Music file conversion suggestions?

[Geek King]

Hey all. I have some Rhapsody files I'm looking to convert to MP3 for my player, and possibly to a regular CD for use in my truck (non-MP3 CD player. Very basic). I've been looking at some programs, but I'd like to get some advice from anyone who has done this in the past before spending too much time on it. Free converter programs are good, but I'm willing to spend a little if needed.

Thanks in advance!

[MystyGlyttyr]

Mediaconverter.org (http://www.mediaconverter.org/) has a downloadable converter that you can download for free. I have it and mostly use it for converting .flv videos into .wmv ones that work with my video editing software, but it has options for music, documents, and other things I've never even looked at. It works with audio types of .mp3, .ogg, .wav, and .wma, so I don't know if that's a help or not. But it IS a pretty freaking awesome converter for free.

[PCGameGuy]

I too have Rhapsody, and I used Exact Audio Copy to pull all my songs off in mp3 format. I Also used it to make archive copies of the discs, in case the CD-R gets damaged or stops working. I liked it because it can make near perfect copies, I listen to some esoteric stuff and need to hear all the little things going on. :) Another neat feature, it will read try and copy anything, even scratched or damaged discs. It may take forever to rip, but it tries and is successful a lot of the time! http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

[Chanlin]

I use and swear by dbpoweramp www.dbpoweramp.com

It is a pay program eventually. The program itself is free it is the codec that you eventually have to license and the only one you have to license is the MP3 codec. This program can convert to window media fromats all the way back to some of the earliest versions as well as .ogg .wav etc. It also comes with CD writing software. All around its not bad and its a fairly user friendly program. The nice thing is they come out with new codecs and stay up to speed with alot of the newer codecs. If you need to support a new file format rather than download a whole new version you can just download the codec for the new file format and install it into a program directory and your done. No messy uninstalling or reinstalling or redownlaoding the entire program just to update one part of it.