Music is usually stored on data processing media (CDs, tapes, disk records etc.). In order to transfer music stored on any data-processing medium to a computer, it needs to be “ripped” or “imported”. To do so, an audio CD is usually inserted into the CD-ROM drive and the songs are ripped with software like iTunes, etc.

If your music is not yet on your computer but still on a CD, you need to rip it in order to transfer it to your computer. There are many programs available which allow you to choose how you want to rip your music. The bitrate should be 1411 kbit/s and encoded in PCM, the sample size should be 16 bit, and the sample rate should be 44.100 kHz. Furthermore the files should be in stereo quality.