How To Encode MP3s For Maximum Playability (directions)

Following are the instructions for Windows desktops. Note: If you plan on selling MP3s, or making MP3s for your own collection, you will want to use higher quality settings. The instructions below are to make it easy and fast to play, stream, and download over the web.

1. Install the free MP3 tool Audiograbber (Windows).

2. Install the free Windows binary version of LAME encoder.

Make sure to change the default settings to unzip the files for the LAME encoder into the same directory as Audiograbber, which is by default "C:\audiograbber".

3. Configure Audiograbber using these instructions.

1. Run the program.
2. Press the MP3 button.
3. Make sure "Internal Encoder" is chosen, with "LameEnc" as the selection.
4. Use the following settings on this page:
   • Grab to: MP3 file via intermediate WAV file. Keep the WAV file.
   • Leave unchecked "Use ID3v1 Tag", "Append ID3 info to WAV File", and "Rip all tracks before encoding".
   • Enable the Internal Encoder tab.
   • Choose the LameEnc DLL.
   • Choose Constant Bitrate, and set the slidebar to 128.
   • In the Quality box, select Joint Stereo and Normal.
   • In the Bitstream flags click Original.
   • In the Encoder priority, choose Normal

Click OK when all these options are set.

4. Begin converting.

Once all the settings are changed, drag the WAV files from a file window into the Audiograbber program. Audiograbber will start converting them into MP3s at your chosen settings.