Cassette to MP3 Converter

[Khamon]

Maybe Khamon wants to save a speech he made in 1978. He worked so hard on it and his parents (so proud!) clapped whole heartedly, and his friends were all there (woohoo! Yay! Huzzah!) One could hear the tremolo in his voice as he thanked everyone. A glorious moment that was fortunately recorded by a thoughtful mate who just happened to have his portable thingamajig with him (nerd). I will preserve this cassette, khamon thought, and one day computers will be in every home and I will hopefully be able to play it anytime I want in the computer cassette deck.

More or less, yes, and looking for a one stop method to covert the tapes and be done with it.

 

[Kara Spengler]

Spotify.
I was always preserving my old tapes and cd's and had plans too, to make mp3 of all off them.
Then I saw one of my sisters grandchildren streaming with Spotify. She played every song I requested within seconds.
I gave it a try o my pc too and ....... it is so incredible.
So yeah.... bye bye cassettes, cd's, and mp3 for me. Spotify on pc, tablet and phone. An archive at hand that would make every music station jealous a decade ago.
That's why I advise Spotify.

There are tapes that there are not mp3s of though.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

And I don't have to worry about the authentication servers going down like all the people who bought Microsoft "Plays for Sure" tracks. They sure got played.

This!

Two things there. First, there were companies that sold unprotected files before that but only minor bands because the labels refused to work with them. Second, Apple started selling some unprotected m4a before Amazon's mp3 service started up, but only where they were contractually allowed to. It was the labels who refused to support unprotected sales, and it was only after Apple demonstrated that unprotected sales through iTunes didn't lead to an increase in piracy that they opened up their tracks and started selling through Amazon and later Google.

Yeah, you're right. I knew it was something like that. It was just buried in the deep recesses of my memory.

Oh, third thing, iTunes explicitly let you remove the copy protection from your files by burning to audio CDRW and ripping them back. Nudge nudge wink wink.

Eww! A photocopy of a photocopy!

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

It is easier to become famous when radio stations and club DJs pick up your songs and spin them, or when you have to tour the country with gigs in bars and clubs with 200 people at best?

Most artists don't become famous. That's kind of built in to the whole "fame" thing.

But those 200 people at the club? A bunch of them are going to buy your CDs right there.

Eww! A photocopy of a photocopy!

Conversion to CD is lossless because CDs aren't compressed. How lossy you go when you rip again is up to you. If it's worth it, like classical music with a wide dynamic range, you can use FLAC or something lessless. Most of the time the music has already been massively degraded long before it turned into wma or mp3 or m4a.

 

[Sid]

But those 200 people at the club? A bunch of them are going to buy your CDs right there.

That may be still true for concerts were mom and dad go to, but the younger generation doesn't do CDs.
If it is not available on their smartphone, it is non existent.
A CD player is as ancient as Thomas Edison's phonograph in their eyes.
Bluetooth streaming from their phone to a headset or a soundbar is the new normal. And I must admit, the sound quality of modern headsets is amazing.
They only use a stream site and go to live gigs and concerts.

There will be the only 2 ways to really make money in the future for artists: Have good music on the streaming sites and or be a strong live artist.

And then there is the merchandise for the real big ones: an own make up line or a fashion brand, exclusive sun glasses.
For the lesser gods maybe a tour t-shirt or a signed poster or photograph.

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

That may be still true for concerts were mom and dad go to, but the younger generation doesn't do CDs.

My mom and dad quit going to those kind of clubs before there were CDs.

And I'm talking about venues like the Mucky Duck, not "concerts". When did we upgrade to "concerts"?

Concerts mean you're already on the onramp. Most artists never even get there.

 

[Sid]

I did not mean your mom and dad, but our generation. We are the last ones buying CDs.
And I ain't gonna split hairs over the term concert.
I'm a bloody non native English speaker remember?

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

OK, to avoid any further confusion, any artist who is playing to that small an audience is unlikely to be getting any significant income from streaming, even if they or their label jumps through all the necessary hoops. They would likely do better selling swag at performances.

I've seen an estimate that you'd need something like half a million streams to start getting royalties.

 

[Khamon]

Musicians can make a living playing small venues, including online performances, selling recordings in CD and download formats, also selling music, also giving present and online lessons, and accepting tips and payments via Paypal, Patreon, et al. I know many folk harpists, jazz musicians, and organists making a comfortable living as self employed artists using these methods. They're not famous in the media but they make a lot of people, including themselves, happy.

 

[Free]

selling recordings in CD and download formats

One of the current alternatives to selling CDs: Dropcards : The Industry Leader In Custom Music Download Cards

 

[Veritable Quandry]

I have seen all kinds of sales at venues. CDs, vinyl, MP3 drives. Good acts get creative and know what their audience wants. Most of the art of surviving as a band these days is connecting to the audience in a direct way.

 

[leogood]

Use AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter. It can convert Spotify music to MP3, AAC, M4A, AC3, FLAC, and other formats. It may satisfy your needs well.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Righty right... and of course Spotify is absolutely fine with that? I doubt that. More likely that it is against their ToS to use such a software at all.

Using such a type of software from an absolutely shady company like Amusicsoft where it is even not publicly known where it actually resides at is always a bad idea.

 

[Free]

We're waiting for a cassette to spam conversion.

 

[Khamon]

Thank Y'all for the input.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

LPs are better for Spam. The warmer tone brings out the original flavors.

 

[Essence Lumin]

LPs are better for Spam. The warmer tone brings out the original flavors.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

And now, a word from our sponsor, Licorice Pizza.