Can I record from internet radio to CD?

jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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I've had Gold on the radio all afternoon, and it's played some great 60s music, as well as a few 40s and 50s.

I have a lot of compilations from those decades on commercial CDs, but I'm still missing hundreds of fantastic songs.

Is there an easy way to record a radio station onto CD, either from a micro system, internet on laptop, or the same on an iPad? Preferably as mp3 file(s).

Since our micro system is at least 12 years old, I'd even buy a new unit if this included the ability. Unfortunately, the current unit's a Sony, so it still looks and sounds as good as when we bought it.

So far as copyright is concerned, apart from the age of these songs, I regard it as mere "timeshifting", which various governments keep promising they'll make legal.
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  • radioman2radioman2 Posts: 1,562
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    You're hardly timeshifting according to the first part of your message.






    jsmith99 wrote: »
    I've had Gold on the radio all afternoon, and it's played some great 60s music, as well as a few 40s and 50s.

    I have a lot of compilations from those decades on commercial CDs, but I'm still missing hundreds of fantastic songs.

    Is there an easy way to record a radio station onto CD, either from a micro system, internet on laptop, or the same on an iPad? Preferably as mp3 file(s).

    Since our micro system is at least 12 years old, I'd even buy a new unit if this included the ability. Unfortunately, the current unit's a Sony, so it still looks and sounds as good as when we bought it.

    So far as copyright is concerned, apart from the age of these songs, I regard it as mere "timeshifting", which various governments keep promising they'll make legal.
  • oilmanoilman Posts: 4,529
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    I don't know how to record internet radio other than connecting an analogue sound card on pc to radio out (via headset socket). But getting that into digital format is a different matter.

    However, if GOLD is on satellite or freeview, and your satellite box or freeview box can record to an external usb diskdrive (e.g. humax boxes), then it is relatively straight forward to get radio recordings onto pc in mp2 or Mp3 format

    1) recorder radio show as any other radio/tv propgram on to external usb hard disk.

    2) connect usb hard disk to pc.

    3) using explorer copy recorded file (.TS extension)

    4) separate the .ts file into native audio and video files (search web for "demux .ts" for programs that can do this.

    One I use is Project X. It is free but not the simplest package but you can see a guide on http://h2d.wikispaces.com/Demuxing+TS+files+with+ProjectX

    5) The separated file will be an mp2 or mp3 file. If mp2, you may need to further convert to mp3. There are many packages that will do that.

    With Project X, you can cut portions of .TS file if you want to break recording up into smaller parts. |There are many other packages that will do this.
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    You can record any sound made by your computer using something like audacity or any sound recorder and setting the input source to wave table. though you will get any system sounds made by your computer.

    You can also record the stream directly. Using paid programs like hidowload.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,151
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    Use a free programme called mp3mymp3 to record the audio and then burn the files to CD in the normal way
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    Thanks for the suggestions - I'll look into the options tomorrow.

    radioman - I should, perhaps, have mentioned that I intend to copy the programme to cd as mp3 files to listen to in the car. But only once, of course.
  • tealadytealady Posts: 26,262
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    Bear in mind that w8 and audacity don't always get on, depending on soundcard (and having w8). Not sure if this is confined to audacity or is more general.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,078
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    tealady wrote: »
    Bear in mind that w8 and audacity don't always get on, depending on soundcard (and having w8). Not sure if this is confined to audacity or is more general.

    It's been ongoing since Vista and the changes to WDM. YMMV.
  • JustinThePubJustinThePub Posts: 3,521
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    jsmith99 wrote: »

    radioman - I should, perhaps, have mentioned that I intend to copy the programme to cd as mp3 files to listen to in the car. But only once, of course.

    Doesn't make it any more legal though
  • davordavor Posts: 6,874
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    As I don't use Windows, I can't tell you if there is any good software for that platform, but if you are a Mac user, Audio Hijack Pro is excellent.
  • plugs13ampplugs13amp Posts: 274
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    take a look at RadioSure. This app knows about thousands of internet radio stations from around the world (including Capital Gold, if thats the Gold you meant), and as well as letting you listen to them, can record direct to mp3 from the stream, so no need to get into the hassle of "stereo mix" and Audacity etc. It includes an option to break the stream into individual mp3s instead of recording the whole stream (and exclude duplicates), and can be minimised to the system tray if you want. There is a command line option to specify a stream if you find a stream it doesn't know about, and there's a portable version.

    As I write, their site appears to be down, but just google for RadioSure. Current version is v2.2.1036
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    Thanks for the additional suggestions. I'll look into them all later today or tomorrow.

    kmusgrave - I'll just have to live with my guilt, then. :)
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,325
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    A couple of other possibilities:

    Listen online, for example with Spotify or YouTube.

    Try http://www.mp3fiesta.com where music tracks can be downloaded at very low cost.
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    Okay, I've managed to look at the software mentioned :

    Project-X - looks far too complicated for me. I can't even understand the homepage.

    hidownload - according to Cnet it's not user-friendly, and the Help file doesn't help a lot.

    Radiosure - I agree, the site seems to be down.

    mp3fiesta - I can't find any mention of the price for individual downloads. The unlimited option, at $129 for six months, is probably more than I'd spend on CDs, with 80 or 100 40s to 60s for under a fiver.

    Which leaves me with two, Audacity and mp3mymp3, both of which I'll be trying.

    There's another option, actually. I may be replacing BT as my ISP, phone and TV provider. Most of the PVR's I've looked at seem to have the ability to write recordings to USB devices.

    Only one drawback - Freeview radio doesn't seem to include Gold (yes, what used to be called Capital Gold).
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,325
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    jsmith99 wrote: »
    mp3fiesta - I can't find any mention of the price for individual downloads. The unlimited option, at $129 for six months, is probably more than I'd spend on CDs, with 80 or 100 40s to 60s for under a fiver.
    Go into a specific track or album and it will display the price.

    Once you've created an account there's an option to add funds to it. The lowest amount you can add is US$29.90. They could make it a lot clearer though.
  • Tal'shiarTal'shiar Posts: 2,290
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    Surprised no one has mentioned by far the best way of recording internet radio.

    http://streamwriter.org/en/

    Thanks me laters brah haha

    (Its very easy to use and completely free)
  • plugs13ampplugs13amp Posts: 274
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    there are many sources of the current version of radiosure available if you google, just pick one of the more reliable ones - cnet, softpedia, afterdawn, etc - make sure your virus checker is giving it the once-over as its downloaded and give the installer a close inspection in case it tries to install any unwanted toolabars and the like.
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    I've downloaded and tried two of the suggestions so far - both of them just sit there doing nothing!

    StreamWriter - I selected a stream, started playing it, pressed "start recording".

    I'm getting a file called "gold.ac", but no songs recorded. Do I have to wait till I finish recording, then run a 'cutter'?

    The help file isn't much use, I'm afraid - just a few words about each command, with no suggestion about how they work together.

    The settings refer to something called, if I remember properly, a "filestream", and you can set it to be deleted at the end of recording. Is this the single .ac file?

    Mymp3mymp3.

    Loads and installs quickly, so I went to the instruction page. It said go to a player, but I went straight to the Gold webpage.

    Next step is click "Device" and select a stream. When I did, only choice was the microphone. Again, nothing records.

    Where am I going wrong?
  • Tal'shiarTal'shiar Posts: 2,290
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    I just press record and it tags and separates the files automatically. Whenever I recorded it was one larger mp3 and then lots of smaller ones, but all done automatically in the program.

    The only thing I can think of with it being .ac is that its some sort of copy protection or proprietary format of some sort. Try a different radio station (like one that comes with the program) and see if that does the same. If it works fine then its the radio station, if it does the same its something up with the program (odd settings etc)
  • plugs13ampplugs13amp Posts: 274
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    RadioSure's website is back up, looks like they've revamped it. If you're still having trouble, give it a try, I found it just works.
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    plugs13amp wrote: »
    RadioSure's website is back up, looks like they've revamped it. If you're still having trouble, give it a try, I found it just works.

    It seems to only deal with phone apps, though.

    I've now downloaded RadioSure, and it works fine, apart from one small problem.

    The station I actually wanted, Gold, seems to broadcast without any pause in the sound (or whatever separates tracks). Consequently all I get is one continuous mp3 file.

    So I've been searching for other stations with 60s music. Some of those billed as "Oldies" seem to think that 80s and 90s music qualify! Well, I think they're 80/90s - I've never actually heard the songs before.

    However, I've now found a station which seems to work - .977 The Oldies Channels, from Florida, I think, where the output is split into mp3 tracks.

    I'll just stick with RadioSure, I think, though I'd be grateful for any other 40/50/60 music stations anyone knows of.
  • plugs13ampplugs13amp Posts: 274
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    I'm assuming you've checked the "split" checkbox on the "recordings" page of the tools dialog.

    I believe it splits the stream based on the changes in the track info, so if the station doesn't identify the tracks, it can't split them, and it ignores station idents / adverts by not keeping anything shorter than a certain duration (not accessible).

    Exactly which "Gold" are you trying to record ? If you type gold in the search box, there are 129 stations (and I've probably got an out-of-date station database). Right click it in the list and choose details to get the full station info.
  • plugs13ampplugs13amp Posts: 274
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    right click the title bar to get a menu which includes "details" for the currently playing station.

    when you put something in the search box, it searches the description and genre as well as the station name, so if you search for "50s/60s" you'll find 82 stations (starting with .977...). The tracks do seem to be from that era - yes I am that old !

    searching for "40s" brings up 16 stations - no I'm not THAT old.
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
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    AudioRecorderForFree is very easy to use, with the only fiddly bit being the adjustment of your PC's internal sound output to achieve the best recording level. Try it on a particularly loud piece of music and see if it comes up with the Recording Level Too High warning. With digital it's better to slightly under record than over record. You can even set it to perform a times recording, although you will obviously have to leave the radio player online. It gives you the option of recording in a variety of digital formats, although bear in mind that you will only get out what you put in,
  • jsmith99jsmith99 Posts: 20,382
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    plugs13amp : I found the 'details' as described, though there's no clue as to what the box is for. I've tried searching on "oldies", but not on "50s/60s" yet.

    The station I used was called ".977 Oldies", and I've now got nearly 80 tracks, all mp3.

    I was using the "Gold" shown as uk and london, and I have "spit recordings" checked.

    However,I found a radiosure forum, with a thread about splitting into tracks. The thread says that the broadcasting station must be sending signals to indicate the start of a track, and give track information.

    If those signals aren't there. than the tracks can't be split.


    berbeler : I had a look at AudioRecorderFor Free, But it looked to me as though it's purely the recorder. You need another programme for the radio; it's linking the two which I had problems with in the other programs.

    I'm happy with RadioSure, which does both, so long as I can find a 60s station whenever I want one.

    Thanks for all the advice, though, I appreciate it.
  • howard hhoward h Posts: 23,350
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    Tal'shiar wrote: »
    Surprised no one has mentioned by far the best way of recording internet radio.

    http://streamwriter.org/en/

    Thanks me laters brah haha

    (Its very easy to use and completely free)

    I found that thanks to Digital Spy (might even be one of your posts!!) so a belated *mwah* xxx :p
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