Ripping CDs

[Little Jim]

I still buy CDs, although generally second hand from the likes of eBay.  These I rip to the computer hard drive and some I then transfer to my phone, others just get played from the PC.

I bought one last Saturday which is refusing to let me transfer to the phone.  I have ripped it to the PC and it plays fine but will not allow me to move it.  I have tried ripping direct to the phone and although that appears to work I cannot find it on the phone.  Is this all down to the famous DRM thing and so I am stuck? or is it just general incompetence on my part?  Are there any work-arounds that I can try?

[pcolbeck]

A file is a file and you should be able to move it anywhere you like. Playing it it is a different matter if DRM is involved.
Ripping a CD doesnt usually preserve any DRM though.

What program are you using to do the RIP and on what OS ?
What format are you ripping to (MP3, FLAC, WAV etc)?
What type of phone is it (Apple, Android etc)?
How are you transferring it the file?
What player are you using on the PC?
What player are you using on the phone?

[Little Jim]

...and it has just let me do the transfer (sync) 

I am using Windows Media Player with Windows 10 Pro.  I rip as MP3 to transfer to the phone and FLAC for playing from the PC.  Phone is a Samsung S20 which uses Samsung Music to play the files.  Transferring is usually straightforward, rip to the music library, connect the phone to the PC, open the sync tab, find the phone, drag the album file into the sync box and then start the sync.  Usually totally idiot proof, but earlier it would not let me drag the album into the sync box no matter what I was trying to sync the file with - currently there is a portable hard drive and memory stick plugged in as well.  Windows Media Player could see all the devices plugged in but would not allow the file to be dragged into the box - a red circle with a line through it came up over the file as I dragged it and as soon as I released it the file pinged back to the library. I must admit that windows Media player is a bit rubbish, but it generally does what I want as I never need to edit the album files, just rip and play.  There is a newer Media Player available but I cannot see how to rip using that, only play existing files.

[DaveReading]

A decent file manager like FX will allow you to find files that you know are on your phone, but aren't sure where, and will help you to transfer music and other files to a known destination.

[Pingu]

...There is a newer Media Player available but I cannot see how to rip using that, only play existing files.

Exact Audio Copy

[Little Jim]

...There is a newer Media Player available but I cannot see how to rip using that, only play existing files.

Exact Audio Copy

Thank you, I will investigate further!

[lissotriton]

For ripping CDs, I have used Fre:ac. Maybe simpler and quicker than Exact Audio Copy. https://www.freac.org/

And when you plug the phone into the computer, it should appear as a disk drive. So you can just copy and paste the MP3s into the music folder. Probably easier than trying to sync with Media Player.

[Afasoas]

I still buy CDs, although generally second hand from the likes of eBay.  These I rip to the computer hard drive and some I then transfer to my phone, others just get played from the PC.

I bought one last Saturday which is refusing to let me transfer to the phone.  I have ripped it to the PC and it plays fine but will not allow me to move it.  I have tried ripping direct to the phone and although that appears to work I cannot find it on the phone.  Is this all down to the famous DRM thing and so I am stuck? or is it just general incompetence on my part?  Are there any work-arounds that I can try?

It might be worth setting up a Discogs account and curating a wanted list. That way, when you can buy a handful of CDs from a single seller and save on postage. There is a grading system¹ in place too so there's more idea about the condition of what you are buying. I've had a few duds from eBay, in cluding CDs suffering disc rot and ones so scratched up they don't play without skipping.

When you are unable to move the file on the PC, I suspect a process has a lock on the file. If you are ripping to a folder that is synced to OneDrive (or some other cloudy synchronised destination) the file will be locked whilst it is synchronised.
Why you can't find the file on the phone, I've no idea.