Digital Audio Essentials: A comprehensive guide to creating, recording, editing, and sharing music and other audio (O'Reilly Digital Studio)

Join the digital audio revolution! Tens of millions of users are embracing digital music, and with Digital Audio Essentials, you can, too. Nearly every personal computer built in the last few years contains a CD-burning drive; MP3 and other portable player sales dominate the consumer electronics industry; and new networkable stereo equipment lets you use your digital music collection to power your home entertainment system. Whether it's downloading music, ripping CDs, organizing, finding, and creating higher quality music files, buying music players and accessories, or constructing a home stereo system, Digital Audio Essentials helps you do get it done. An indispensable reference for music enthusiasts, digital archivists, amateur musicians, and anyone who likes a good groove, Digital Audio Essentials helps you avoid time-consuming, costly trial and error in downloading audio files, burning CDs, converting analog music to digital form, publishing music to and streaming from the Web, setting up home stereo configurations, and creating your own MP3 and other audio files. The book--for both Mac and PC users--includes reliable hardware and software recommendations, tutorials, resources, and file sharing, and it even explains the basics of the DMCA and intellectual property law. You may (or may not) already know the basics of ripping CDs or downloading music, but Fries will show you so much more--including advice on the multitude of MP3 players on the market, stereo options, file formats, quality determinations, and the legalities of it all. Both a timely, entertaining guide and an enduring reference, this is the digital audio handbook you need to make the most of your expanding digital music collection.

Bruce Fries self-published the MP3 and Internet Audio Handbook and several other titles. He is a writer, technology consultant and entrepreneur, as well as an associate of the Audio Engineering Society, and founder of several high-tech companies. Bruce has been interviewed as an expert on a variety of digital audio topics, including the Napster vs. the RIAA lawsuits.

Marty Fries is a technology consultant who has been involved with computers for over 30 years. He has worked as audio engineer, toured nationally for a major record label mixing live sound, and has designed and built stereo equipment. He plays piano and organ for The Cutouts Blues Band, and lives in Laurel, Maryland.