How to record streaming audio

These days, there is a plethora of audio content available to stream over the Internet. Even traditional terrestrial radio often offers content streamed over the Web, diversifying the choice in how consumers enjoy music and other audio. Although the legality is questionable, there are--and will always be--ways to record these streams. Streamed audio recordings for music are not going to offer the same sound quality as a ripped CD or even a purchased MP3, but it's it's a good option for talk programs and other audio. This tutorial will show you how to record streamed audio as an MP3, just be sure to read the usage rules for any recording source before beginning.

Note: This tutorial was completed using Windows XP

Cost: Free

Time commitment: Varies

System Requirements: Windows

1. Download and install Free Sound Recorder
   
2. Open Free Sound Recorder and the streaming audio source
   Streaming audio can be recorded from the Internet or any other audio source coming through your sound card. Make sure you close all other programs, and turn off any audio alerts you may have on your desktop. The software records from the sound card, so it will pick up anything you hear through your computer's speakers or headphones.


Only two open apps.

3. Set the output file type
   For the purposes of this tutorial, we will be recording in MP3, since it is fairly universal and also small enough to be transferred to portable devices, but the software also gives WAV and WMA as options if you prefer. Click the Settings button to get to the below menu.


Click the General Settings tab, and select the MP3 file option. You may also designate where you want the file saved in the Output Directory field.

4. Set the file bit rate
   The quality and size of the file depends on the bit rate. The higher the bit rate, the better the audio will sound. The lower the bit rate, the smaller the file will be. We're using the highest available bit rate for MP3--256kbps--which will result in a larger file that sounds better.


Click the Output Format Settings tab, and drag the toggle to the desired bit rate.

5. Set the inputs
   Hit the device button to view the options (if they are not already visible). You will be recording stereo audio from the sound card.


The top drop-down allows you to select the sound source. Make sure it is set to your sound card. Under Recording Mixer, select Stereo Mix.

6. Test the volume
   Play some audio from your streaming source and observe the levels meters. Make sure that they are not clipping, or showing a reddish hue at the top. Adjust the volume slider up if the levels are too low, or down if the levels are to high. Try to adjust it so that the levels are about two-thirds of the way up. Once the adjustments are made, stop the audio playback.


If the recording volume is set too high, an error message will flash by the levels meters. Lower the volume until the message stops appearing.

7. Record
   Hit the red record button, then name your file when prompted, and immediately start your stream. Stop recording once you have reached the end of your song or stream.
8. Repeat or split
   You may repeat the last step for as many songs or streams as you wish. Or, you may choose to record one long stream, and then split the audio into individual tracks.

[singleb]

great piece, except it fails to discuss the fact that Dell, Gateway and several other PC vendors have purposely handicapped the standard sound cards/chips that ship with their desktops and laptops, removing the necessary "Stereo Mix" or "What You Hear" device options that are necessary to record streaming audio with the method you have described. With some systems, it is possible to obtain updated drivers that restore this functionality, but you have to tread carefully since installing the wrong driver can disable the audio completely and force you to perform a system restore.

One cheap (@$3) and easy hardware fix is to buy a 3.5mm stereo audio splitter and short male-male 3.5mm stereo audio cable. Simply plug the main splitter lead into the sound card output jack (where you have your speaker cable plugged in), plug your speaker cable into one of the splitters, and then plug one end of the audio cable into the other splitter and the other cable end into the "line in" input of your sound card. Now you can select "line-in" as the device and start recording away!

[sbruce45]

singleb, thanks so much for your explanation as to why, with my Dell PC, I have not been able to use thse various programs that are supposed to record anything from my audio card. I did find a program that works, but it is not free, although fairly cheap. It is SoundTap and instead of taking input from linein or a microphone, it uses the sound card. Every other program I checked only shows linein or a mic.

[pjcamp]

You left a bit out -- disable system sounds. Nothing would wreck the listening experience more than listening to a Bach invention with an email notice in the middle of it.

[gdcol1969]

Seems to me the most logical course of action for this would be to....close your e-mail while recording. Just a suggestion.

[MBEmerson]

Okay, I have a question about this. I have a Sirius subscription, with which I can listen to audio online. If I want to set a timer on my computer to record a Sirius show every day, can I do this?

[berick]

If you are paying an additional 2.99 per month for the internet streaming you can, but with the free internet, you have to loginn with the graphic characters they use to confirm it is a human logging in. With that, you can't automatically login and listen. Als with the free one, if there is no activity for awhile, it'll stop the streaming.

[macstudly]

A better way to record streaming audio, especially internet radio, is to use the free software "Screamer". Get it at, http://www.screamer-radio.com/. Its free, it auto loads a database of internet radio stations when you start the program, you can enter your own URL's if needed, and it converts any audio streaming through the program into mp3 or other formats. Bunch of recording settings and if the radio station is tagging each song, Screamer will save each song as a unique file. Its incredible. Also, I don't think it uses the soundcard to record like the above noted program.

[allyduan]

Recording streaming music, it is a good way to download songs from Myspace, AOL Radio station. As far as i know, it record songs from our sound card, so the quality is better than general sound recorder. http://www.flash-on-tv.com/streaming-audio-recorder.html oh, there is a online demo tell you how to record songs off Aol radio station.

[Murphdog101]

does anyone know of a way to stream sirius and not only record it, but pause the stream? The way that a TIVO works with video.

[TheFoghorns]

Streaming audio is a godsend for independent bands, who can now have their music played and get paid. Of all the tips and tricks you could give, this one is really slimey. You're giving advice on how to rip us off, and how to rip off struggling radio stations. Please, don't rip streaming audio-- buy the CD, or get an account with Rhapsody or something like that.

[Jasmineflower]

Recording an Internet stream is akin to recording FM radio. Any recorded stream is not going to sound nearly as good as something ripped from CD or even transferred or purchased from Rhapsody. If people want something that sounds *good*, they will have to pay for it.

[someguy7234]

I used to do this quite a bit with Pandora. I saw an online forum that mentioned that if this became widespread that services like pandora would not be allowed to exist anymore. To me that seemed like a good enough reason to stop doing it, and just buy and enjoy my music the legal/ethical way. I still record audio streams from online broadcasts and VOIP meetings, but I think its kinda ****** to take advantage of other a very generous music listening policy laid out by pandora, LastFM etc.

[someToast]

SoundExchange, the licensing arm the RIAA, lists stream ripping amongst their excuses for jacking internet broadcasting rates up beyond all sense of reality. Broadcasting rates that will cause innovative services like last.fm and Pandora to stop streaming altogether.

I pay to run a legal, licensed internet stream through live365.com. I'm paying nearly twice as much money this year to support half the listeners I did last year thanks to these rate hikes. Who do I contact at CNET about getting a check for the difference?

[Elevatorboy]

Like someToast, I am a streaming 'caster and find your detailed instructions for stealing - yes, I said stealing - copyrighted material through stream-ripping reprehensible. Your suggestion that "... the legality is questionable..." is fallacious at best. It's wrong, period. Internet broadcasters are desperately attempting to educate consumers and legislators about the inequities in the current royalty structure which gives terrestrial radio a free ride while pounding the wallets of small webcasters who are trying to bring diversity to listeners. Internet radio is fighting for its life as it is. The RIAA and their cohorts in Congress don't need any help from Ms. France and CNET in hastening its demise.

[Jasmineflower]

Actually, it's not fallacious. The legality of recording streamed *music* is questionable - the laws change frequently on the matter. Regardless, recording streamed audio isn't going to get you a high quality result...it's best for talk and other low-fi material - or figuring out which songs you want to purchase in a high quality format. There are applications and services out there that haven't been deemed illegal (BitTorrent, or Replay Radio, for example: http://www.replay-radio.com/) that offer much more questionable recording and acquiring practices for those who seek them out.

No, it's not theft. Time-shifting of broadcasts has long been considered FAIR USE. As long as the person recording does not distribute it, he can listen to a previously recorded program. Music play via radio stations or internet radio stations is considered promotional use. The artist was paid via ASCAP for the broadcast, and the advertisers' ads would still be in the recorded version, so they got their part out of it. It's no different from people videotaping TV programs while they're at work and watching them later.

[tabulator32]

I would suggest that the credentials of Jasmine France as a reporter are more questionable than the legality of the stream-ripping. It don't like any type of news media regulation, however, when people like the one who wrote this article blatantly toss out "tricks" to defeat the system and try to get something for free, they are just another petty thief sharing the tools of their trade.

Really...have some responsibility and self-respect as a reporter.

Yes, I take offense to your article as it seeks to do further damage to our industry and it teaches people how to break the law. Please retract this article and report responsible material going forward.

[Jasmineflower]

There are much more questionable ways to acquire and record music (see BitTorrent and Replay Radio: http://www.replay-radio.com/) that are still "legal". This tutorial will not result in high quality audio recordings - it is most appropriate for talk and lo-fi - but it does allow people to listen more closely to a track so that they may decide if they would like to purchase a high quality version on CD or even in MP3 format. (Even a 256kbps MP3 purchased from Amazon or Rhapsody or Napster will sound noticeably better.) And it's not a "trick" - a plethora of recording programs and how tos can be found on the Web and are not deemed illegal.

[tabulator32]

I would suggest that the credentials of Jasmine France as a reporter are more questionable than the legality of the stream-ripping. It don't like any type of news media regulation, however, when people like the one who wrote this article blatantly toss out "tricks" to defeat the system and try to get something for free, they are just another petty thief sharing the tools of their trade.

Really...have some responsibility and self-respect as a reporter.

Yes, I take offense to your article as it seeks to do further damage to our industry and it teaches people how to break the law. Please retract this article and report responsible material going forward.

[darkpilgrim]

Theft is theft. Steal the music at your own risk. Bands work HARD to pay for studio time, production costs, materials, etc. If you really care, go buy the music.

CNET - What happened to you?

[CasterBroad]

Hey, I can't wait for CNET's next article, "How to rob a bank: the perfect getaway car."

[CasterBroad]

...and another thought, might I suggest an article on how to get away with shoplifting CDs? It's the same thing as streamripping.

Live365 Broadcaster

[PhilMB]

Typical of the maggots that infect the Lame Stream Media -- this is a great example of the COMMISSION and OMISSION regularly practiced by the American Media. They are the first to scream bloody murder when people copy and reshow their content, yet they have no problem providing the methods to allow anyone to steal other content. I'm sure there is a method to this "Bread and Circuses" tip -- to allow RIAA more inroads into the legitimate uses of Time-Shift and Commercial Skip.

Delete this page from your site; it's not worthy of the C-Net brand.

[45sara]

Thanks, I will not record illegally. I will just record things that state they are available.

[RenoDavid]

Wow people, calm down. There's plenty of legal audio this method could be used to record. Actually, i'm at a loss why anyone would want to record inferior-quality streaming music. XM sounds pretty crappy in my car, compared to what I get out of my iPod hooked up directly to my radio. It's OK for talk radio but music is very disappointing.

[RenoDavid]

And also, time shifting content is perfectly legal, if I'm no mistaken. We all can't be at our computer when a certain show is being broadcast. None of you complainers have a VCR or a DVR?

[john262]

Thanks for this tutorial. Another way to record streaming audio is to simply use Real Player 11. It has built in stream ripping capabilities. And has been already mentioned in this thread, stream ripping can be perfectly legal under some circumstances. And if the RIAA doesn't like it, as far as I'm concerned they can go take a hike.

[GunghoFilipino]

I don't know if anyone else has had this "problem," but I've notice that when i play back the songs that I recorded, they sound slower than the original content, and the pitch is a half-step down. Has anyone else had this problem, or am I the only one? Is there a way I can fix it?