| Using FLAC
Files Bill is now using Bandcamp as his preferred Digital Download platform. Whilst you can download from Bandcamp in MP3 format, you should choose the FLAC format as this delivers the same audio quality as a CD. Any track or album you download in FLAC format can be burnt onto a blank CDr and will sound identical to the original CD release. So, whilst MP3 files are smaller and quicker to download, FLAC, whilst a bigger download, provides the very best quality. Download And Convert If you download MP3 format files you can import them straight into Apple iTunes or Window Media Player. If you download in FLAC format you will need to convert the files into .wav, .aiff or MP3 as you prefer. Only then can you import them into your chosen music player or burn a CD. To burn the music to a CDr from FLAC, you must first convert to .wav or .aiff and then use a commercial or free Burning program to create a CDr to play on your hi-fi. FLAC Conversion Programs Audacity is a free program available for Windows PC and Apple Mac. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Run Audacity: Import each FLAC file and re-save it as .wav or .aiff Collect all of the tracks together in a folder and make sure the tracks are correctly numbered so they burn onto a disc in the original playback order. ie. track01, track02, track03 etc. CD Burning Programs There are many commercial programs available such as Toast for the Mac or Nero for Windows PC. Free WINDOWS software: Easy Burner http://www.easy-burner.com BurnAware http://www.burnaware.com/burnaware_free.html Free MAC software: Depending on which version of the OSX you have, the Mac can burn a CD without the need for third-party software. Alternatively, you can download Burn for free. Burn http://burn.en.softonic.com/mac Other Useful Utilities Foobar 2000 is a freeware audio player for Windows and plays FLAC without conversion. http://www.foobar2000.org/ |
