CD ripping is the process of copying audio content from a CD to a computer's hard drive. This can be useful for creating backups, transferring music to portable devices, or simply organizing your music library. On macOS, CD ripping can be accomplished using built-in tools like iTunes (now integrated into the Music app) and Terminal. This article will guide you through the process, ensuring you can effectively rip CDs on your Apple device.

Examples:

Using iTunes (Music App)

1. Open the Music App:

• Launch the Music app from your Applications folder or Dock.

2. Insert the CD:

• Insert the CD you want to rip into your Mac's CD/DVD drive. If your Mac doesn’t have a built-in drive, you can use an external USB CD/DVD drive.

3. Import Settings:

• Navigate to Music > Preferences (or iTunes > Preferences if using an older version).


• Click on the Files tab, then click Import Settings.


• Choose your desired format (e.g., AAC, MP3) and quality settings.


• Click OK to save your settings.

4. Import CD:

• When the CD appears in the Music app, click on it.


• Click Import CD in the top right corner.


• Select the import settings if prompted, then click OK.


• Wait for the import process to complete. The ripped tracks will appear in your library.

Using Terminal

For users who prefer command-line operations, macOS provides tools that can be used in Terminal.

1. Install cdparanoia via Homebrew:

• Open Terminal from your Applications folder or using Spotlight.


• Install Homebrew if you haven't already:
  

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"



• Install cdparanoia:
  

   brew install cdparanoia

2. Rip the CD:

• Insert the CD into your drive.


• List the available CD devices:
  

   drutil status



• Rip the CD to WAV files:
  

   cdparanoia -B



• The -B option rips all tracks to separate WAV files.

3. Convert WAV to MP3 (Optional):

• Install ffmpeg via Homebrew if you need to convert the files:
  

   brew install ffmpeg



• Convert WAV files to MP3:
  

   for f in *.wav; do ffmpeg -i "$f" "${f%.wav}.mp3"; done