Streamripping: A Guide to Recording Streaming MP3s

Streamripping means recording a streaming mp3 from an Internet radio station. Most of the time, this means recording a stream that you find on Shoutcast. The principle is the same as recording a song from the radio, and most likely the recording won't be as good as something you could download from iTunes.

With the crackdown on people downloading mp3s from Bittorrent and other P2P services, streamripping became a more popular alternative since no one can tell whether you're recording the stream or not. However, if there is a legal mp3 stream that you love listening to, streamripping is a good way to get a permanent copy. The cool part is that the software is able to split the track into individual songs based on metadata most of the time so you don't get one big mp3 file with 10 songs recorded one after the other.

Option 1: Use the open source StreamRipper software.

1. Just select a Genre and hit Refresh List.
2. Double click on a station, select a download directory, and start ripping.

Some of the links that I clicked on caused StreamRipper to crash. If that happens, try a different station since most of them will work.


Important: If you run into a User Agent problem, click on More Options and try replacing "StreamRipper32/1.0" with "Winamp/2.x". This is likely to happen so I recommend you change the user agent before ripping.

Windows Download

Option 2: Use StationRipper, which is for the hardcore streamripper. With the free version, you can rip 2 stations at once, but with the paid, you can potentially rip 600. It also supports ripping iTunes radio with a drag-and-drop function. If you're serious about building up a gigantic mp3 collection, this is for you. It's also a little easier to use than StreamRipper.

Labels: Technology

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Streamripping: A Guide to Recording Streaming MP3s