# How to record album to single MP3 file?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-record-album-to-single-mp3-file/132691>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 17, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-record-album-to-single-mp3-file/132691 "2002-10-17T17:03:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ol\_Blue\_Eyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc348/32.png) [@Ol\_Blue\_Eyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Blue_Eyes)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-record-album-to-single-mp3-file/132691/1 "2002-10-17T17:03:01Z")

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How can I record an album and make one MP3 file? I have several programs, and have tried several shareware programs. They all make an MP3 for each song. Am I missing a setting or can it only be done with certain programs?

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**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-record-album-to-single-mp3-file/132691/2 "2002-10-17T17:18:38Z")

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Try [Exact Audio Copy](http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/). It’s a little complicated but you should be using it anyway; other programs can introduce errors into your music. When you’ve got it working, select Action / Copy Image & Create Cue Sheet.

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-record-album-to-single-mp3-file/132691/3 "2002-10-17T18:14:12Z")

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Go here and get [MP3muxer](http://sac-ftp.externet.hu/sound13.html). It allows you to join MP3’s together into one big mp3. It’s free.

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**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2002, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-record-album-to-single-mp3-file/132691/4 "2002-10-17T19:01:50Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Reeder \*  
> \*\*Go here and get [MP3muxer](http://sac-ftp.externet.hu/sound13.html). It allows you to join MP3’s together into one big mp3. It’s free. \*\*

It doesn’t look like that program achieves what is the primary benefit of ripping an album into one big mp3 file: gapless playback. On live or mix albums, using that program, you will still have gaps between tracks. Use [EAC](http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/), it’s your best bet, and it’s also free.

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**Author:** ![Ol\_Blue\_Eyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc348/32.png) [@Ol\_Blue\_Eyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Blue_Eyes)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-record-album-to-single-mp3-file/132691/5 "2002-11-12T03:10:39Z")

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Exact Audio Copy works OK, although it’s slow. It takes about 20-30 minutes to do one album (it coverts the album to one big WAV file and then uses a separate DOS program to convert the WAV file to an MP3). I have programs that will make MP3’s from an album in about 5 minutes. There must be something out there that will convert at that speed, just ignoring the ‘spaces’. Can anyone else help?