4 Free Ways to Extract Tracks on CD and Convert CDA to MP3

CDA is a shortcut file on an audio CD, approximately 44 bytes in size. Because of this, it cannot contain actual music data, meaning you cannot simply copy it to your computer and expect it to play as an MP3 should. To make the tracks playable, you need to rip the audio from the CD and convert it into a standard format. In this post, we will show you 4 proven methods to convert CDA to MP3. We will introduce tools native to Windows and Mac, as well as online tools. By the end, you’ll know how to digitize an entire CD and create playable MP3 files.

Quick Guide: The Fastest Way to Convert CDA to MP3

How We Test:

To ensure a fair comparison, we tested each CDA converter with the same audio CD and the same evaluation criteria. We use Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) and a MacBook (macOS Sonoma) as our test devices.

Metrics Tested:

• • We test the time required to rip/convert an audio CD.
• • We assess the ability to convert all CD tracks simultaneously.
• • We evaluate the preservation of sound quality after conversion.
• • We check the availability of MP3 and other common audio formats.
• • We verify the playback compatibility with media players and devices.

Free & Built-in Desktop CDA Rippers

Top 1. Windows Media Player (For Windows 11/10)

Windows Media Player is not just a software for playing music and videos on Windows 10/11. It also functions as a CDA converter, extracting audio tracks from CDs and saving them as MP3s. Better yet, it has an MP3 volume normalizer called Auto Volume Leveling for adjusting track loudness.

1. In Windows Media Player, click Organize, then select Options to open the options settings. Go to Rip Music and select MP3 in the Format picker.

2. Insert the audio CD into your computer's CD/DVD drive. Select the tracks you want to convert, then click Rip CD to extract the audio and save it as MP3 files.

For testing, we used a 62-minute audio CD containing 13 tracks on a Windows 10 Pro. It took 5 minutes and 40 seconds to convert all tracks with 0 rip errors.

Top 2. Apple Music/iTunes

Apple Music/iTunes is, as we commonly know, a service for managing digital media, including music. But many didn’t know that it offers a way to rip CDs to MP3 on Mac. On macOS Sonoma and later, Apple Music can import tracks from a CD and encode them as MP3.

1. Insert the source CD into a disc drive and open Apple Music (Mac) or iTunes (Windows). Go to Music, click Settings, navigate to Files, and select the Import Settings.

2. Change the default encoder of Import Using to MP3 Encoder, then click OK. Go back to the CD window, select the tracks, and click Import CD.

We tested Apple Music/iTunes on a macOS Sonoma using the same source. After changing the Import Settings to MP3 Encoder, the process completed in 6 minutes and 10 seconds.

Bonus: AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate

AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate is a, by default, media conversion software. Beyond its video-to-video conversion capabilities, it includes a supplemented Ripper tool. It can read media from DVDs/Folders/ISO images and export them as digital files. You can convert them into MP4, MP3, MOV, AAC, MKV, ALAC, and 500+ other formats. What’s better is that you can simultaneously convert more than one title or track without lag or crashes. It uses the most advanced hardware-accelerated media processing to achieve a 120× conversion speed.

Online CDA to MP3 Converters

Top 3. Convertio

Convertio is a file converter that supports more than 300 formats from different categories. It can decode CDDA/CDA to MP3 without installing anything on your computer. In addition to local file uploads, it also supports cloud imports.

To convert: Using a browser, go to Convertio and click Choose Files to import the extracted CDDA/CDA. Click To (Format picker) and select MP3 as your target output. Initiate the conversion by clicking Convert, and when it finishes, download each.

In our testing, we first extracted a 62-minute audio CD into a CDDA file. However, because of the free version's daily cap, we were only able to convert 10 files. For unlimited conversion, we recommend using a true CD-to-MP3 converter.

Top 4. Online-Convert

Online-Convert is a free conversion service that can convert CDA to MP3 and other formats. However, it cannot directly rip an audio CD or process CDA shortcut files. You must first extract the CD tracks into a standard audio format, such as CDDA.

To convert: Navigate to the Online-Convert site and select Convert to MP3 in Audio Converter. Click Choose File to load the extracted CD tracks and adjust optional settings if needed. Then, click Start to begin converting to MP3.

We uploaded 5 CDDA files, totaling 197 MB, and converted them to MP3. Unfortunately, Online-Convert only allows processing more than 3 files per task in the premium version.

Desktop Software vs. Online Tools: Which is Better?

FAQs About Converting CDA to MP3

Conclusion

Converting CDA to MP3 is the only way to make audio CDs playable on modern devices. Windows and Mac native apps are best for batch converting CDs. If you have already extracted the audio files, online tools are a good option. Now, if you need to extract files from DVDs and convert them into digital files, AnyMP4 Video Converter Ultimate is what you need. It offers fast DVD ripping, one-click batch conversion, and high-quality output.