Customizing Windows Medial Player and iTunes
Within Media Player and iTunes, there are several file format and compression choices.
Media Player’s default format is WMA (Windows Media Audio) and iTunes uses AAC
(Advance Audio Coding). The problem with these formats is that neither will play in
both software applications. This makes freely sharing files across multiple platforms
impossible. The best format for sharing audio files is MP3 since it will play equally well
within Media Player or iTunes. The following section provides instructions for setting
MP3 as the default format and setting the compression rate for the best possible audio
reproduction.
Windows Media Player (Fig. 18)
With Windows Media Player open, direct your cursor over the Rip tab and click on the
down arrow. Select “More Options”. An “Options” window will appear. Select the Rip
tab. Under “Format”, change the format from Windows Media Audio to MP3. Make
sure that Rip CD when inserted is checked. Under that, select Always. Check Eject CD
when ripping is complete. Under “Audio Quality”, the slider allows you to select the
default file compression. Moving the slider to the right improves the audio quality. The
higher the compression number, the larger the file will be. If disc space allows, set the
compression at 320 Kbps for the best possible audio quality.
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Figure 18– Window Media Player Rip Music Tab