Sound recording software
  • CD burning software
  • 2 RCA cables
  • 1 RCA to 1/8-inch adapter
  • 1 blank CD
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Instructions

    • 1

      Connect the turntable to the stereo receiver with one of the RCA cables.

    • 2

      Place the RCA to 1/8-inch adapter on the second RCA cable.

    • 3

      Connect the stereo receiver to the computer by connecting the end with the RCA to 1/8-inch adapter into the computer's microphone jack.

    • 4

      Open the sound recording software on the computer and create a new file.

    • 5

      Place the record on the turntable, with the "A" side up.

    • 6

      Press "Record" on the recording software.

    • 7

      Play the record on the turntable until side "A" finishes.

    • 8

      Press "Stop" in the sound recording software.

    • 9

      Turn the record over to the "B" side. Repeat steps 6 through 8 for side "B."

    • 10

      Use the recording software to separate the individual tracks into separate audio files. Consult your software's user guide for instructions, as each program is different.

    • 11

      Open the CD burning software on the computer.

    • 12

      Insert the blank CD into the disk drive of the computer.

    • 13

      Select the audio files in the CD burning software and arrange them in the correct track order.

    • 14

      Copy the music to the blank CD.

Recording Music

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