[Dixielandjazz] Real audio to mp3. - skip if you don't care.

[Craig I. Johnson]

Long note. --- if you don't care about this subject, skip out and delete now.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   


 I've answered this before, and others have answered as well, but I need to add a couple of points.
The way that has ALWAYS worked for me is to play a real audio stream with
real audio, whilst simultaneously recording it with another program (I use an old copy of musicmatch.)
-- The requires one to manual start the recording program and then to start the real audio player.
I suppose I could write a program to do this. I know (based on recent posts to this forum how the
start the real audio player playing, but have not yet seen how to automatically initiate the music match
player the same way.

A major point. --- Whatever recording program you use, MUST be able to record what is playing on your
computer -- this is done in musicmatch by selecting the source of the recording to be
"The system mixer." This must be an option in your recording program.

--------------------
There is a much easier, but less reliable way to do this more automatically.
Buy and use a program like WM Recorder 12.0   (PLEASE note the caveat later.)
Such a program will link to the real audio stream by internet link (URL) and
record it as it plays (in "one swell foop").- simultaneously converting it to another
format - including mp3.

CAVEAT:: 
I have not always been able to do this with WM Recorded 12.0.
 From time to time I am told that the server
(or the stream) has intentionally refused access to the song.
I have had this result from redhotjazz.com and at least one other server.

It MAY be that there is code on the server which recognizes that such a program
is being used (to record the stream) -- in place of the sanctioned real audio player.
----------------

This latter operation is consistent with the intention of real audio files to be (selectively)
made "non-recordable". There is an option when (initially) recording  the song to  a stream
format - to set the file as "non-recordable" and real audio player obviously tests for this option.
(However it cannot -- at least to date -- test to see if another program is recording from
"the system mixer" - so that approach always works.- tho it records at the rate of the actual
playing of the audio file.--- whereas WM Recorder and other similar programs record and convert
at the rate of download which is faster -- when it works."

Note: WHEN WM Recorder does work with a server it has the additional advantage that  
IN the back ground, - it records all stream links when you play them, whether recording or not.
It can then be told to (later) go and record those streams - in a "batch" mode. -- a highly desirable ability.

As we used to tell folks when I was answering computer questions as an occupation:
"I hope this helps."

Craig Johnson