# Free mp3 ripper with auto tagging? iTunes (win) won't work! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538 "2003-12-22T22:09:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![keithnmick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90db22/32.png) [@keithnmick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keithnmick)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/1 "2003-12-22T22:09:18Z")
Well, I got a nice little christmas gift from my boss this year - a 10gig iPod. It’s great, BUT iTunes is not working well at all on my home machine. When I pop in a CD it does not show up in the “sources” section. I can reinstall iTunes (after uninstalling it - can’t just update) and it will recognize the first CD I put in. After that, no joy. I’ve updated all my drivers, been on the phone to Apple, tried all of the tweaks on the web suport - no luck. Apple basically said this is a known problem and “may or may not be fixed in future releases” :mad: . So here’s my question. Windows Media Player sees the CDs fine, and grabs the titles off the web in seconds. Unfortunately it won’t convert CD Audio to MP3, just WMA. There are plug ins to do this for Windows Media Player, but they’re 9.99 - which I ain’t paying. Are there any free plug ins or standalone programs which will rip CD Audio to MP3 with automatic tagging? MusicMatch requires you to pay for an upgrade, and I found a few other programs that will do this but feature spyware/adware, which is another no no. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/2 "2003-12-22T22:11:36Z")
[http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm](http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm) The best, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/3 "2003-12-22T23:46:52Z")
I recommend [CDex](http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/). ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/4 "2003-12-23T01:58:29Z")
I use [FreeRIP](http://www.mgshareware.com/frmmain.shtml). Does it all! Rips, converts, looks up via CDDB, formats the file name etc. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/5 "2003-12-23T02:41:29Z")
Dude, just get iTunes. They’ve got it for Windows now, you know. Heh. 'nother vote for dBpowerAMP. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/6 "2003-12-23T02:41:54Z")
dbpoweramp uses LAME or BLADE encoders. At least LAME is one of the best out there, maybe THE best. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/7 "2003-12-23T05:45:11Z")
I second the vote for CDeX. It offers the best ripping quality due to its enhanced error correction, and can easily retrieve CDDB data and tag MP3s. The included LAME MP3 encoder also offers superior MP3 encoding quality. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/8 "2003-12-23T15:33:34Z")
I third the vote for CDex, it beats my paid-for rippers, having tried a few. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-mp3-ripper-with-auto-tagging-itunes-win-wont-work/220538/9 "2003-12-23T16:02:54Z")
I know that this doesn’t answer your question, but when I got my 40gb iPod I installed both Musicmatch and iTunes. (Windows XP here) I use Musicmatch to rip all of the CDs (without paying for any sort of upgrade, in fact I can burn CDs with this Musicmatch too which wasn’t the case when I got a free copy of it with my computer). and then I use iTunes to move the songs to my iPod.