If you have a record player and a computer, it is possible to transfer an old LP to your computer and then to CD. If you are like me, you have hundreds of old records lying around that you would love to be made digital. A faster solution would be to buy the CD online, but the cheapest way would be to do it yourself. The record vinyl to CD procedure will be explained in some detail below…

You will need recording software such as Audacity. Audacity is a free application that you can download online. You could use anything of your choice. To find more free applications simply search Google for “free recording applications”. You won’t be able to use something like the Windows sound recorder, as it is so basic for our purposes. We want to easily be able to export to an MP3 or WAV file that we can burn to CD.

You will also require a record player with an RCA out. Additionally you will need to purchase an RCA to stereo cable from any hardware store. Simply run the cable from the record player into the stereo line in port of your computer. Once you have done that you should make sure that Windows is set to record from line in. To do this you can right click the speaker icon in your taskbar, and select recording properties.

Now all you will need to do is hit record on the recording application of your choice, and play a record on your player. You will be able to record the whole record at once, and later split it up into tracks. When you are complete, simply export the project to a WAV or MP3 file.

There are some free applications available online which will split the file into separate tracks. They do this by detecting silence in between. You could do this yourself if you choose to, depending on the LP’s requirements. Once you have your project split up into separate MP3 or WAVE files you can burn them to CD. To do this you can use your CD Writer and any burning software such as Nero. Make sure you burn the disc as an Audio CD.

Do the above and you should have no problem transferring your record vinyl to CD. Sometimes it may be necessary to run an amplifier between the record player and your computer. You will be able to test depending on the audio quality you receive via your line in port.