Rip CDs and Convert Audio in Windows 11 Media Player

The modern Windows 11 Media Player includes built-in tools to digitize physical audio CDs and save tracks directly to your PC. This guide explains how to rip audio discs into digital formats such as MP3 and FLAC, adjust audio quality settings, and understand the format conversion capabilities available within the application.

How to Rip an Audio CD

  1. Insert the CD: Place your audio CD into your computer’s optical drive.
  2. Open Media Player: Launch the modern Media Player app from the Start menu.
  3. Select the Disc: Click on the CD drive listed in the left-hand navigation sidebar. The track list will appear on the main screen.
  4. Choose Tracks: By default, all tracks are selected. Uncheck any tracks you do not wish to rip.
  5. Start Ripping: Click the Rip CD button located at the top of the window. The app will rip the selected tracks and save them automatically to your Windows Music folder.

Configuring Rip Formats and Bitrate Settings

Before ripping, you can customize the output audio format and quality to balance file size and sound fidelity.

  1. In Media Player, navigate to the CD page.
  2. Click Rip settings in the top menu bar.
  3. Select Format to choose your preferred output file type:
    • AAC: Good compression with high compatibility across modern devices.
    • MP3: Universally compatible across almost all hardware and software.
    • WMA: Standard Windows Media Audio format.
    • FLAC: Lossless compression providing exact CD quality at a larger file size.
    • ALAC: Apple Lossless format for high fidelity within Apple ecosystems.
  4. Select Audio Quality to choose your preferred bitrate (ranging from 96 Kbps to 320 Kbps for lossy formats).

Converting Existing Digital Media Files

The modern Windows 11 Media Player converts audio from physical compact discs during the ripping process. However, it does not include a standalone file converter to change the format of existing digital audio or video files (such as converting a WAV file to MP3, or an MKV file to MP4).

To convert existing media files on Windows 11: * For Video Files: Use the built-in Microsoft Clipchamp app. Import the media file into a project and export it as an MP4. * For Audio Files: Use dedicated media utilities such as VLC Media Player, Audacity, or HandBrake to transcode local files into your desired format.