One Giant Step for CD Ripping

OK, maybe it's not that big a deal but we think it's pretty neat. This is it - we'll take your CDs out of their jewell cases along with the sleeve notes and return them to you in compact CD wallets.

You get your CDs back along with sleeve notes, in a tidy package which will save you lots of space. Details on CD repackaging on our site.

Jeff Underwood
podserve.co.uk
CD ripping service

Who ate all the CDs?

One of the reasons people want to get their music from CD to iPod is to enable them to save space. Some people find it hard to just throw away their old CDs, and maybe don't have a spare attic or basement for storage.

Recently we helped a client who wanted to keep his CDs and save space. We collected over 500 CDs, put his music on his iPod, then removed the CDs from their plastic cases and put them into wallets along with the cover notes. His entire collection was returned in three neat black folders. He gets to keep al his CDs, along with cover notes, but still saves a massive amount of space.

Jeff Underwood
podserve.co.uk - CD ripping service

Wireless Music Streaming - Apple, not Sonos

The market for home wireless audio is dominated by Sonos. Buy a few Sonos boxes, network them together and connect them to your music. Away you go.

Except your music is managed by Apple's iTunes. So why not do the same with Apple technology? That functionality is being delivered under the umbrella of Airplay, and today a new box is unveiled that will allow you to stream music direct from iTunes, using an iPod Touch, iPad or an iPhone as the handheld controller. The iHome device is here.

So now we can rip your music, you can enjoy it on your iPod, iPad or your streaming system.

podServe - CD Ripping Service

High End CD Ripping - Another Box Nobody Needs

Got a press release yesterday, a British company is using a US trade show to unveil a new box. Wow. It's aimed at high end audiophiles, it says, who demand the best from a CD ripping unit. It comes with a heft price tag although it is available in a variety of metalised colours. Wow, wow. This begs the questions of who the low end audiophiles might be, and those who just want rotten sound when they digitise their music.

Two questions - what do you get, and why do you need it?

You get a CD player obviously, there's no other way to rip a CD. Exactly which CD drive isn't explained but you can get a respectable unit (in volumes of around 50) for around £40. And you need some intelligence to run the thing, so you need some sort of computer. Along with that the lovely little bits of software that connect to the local network or maybe the internet. Oh, a hard drive too - another £20 at OEM prices. Typically the operating system would be Unix, the cost and difficulty of Windows would be too much in initial costs and ongoing support. In all what have you got - a PC that even in the third world looks poorly specified. Plus a massive bill.

Why would you need it? According to the press release this unit rips CDs while the enraptured owner "enjoys a cup of tea". Really? Chances are the owner is on the PC or laptop, checking Facebook or enjoying Youtube. Why not use that PC to convert CDs into digital music? Well, the CD drive is every bit as good, iTunes, Windows Media Player and other programs are available to manage ripping, and the hard drive is the same. In my opinion you'll get just as good a result.

"But I'm a high end audiophile" you say. "This unit is made for me". Sorry, but you'll get no better result from a dedicated ripping unit than you'll get from your PC. You need to reduce compression and select the best file type for your purposes, just as easily done on your PC as on any other unit.

Save yourself a lot of money, don't bother with a dedicated CD ripping unit, trust your PC or your Mac. Or outsource it all to a CD ripping service such as ours.

Jeff Underwood
www.podserve.co.uk

CD Ripping by Rip-fast?

Several major publications - Rough Guide, The Sunday Times & The Daily Telegraph - have been very kind in recommending our CD ripping service podServe. The Telegraph have been kind enough to give us a mention again today on the Telegraph website.

I was interested to see another CD ripping service mentioned, by the name of Rip-fast. Now I'm not sure who the Telegraph had in mind but I think Rip-fast is a body building supplement, seemingly favoured by Arnie himself.

If you're looking for CD ripping service Rip-fast might I suggest you check us out first? We are at www.podserve.co.uk

Sonos Sweepstakes

Fancy winning a new Sonos system? Yes, me too. You can, just visit Sonos on Facebook and follow the sweepstake links.

Then get podServe to convert your CDs for your new music system.

Album Art

One of the most popular enhancements to our CD ripping service was including album art. I don't mind admitting at first I was sceptical but today ripping CDs without adding album art is unthinkable. Well, yesterday I thought the unthinkable.

One of the best decisions I made was to go with iAlbum Art as the software to embed album art in our clients music. It works like a dream and Mike's tech support has been great. Something I was taking for granted when we upgraded our version of iTunes. I don't know if the upgrade was coincidental and maybe Amazon made a change at their end but horror, iAlbum Art just stopped working. Program opened fine, seemed to run but resolutely no little pictures were added. Small panic, we've got a couple of thousand CDs in process right now.

Thankfully the fix was simple, iAlbum Art 2.1 plays nicely with iTunes 10 and co-operates with Amazon. If anything it runs better, with better art and a snappier response, I think. We breath a sigh of relief and stick more CDs into the computers.

drop.io

One of the best things I've found on the web is drop.io - an incredibly simple and effective file sharing service. So many time it's helped us deliver files to clients.

But no longer, drop.io is no more. They've sold ought to Facebook. Well done them, and thanks for what you've given us over the years.

iTunes Music Store Receipt Email

If you receive an email seeming to be from iTunes Music Store, with the header including a receipt number, some dodgy maths in the "bill" - whatever you do, DO NOT click on either of the hyperlinks in the body text.

I did, and spent the next couple of hours regretting it. More on the podServe blog.

Thanks to AVG Anti-virus and Spybot Search & Destroy for a happy ending.

Wow - Gracenote - 200 billion ripped CDs.

Gracenote has now processed its 200 billionth query, and received its one billionth metadata submission, according to data shared Thursday morning by the company.