There are any number of utilities available than can create MP3 files from another format by re-digitizing the analog sound that comes out of your sound card. This technique, however, always results in some loss of quality. The loss can range from the unnoticeable to the unplayable depending on the quality of the ADC (Analog to Digital Conversion). In contrast, pure digital to digital conversion suffers almost no loss in quality but is not always possible due to digital rights protection schemes such as that used on the iPod. HotRecorder for Media [1] is a $19.95 shareware utility that claims to be able to convert your music files to MP3 format while "maintaining the original qualityof the audio files." Now, I’m no audio engineer but that statement, if true, would imply digital conversion. If not, the claim is false or at best an exaggeration. I’m no lawyer either and can’t comment on the legalities involved. What I can say is that when I tested HotRecorder I thought the MP3s produced sounded fine but no better than those produced by the free program Mp3mymp3 [2]. This doesn’t surprise me; MP3 is after all a lossy format. Where HotRecorder did impress was its ability to semi- automatically generate MP3 files from my iTunes library; a real convenience factor. HotRecorder is available on a trial basis (with a 60 second song time limitation) so you can decide for yourself. Shareware, $19.95, Windows 2000 and later, 1.85MB.
[1] http://www.hotrecorder.com/products/product_hotrecorder4media.asp
[2] http://www.mp3mymp3.com/mp3_my_mp3_recorder.html
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