How to Record the Sound Coming From Your PC (Even Without Stereo Mix)

You don’t have to hold up a microphone to your computer’s speakers to record its audio. Even if you don’t have a Stereo Mix option on your PC, you can easily record the sound coming from any Windows PC.

This can all be done with software. No, you don’t even need to connect your computer’s audio output to its audio input with an audio cable to do this — although that is an option.

Option 1: Stereo Mix

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How To Enable “Stereo Mix” in Windows 7 (to Record Audio)
Ever need to record something on your computer exactly as it comes out of your speakers? Enabling “Stereo Mix” will let you do exactly that, and here’s how to do it.[Read Article]

Stereo Mix is sometimes called “What U Hear.” It’s a special recording option that may be provided by your sound drivers. If it is, you can select it (instead of a microphone or audio line-in input) and force any application to record the same sound that your computer is outputting from its speakers or headphones.

On modern versions of Windows, Stereo Mix is generally disabled by default — even if your sound drivers support it. Follow our instructions to enable the Stereo Mix audio source on Windows. Use any audio-recording program and select “Stereo Mix” as the input device instead of the usual “line-in” or “microphone” option.

On some devices, you may not have this option at all. There may be a way to enable it with different audio drivers, but not every piece of sound hardware supports Stereo Mix. It’s become less and less common.

Option 2: Audacity’s WASAPI Loopback

Don’t have a Stereo Mix option? No problem. Audacity has a useful feature that will can record the audio coming out of your computer even without Stereo Mix. In fact, Audacity’s feature may be even better than Stereo Mix — assuming you’re willing to use Audacity to record the audio, of course. This takes advantage of something Microsoft added in Windows Vista, and it’ll also function in Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. It helps make up for the lack of a Stereo Mix option on modern Windows PCs.

In Audacity, choose the “Windows WASAPI” audio host and then an appropriate loopback device — for example, “Speakers (loopback)” or “Headphones (loopback).”

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Ever get the urge to edit some audio but you’re not sure where to start? Settle in with this HTG guide to the free audio editor Audacity that’s written for beginners but caters to geeks of all levels.[Read Article]

Click the Record button to start recording the audio in Audacity, and click Stop when you’re done. Because you’re using Audacity, you caneasily trim and edit the sound file when you’re done.

Audacity’s tutorial website explains why this feature is actually better than Stereo Mix:

“WASAPI loopback has an advantage over stereo mix or similar inputs provided by the soundcard that the capture is entirely digital (rather than converting to analog for playback, then back to digital when Audacity receives it). System sounds playing through the device selected for WASAPI loopback are still captured, however.”

In other words, your recorded sound file will have be higher-quality when using Audacity’s WASAPI loopback option.

Option 3: An Audio Cable

There’s always the low-tech solution, although it’s a bit of a dirty hack. Just get an audio cable with a male 3.5mm connector on both ends. Plug one end into the line-out (or headphone) jack on your PC and the other one into the line-in (or microphone) jack on your PC. You’ll stop hearing the sound your computer produces, but you can use any audio-recording program to record the “line in” or “microphone” input. To actually hear the sound, you could get a splitterand output the audio to headphones or speakers at the same time you direct it back into your computer.

Sure, this is inconvenient and silly compared to to the above options. But, if you desperately need to capture the audio coming out of your computer in an application that isn’t Audacity and you don’t have Stereo Mix, the cable will allow you to do this.

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Obviously, copyright laws may prevent you from distributing whatever recordings you make in this way. Don’t use these tricks for piracy! After all, even if you were going to pirate some audio, there’d be much easier ways to do it than this.

Source: http://www.howtogeek.com/217348/how-to-record-the-sound-coming-from-your-pc-even-without-stereo-mix/

How to burn data across multiple discs

By Martin Brinkmann on May 19, 2015
Some burning programs support the burning of data across multiple discs. This can be useful if you want to burn data that does not fit on a single optical disc.
While you could try and divide the data manually on multiple discs, using a program that supports this natively is usually the better option as it saves you a lot of time.
I have to admit that I'm not burning that much data or other contents on optical discs as I did several years ago. The core reason for this is that other options such as Flash drives are often the better option now, especially when it comes to backing up data.
When I do burn data on the other hand, I notice more often than not that it exceeds the disc limit of recordable DVDs. The Ghacks server backup for instance has a size of more than 10 Gigabytes packed which means that it won't fit on a single-layer or dual-layer DVD anymore.
The following two burning programs support disc spanning.

BurnAware Free
Note: The main installer of BurnAware Free includes OpenCandy and thus adware offers. You find an OpenCandy-free installer on the download site as well near the bottom of the page.
BurnAware Free displays a wizard when you start it up. You find the span disc option under data in the wizard.
The actual job configuration window looks similar to the regular job data burning interface but with the difference that you find a number listed next to the selected medium.
This number changes based on the data that you add to the job and indicates the number of discs that you need to burn data to.





This is more or less an automated process and the only thing that you need to make sure is that you have enough blank discs to burn the data.
Once you hit burn the process starts with the first disc. The log indicates the overall progress, e.g. disc #1 of 4, and a dialog to insert a new disc is displayed when data has been burned successfully to one of the discs required for the process.





CD Burner XP
Note: CD Burner XP just like BurnAware Free includes adware offers in the main installer. You can download a portable version of the program that ships without these offers from this directory.
Select data disc after you start the program.





This opens the data compilation dialog that you use to add files and folders to the job. Add as many files and folders as you like.
The program displays information about the overall size of the compilation, the space that is available on the disc that you have inserted, and the space that the medium lacks.
Click the burn button once you have added all the files and folders that you want to burn. The program indicates that the type of disc that you have inserted into the writer has not enough free storage space for the burn job.





While you could insert a disc with more storage if available, you may also click on the disc spanning button instead to split the data on multiple discs.
You may switch from using as few discs as possible to "do not split folder contents unnecessarily" instead. The advantage of the former is that you will end up using the fewest number of blank discs possible. If you use the folder option instead, you may end up using more discs because the program tries to avoid splitting up folders.





A click on split starts the process. CD Burner XP prompts for discs whenever the burn job requires another disc and all you have to do is insert them whenever the program requests that.
Closing Words
Both programs are comfortable to use and can burn data to multiple discs. BurnAware Free is a bit simpler to use though and if you don't have a preference for the other program, you may want to give it a try first because of that.

Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2015/05/19/how-to-burn-data-across-multiple-discs/

What’s the best free file synchronization software for Windows?

File synchronization software comes in many shapes and forms. From cloud storage services that allow you to sync files with the cloud and from there to your other devices to local solutions that you use without third-party involvement.
This article concentrates on local solutions only that are offered for free and run on all supported versions of the Windows operating system.
While cloud syncing services have their advantages, it makes little sense to use them when you want to sync files in a local network between devices.
Before we look at the programs that we reviewed for this article, it is important to define what makes a good file synchronization software.
Requirements

1. Supports manual and automatic (scheduled) modes of operation.
2. Supports one-way and two-way synchronization of data.
3. Filters to include/exclude files or folders based on rules that you specify.
4. Should sync files in use.
5. Should work with a variety of devices including internal and external hard drives, network shares and removable devices.
6. Should not limit you in regards to the synchronization (no file limits, use limits).

The Contenders
Bvckup 2 - Freeware
Create Synchronicity - Open Source Software
FreeFileSync - Open Source software
SyncBackFree - Free for personal use. (Portable version link)
SyncFolders - Freeware
Syncredible - Free for personal use.
Synkron - Open Source software
Not included
Allway Sync - Limits syncs to 40,000 files per calendar month

 

Bvckup 2

 

Bvckup opens a clean interface on launch., First thing you do is create a new backup profile under File and configure it.
There you select the source and destination folders as well as all parameters for the job. You will notice that you can only configure one-way sync operations using the program.
What sticks out on the other hand is support for delta-copying files which reduces the time it takes to update already synced files by transferring only the parts that have been modified.
The program can monitor the source directory in real-time, using specific intervals or manually. The preferences hold additional options of interest. It is for instance possible to link backup jobs to removable devices so that they are only run when the device is connected to the system.
The progress is highlighted in steps when a job runs. It highlights the current operation and the remaining steps and errors so far. A detailed log file is available as well which you can enable under options.

 

Create Synchronicity

 

Create Synchronicity is an easy to configure file backup and synchronization software. Compared to other syncing programs it is rather bare-bones which does not have to be a bad thing depending on your needs.
It does support one-way and two-way syncing though and a couple of additional features that you configure during setup of a new sync job.
It supports a preview option that displays exactly what will happen when you run the synchronization job. There is however no option to make last minute adjustments to the job which means that you will have to open the configuration of the job again to do that.
The sync dialog displays all there is to know about the process including the elapsed time, progress bars, the speed of the process and how many files and folders were created and deleted so far and how many are left.

  https://bvckup2.com/

 

 

FreeFileSync

 

Attention: The program ships with adware. Mystartsearch was offered during test installations and the only option to skip it was to switch from Basic (Recommended) to Advanced and remove the checkmark from the Install Mystartsearch box there before clicking Next.
FreeFileSync's interface leaves you puzzled for a moment where to begin. It is not really that complicated but a little bit of guidance would help out a lot.
What you need to do is add folder pairs that you want to sync using the browse buttons. Once you have added at lest one pair, you use the compare, filter or synchronize button to start a process.
Both compare and synchronize are configured with a click on the cog wheel button next to their buttons. Compare for instance compares all files in both folders based on their size and file time.
Synchronize on the other hand displays the sync methods supported by the program as well as other sync related preferences that you can configure there.
Please note that you need to run the program with elevated privileges as you may get access errors otherwise depending on the folders and files you select.
Compare loads all files and folders and displays them in the interface. FreeFileSync higlights which files are only listed in one of the two directories and displays the total size and file count of the operation if executed.
Scheduling is not built-in but you can export a job as a batch file and add it to the Windows Task Scheduler manually to run it regularly on the system.

  http://www.freefilesync.org/

 

SyncBackFree

 

Setting up a sync job is a two-step process in SyncBackFree. You create a new profile and the desired synchronization method in the first step.
Once done, you configure the new sync profile in detail in the second step. A simple version of the configuration is displayed to you by default. You can change that to an expert configuration if you prefer that which displays all available options (and some not available in the free version).
The expert options leave little to be desired. At the very least, it is necessary to add two folders to the profile but you can do a lot more than that.
For instance, it is possible to define detailed compare options that determine whether files are equal or not based no parameters that you can adjust in the settings.
Next to that, it is the only program supporting compression and encryption of files, and ftp servers. Another interesting and unique feature it offers is a performance estimation for the profile highlighting settings that may slow down the profile.

  http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html

 

SyncFolders

 

The program is probably the easiest to set up thanks to its streamlined interface. One you click the new button you are taken to the configuration screen where you configure all sync related options.
Before you run a sync operation, you may want to run a scan first as it provides information about the job. It lists files and folders to synchronize, the total size of the data and errors that it ran into.
A click on errors reveals those while details lists all files and folders and their status in regards to the other folder. A right-click on folders or files displays options to override the default rules in place. You can block files from being synchronized or copied for instance.

  http://www.syncfolders.elementfx.com/

 

Synchredible

 

When you first start Synchredible after installation you are taken directly to the task wizard which you can use to create a first sync job.
Adding a new sync job is not complicated and every option that you can select is well explained. It takes seven steps (pages) to set up your first sync job which can be a bit overwhelming if you never used a sync software before.
The wizard covers all necessary information on the other hand giving you full control over the process. Here is a quick rundown of the steps:

1. Select the two folders and decide whether subfolders should be included.
2. Enable one-way or two-way sync, and decide if you want to synchronize all files or only newer files.
3. Add more parameters such as deleting redundant files, ignoring hidden files or folders, or comparing file contents.
4. Set up filters to include or exclude files or folders from the operation.
5. Set up automatic tasks. Schedule synchronization jobs or configure them to run based on certain conditions or system events.
6. Add actions that you want run before or after synchronization.
7. Add a name, assign a system wide hotkey for the task, and enable the preview feature.

Jobs can be run manually at any time or only manually if you want that.Another interesting feature is the program's group option. You can add multiple jobs to a group to run all jobs of that group in one operation.
Before you run the first job you may want to check the program's options first as they list quite a few sync related preferences.
Verification is enabled for instance by default while the saving of reports is not. You can also mail reports, suppress error messages during jobs, change the buffer size or disable log file creation.
Sync jobs that run show the progress of the operation in the interface. There is also an option to pause the job.

  http://synchredible.com/

 

Synkron

 

Synkron supports folder synchronizations and multi-syncs. The difference between the two operations is that a folder sync is keeping files in sync between two or more folders while multisync syncing multiple source folders with one destination folder.
Once you have added at least two folders you can hit the analyze button to display information about the current sync status.
All folders not synced currently are listed for synchronization but you can blacklist files or folders to exclude them from the process.
Advanced options are available as well which you can use to define additional sync related preferences such as not creating empty folders or syncing hidden files and folders.
Once you hit sync all files and folders are processed and displayed to you so that you know exactly where the process is at. There is no progress bar on the other hand which means that you don't know how long jobs will take to complete.

http://synkron.sourceforge.net/

Which program is the best?

This comes down to your requirements more than anything else. Synchredible overall made the best impression as it offers an immense number of options to set up synchronization jobs on your devices.
SyncFolders is another excellent program. While it may lack certain features, it makes up for them with its straightforward interface which is probably the easiest to use.
You cannot go wrong with both of them unless you require a specific feature that one of the programs does not offer.
Update: SyncBackFree is another excellent program that ships with a couple of unique features. It is probable the feature-richest program of all programs mentioned in this article.
If you don't require two-way syncing, then Bvckup may be another interesting choice. The program supports delta-copying which should speed up consecutive sync jobs significantly.
Other suggestions worth investigating:

• DSynchronize
• Mirrorfolder
  
  Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2015/03/17/whats-the-best-free-file-synchronization-software-for-windows/

All You Need to Know about Video Codecs, Containers, and Compression

Explaining the difference between codecs and containers is relatively simple, but hard part is attempting to understand each format. The lines start to get blurred when you realize that most common codecs aren’t exclusive, and can make use of multiple compression technologies in order to get the job done. The blurred line becomes nearly invisible when you start to talk about formats like MPEG-4 which could be classified as a bit of a container and a bit of a codec, but that’s a rather complicated classification that’s best left for another time.
So, how do you teach yourself the difference between dozens of codec and container options? Don’t. There is only a handful of technologies that are used for online video, and the bulk of your effort will be spent understanding how these work, as well as understanding the trade-offs you’re faced with when deciding on what to use.
You could spend weeks studying technologies that are only used for a relatively small number of applications, so instead we’re going to focus our attention on what technologies you’ll use for most of your video encoding and playback needs.

What Is a Codec?

A codec – or coder/decoder – is an encoding tool that processes video and stores it in a stream of bytes. Codecs use algorithms to effectively shrink the size of the audio or video file, and then decompress it when needed. There are dozens of different types of codecs, and each uses a different technology in order to encode and shrink your video file for the intended application.
Depending on the codec, this encoding occurs in one of two ways: lossy or a lossless compression.

Lossy Compression

When looking for manageable file sizes, lossy compression is the most viable method available. While you certainly lose quality in audio, video, or both, the compression is a necessary evil (currently) in a world dominated by the need to share and store what would otherwise amount to impractical file sizes. Your average Blu-ray, for example, can exceed 40 gigabytes, and that sort of storage space would not only be expensive, but it’d make digital downloads and purchases inconvenient, if not an outright waste of time. The key when using lossy compression is to settle on the highest quality compression format for your intended use, so that you walk the fine line between loss of quality, and file size.

Lossless Compression

Lossless compression works much like a ZIP or RAR file in that after compressing and decompressing, the file is essentially the same. Through use of smart algorithms, the file doesn’t lose much quality, but it’s not an efficient way to store large files because there isn’t much compression that actually takes place. In addition, online transmission of large video files uses far too much bandwidth (although H.265 encoding may change that) to make it a viable compression option.
Unless you work in the film industry, or in video editing, it’s unlikely you’ll ever share video files in a lossless format (if even then). To put it into perspective, even a 4k television doesn’t contain the resolution needed to display a film shot on a modern camera and delivered without some sort of compression. In fact, it’s not even close (yet). While 4k video is beautiful, it’s not even close to the size of an uncompressed video format.
While a Blu-ray film is less than 50 gigabytes (if it has to fit on one disc), the first downloadable 4k movie (available to consumers – trailer below) is a whopping 160 gigabytes! Completely uncompressed 1080p video is a mind-boggling 410 gigabytes per hour, and that doesn’t include the audio file, which could add an additional 7 gigabytes per hour depending on how it was recorded. All-in-all, these files are all but useless for a consumer market with current technology.
It’s also important to note that codecs aren’t just for compression of audio and video files. Once a file has been encoded using a specific codec, that same codec must be used to decode the file in order for it to play on your device. Not using the correct codec is what leads to the majority of device compatibility or playback issues. This issue is becoming less common as modern containers often include the required audio and video codecs needed to play the file.

Popular Codecs

XviD/DivX

DivX is a commercially sold codec, while XviD is an open source utility meant to function as an alternative to its commercial cousin. Both codecs can decode the output of the other, as they are both built on the implementation of MPEG-4. While still widely used, its often strictly for video encoding and in conjunction with one of the more popular packs mentioned below.

MPEG-4

MPEG-4 is the most common streaming format and it consists of many parts, of which only MPEG-4 Part II is used for video coding. MPEG-4 Part II calls on video encoders such as DivX or XviD in order to encode the video, while audio is typically carried in MP3 format. Modern updates to MPEG-4 are now using H.264 as well.

H.264

This is the most popular choice for high definition material. H.264 is also a relative Swiss Army knife of the codec world as it can utilize both lossy and lossless compression depending on the settings you choose when encoding, such as frame rate, quality, and target file size. H.264 relies on x264 for encoded video (as well as others, such as DivX or XviD), and audio is often encoded using AAC or MP3 audio codecs depending on the size and quality you’re targeting.
H.264 is touted as 1.5 to 2 times as efficient as basic MPEG-4 compression, which leads to smaller file sizes and seamless playback on more devices. That said, H.264 is now included in the MPEG-4 codec (part 10, known as AVC), so it could become a moot point in the near future as the codecs become less reliant on a single encoding technology, and instead take on the role of a codec pack which includes multiple encoding methods in a single package.

What is a Container?

A container exists solely for the purpose of bundling all of the audio, video, and codec files into one organized package. In addition, the container often contains chapter information for DVD or Blu-ray movies, metadata, subtitles, and/or additional audio files such as different spoken languages. The typical container runs like an executable (.exe) file on Windows. It uses a .bat file to tell the operating system that there are executable commands that need to be run together in order to achieve the intended result.

Popular Containers

Flash Video (.flv, .swf)

Macromedia originally created Flash before they were ultimately acquired by Adobe in 2005. Flash is an aging container that is being phased out due to limitations in the technology, creating what Steve Jobs used to refer to as “buggy” file handling. This led to a very public omission from iOS devices for Adobe and it appears that this was the beginning of the end for the format. As HTML5 standardization takes hold, we should see less Flash videos online, and the container is most likely going to disappear with it.

MKV

MKV is a rapidly growing format that was designed to be future-proof. The container itself supports almost any audio or video format which makes it adaptable, efficient, and highly regarded as one of the best – if not the best – ways to store audio and video files. In addition, it even supports multiple audio, video and subtitle files even if they are encoded in different formats. Due to the options the container offers, as well as its handling of error recovery (which allows you to play back corrupted files), it has quickly become one of the best containers currently available.

MP4

MP4 is the recommended format for uploading video to the web, and services such as Vimeo and YouTube have it listed as their preferred format. The MP4 container utilizes MPEG-4 encoding, or H.264, as well as AAC or AC3 for audio. It’s widely supported on most consumer devices, and the most common container used for online video. You really can’t go wrong with MP4.
The bottom line is, a container is a (mostly) useless bit of information when referring to video. Telling someone to send you an MP4 file doesn’t give away any useful bits of information without understanding how the video and audio itself were encoded. The container is just that, a place to store the audio, video and the codecs needed to decode them for playback.
So, ultimately if you’re looking for advice on what to use, H.264 is quickly becoming the standard codec, while either mp4 or MKV are worthy containers. MP4 might get the edge here because it is better supported in consumer devices, and is the standard for most large streaming video sites. Ultimately, the choice is yours, and as long as the video can be decoded and played on the other end, there really aren’t a lot of bad choices you can make in terms of what to use.

I’d love to hear what you use and for which application you’re using it for. What are your go-to video compression codecs, settings, and containers? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/all-you-need-to-know-about-video-codecs-containers-and-compression/

3 tools for finding and eradicating duplicate files on your hard drive

One of the pains of owning a PC that's getting towards the end of its life is dealing with the ever-shrinking amount of storage as your PC fills up with music, photos, and documents. In the end, the only way to battle the bloat is often to get a new PC or more storage—but until you do, there are a number of tricks you can employ to make space on your PC.
A particularly handy one is to eliminate duplicate files and folders on your hard drive, getting rid of superfluous data you don't need. You'd be surprised how much content ends up duplicated on your PC thanks to a sync gone wrong with iTunes or an errant click with the photo importer.
Here are three tools that can help you reduce the clutter on your system.

DoubleKiller

DoubleKiller is an all-purpose duplicate finder that can scan folders, your whole drive, and even other PCs on your local network. It compares file name, size, modification date, and even content (presumably by hashing a file's contents). The program also lets you exclude files by name, size, or type (XLS, MP4, etc.).
DoubleKiller has a lot of great features, but the interface may not be as straightforward as it could be. If you find yourself confused, start by adding some folders to scan under the Options tab then, go back to the DoubleKiller tab and click Run. Once it's done you can decide to delete your duplicates or move them to another location.

dupeGuru Picture Edition

As its name suggests, dupeGuru Picture Edition is all about finding doubles in your image folders. Pictures can be one of the top sources of duplicates for many people, especially as we migrate to new PCs, restore data from back-ups, and keep pictures in different cloud services like Dropbox, Google+, and OneDrive.
DupeGuru PE is very easy to use. All you get is a simple window with options to add folders for scanning. When you're ready, just hit Scan and let the program do its magic, then decide what to keep once it's done.

Winmerge

This is a seriously useful tool if you have a lot of documents or text files kicking around and need to pare them down. Winmerge lets you compare two versions of a document (or an entire directory) and then view the actual differences between them on screen. You can then choose to merge the text into one preferred document.
Unlike the other tools in this article, Winmerge isn't about searching your hard drive for duplicate files. Instead, you have to know that the two files or directories you're comparing are similar or earlier versions of each other.
The big advantage is that you can see the differences and then easily bring your files together into one canonical version. At first glance, you may find Winmerge's interface a little overwhelming, but don't be intimidated. The icons are designed to offer visual cues to help you understand how everything works.
With these three tools you'll end up with a little more space on your hard drive in no time.

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Ian Paul ian@ianpaul.net

Ian is an independent writer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. His current focus is on all things tech including mobile devices, desktop and laptop computers, software, social networks, Web apps, tech-related legislation and corporate tech news.
More by Ian Paul

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2893306/3-tools-for-finding-and-eradicating-duplicate-files-on-your-hard-drive.html#tk.nl_pwr

Store 50,000 Songs for free with Google Play Music

At first glance you might think that Google Play Music is solely a streaming service similar to Spotify, Rdio, and others. This may indeed be true if you pay a subscription, but it is also a music storage service too. It is actually part of a much larger hub of digital media services that Google collectively call Google Play.

The standard version of Google Play Music is essentially a music locker where you can upload audio files to. In fact, it's similar to other services you may of heard of such as iTunes Match or Amazon Cloud Player.

Remember, don't confuse the standard Google Play Music service with the company's streaming subscription tier -- this is an extra paid-for option which also includes YouTube Music Key.

Is The Service Free?

Yes it is. You don't have to pay a subscription for the standard option.


Can I Upload my iTunes Library?

Yes. You can upload your iTunes music library by either using the Google Music Manager utility or the Chrome browser extension. If you've got a lot of songs to upload then the Google Music Manager is probably your best option. This is currently compatible with Windows (XP or higher), Macintosh (Mac OS X 10.5 and higher), and Linux (Fedora, Debian, openSUSE, or Ubuntu).
What Audio Formats Are Supported?

Currently the following formats are supported by Google Play Music:

    MP3, AAC, ALAC, DRM protected AAC (not all files can be uploaded), FLAC, OGG, WMA.

How Many Songs Can be Uploaded?

The limit used to be 20,000, but this has now been increased to 50,000. Incidentally, if you buy songs from Google Play then this won't affect your quota -- only uploads count towards this limit.
How can I listen to Songs Stored on Google Play Music

Once you have uploaded all your songs to Google Play Music you can stream to a computer, mobile device (smartphone or tablet), and Sonos systems.

    Using a Computer -- You'll need a browser that's compatible with Google's Web player. Browsers that work with Google Play Music include: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7+.
    Mobile Device -- There are free apps available for Google Play Music which can be downloaded for Android and iOS. You can also register up to ten devices in order stream from your account. Incidentally, using computers also counts towards this quota.

Can I Listen to my Songs Offline?

Yes. Google Play Music has an offline mode so you can download songs to your mobile device and listen to them even when there's no Internet connection. It's also a handy option to use when trying to conserve your portable's battery life -- playing stored files uses a lot less power than streaming.

Do I Have to Upload Every Single Song?

No you don't. Google Play Music works in a similar way to iTunes Match. It will check to see if any songs in your collection are also in Google's music library. If it detects a match then these are automatically added to your music locker without you having upload every single file.

Source: http://mp3.about.com/od/Services/fl/Google-Play-Music-Frequently-Asked-Questions.htm?utm_campaign=list_mp3&utm_content=20150227&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exp_nl


Introduction:

Google Music is a cloud based music store that also provides a wealth of other features too. As well as being able to directly purchase music, Google's service also provides options such as: a personal music locker; social networking; and a mobile music service for Android, iOS smartphones and other devices. In order for you to quickly see the key facts, this preview has been written to provide the relevant information at a glance. By reading this article you will also be able to find out about the essential 'nuts and bolts' that hold this digital music service together.

Main Features:

The main features of the Google Music service are:

    Online music store (Android Market) that features over 13 million songs
    Cloud storage space for up to 20,000 songs and is compatible with your iTunes library and playlists
    Your playlists can be automatically kept in sync
    Artists Hub which is a social networking environment is useful if you are an unsigned artist. This part of Google's service can be used to showcase your musical creations, build a fan base, and get that much needed exposure to attract a possible recording contract.

System Requirements:

Before you consider using the Google Music service, it is recommend that you take a quick look at this section that lists the system requirements for operating systems (both computer and mobile devices), and Web browsers that are supported.

Supported Web Browsers: In order to use Google's integrated Web based Music Player via a computer, you'll need one of the the following Internet browsers installed on your computer:

    Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or higher
    Mozilla Firefox
    Google Chrome
    Apple Safari

Also make sure that you have the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player and that JavaScript is enabled in your browser or you won't be able to see much of this service!

Google's Music Manager Software: To use the downloadable Music Manager for uploading songs to your cloud storage space, etc., the operating system requirements are as follows:

    Windows (XP or higher)
    Macintosh (Mac OS X 10.5 and higher)
    Linux (Fedora, Debian, openSUSE, or Ubuntu)

Google Music Mobile Apps: If you want to use Google Music on the go via your mobile device, then you can download apps for the following operating systems:

    Android version 2.1 (need Adobe Flash Player installed). The URL to access Google Music is via http://music.google.com
    Android version 2.2 or higher (running OpenGL2.0)
    Apple devices running iOS version 4.0 and higher (http://music.google.com via the Web browser)

Cloud Storage Features:

Capacity: The Google Music service provides a free music locker to store your songs in the cloud. This makes it possible to access your music from any Internet connected computer or device. You can store up to 20,000 tracks in your personal cloud space. The great thing about purchasing music via the Android Market is that it doesn't count towards this 20,000 song limit -- similar in fact to Apple's iCloud and Amazon Cloud Drive. As well as songs that you may have downloaded from various sources, Google Music also supports the upload of your iTunes Library and playlists too.

Offline Mode: There's also a handy offline facility so that you can listen to the music that you've stored in your music locker without having to be connected to the Internet. You can choose songs, playlists, or complete albums to sync to your iPhone or Android device before you go offline.

Create Remote Playlists: One of the smart features of Google's music locker is that you can create playlists remotely, rather than having to upload a new one every time you want to make a change. You can either elect to make a custom playlist using the songs in your online library, or select the 'Instant Mix' option for an automatically created playlist.

Source: http://mp3.about.com/od/musicservicereviews/p/Google-Music-Preview-Information-And-Specifications.htm

Download & Try the GOM Audio Player

Download GOM Audio Player

admin Published on Jan 6th, 2015

There is absolutely no dearth of good music players for Windows operating system. Free players such as Foobar2000, PotPlayer, and MusicBee all offer good music experience. Although Winamp, once the popular player, is no longer under development, it’s still available for download.
Those of you who don’t mind installing a new media player should try out GOM Audio Player. The GOM Audio Player is from Gretech, the company behind well-known GOM Media Player.
Although it may not be as powerful as PotPlayer or Foobar2000, it does come with some awesome features that might not be available in other popular players.

GOM Audio Player features

As with the case of other players, GOM Audio Player also supports all popular audio codecs, including WMA, WAV, FLAC, AAC, and PLS.
What sets GOM Audio Player apart from other audio players is its elegant interface, probably the most beautiful interface when compared to other popular audio players.




When it comes to features, it allows you listen to several popular internet radio stations. More importantly, it is capable of playing streams of live broadcasts that are hosted online.
Since a good player should include an equalizer, there is an equalizer, and then there are several audio effects to choose from.
Another interesting and useful feature is Power Options. When enabled, GOM Audio Player will automatically sleep, restart or shutdown your PC when your playlist reaches the end or at a certain time, allowing you to fall asleep listening to your favorite music.




Although it can be controlled with the help of dedicated keyboard shortcuts, GOM Audio Player automatically adds playback controls to the taskbar (remember Windows Media Player taskbar toolbar?) while running in Mini mode. To add playback controls to the taskbar, right-click on the empty area of taskbar, click Toolbars, and then select GOM Audio MiniPlayer. If the option is not appearing, open GOM Audio Preferences, under General tab, check the option labelled Lock to taskbar when minimized (MiniPlayer).





If you would like to see a popup notification on desktop when the player starts playing an audio file, you can enable the same by navigating to Preferences, Titles, and then checking Enable Desktop Tiles. This feature is pretty much like the toast notification of Winamp.





GOM Audio Player is allows you edit ID3 tags, change playback speed, and also offers A-B repeat. Unlike some other audio players, GOM Audio Player supports plugins and users can utilize this feature to add new capabilities to the player.





For those who aren’t happy with its default look, the default skin has three default modes and you can always use tens of cool skins available on the official website of the player. You can also enable transparency effect for the player and adjust the opacity level under Preferences.
Overall, GOM Audio Player is a nice audio player for Windows with useful set of features. The current version of the player is absolutely free and comes with no strings attached.

You can download it here: http://www.gomlab.com/eng/


Source: http://www.intowindows.com/download-gom-audio-player/

Nero Kwik Media & Nero 9 free burning software

Nero Kwik Media and Nero Kwik Burn free burning software

Once a very popular burning software, Nero saw users abandoning it after it became a bit of a bloatware. However Nero BurnLite free has now been released as Nero Kwik Burn Free, which promises to be faster and better. So those of you still use Nero 10 or Nero 9 may want to check it out.

Nero Kwik Burn Free

Nero Kwik Burn will give you the same features of Nero BurnLite 10 plus more from your burning, ripping and copying activities.

Nero Kwik Burn will let you:

• Burn photos, music, videos and data onto CD, DVD and Blu-ray Discs
• Copy unprotected CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs
• Rip MP3 files for sharing and storing

It will now even let you drag and drop files to copy iTunes playlists.
Nero Kwik Burn is a 174 MB download! After you start its installation, it will ask you to install few more programs.

During installation it will also present with you pre-checked options to install the Ask Toolbar, etc. Make sure you un-check them.

Nero Kwik Media

If you are looking for more, you can check out Nero Kwik Media. It is a free media manager which lets you manage your photos, music, images and videos. It lets you find, organize, edit, play, share, sync, burn and enjoy your media with the built-in market that lets you buy and activate the apps you want.

Nero Kwik Burn is included when you download Nero Kwik Media free, so you don’t have to download them both.

Download: Nero Kwik Burn free | Nero Kwik Media free.
Nero BackItUp, Nero BurnLite and Nero DiscSpeed are some free software from Nero.

Any of you using Nero? Would you like to share your experience? Or perhaps some of you use some other burning software? Would you like to make recommendations on some good free burning software for Windows?

You can get it here:
http://www.techradar.com/downloads/nero-kwik-media

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Related Posts:

• Nero 10 Free Download
• List of free software from Nero for Windows

Nero 9 Free Download

Nero has released their free version of Nero BurnLite 9 data burning software and is now available for download. This version contains simply data burning and disc copying features for CDs and DVDs.

Updated link:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/CD-DVD-Tools/Data-CD-DVD-Burning/Nero-Free.shtml

UPDATE: Check out latest Nero Kwik Burn Free instead.


Updated link:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/CD-DVD-Tools/Data-CD-DVD-Burning/Nero-Free.shtml

Nero BurnLite 10 supports the following for burning:

• CD-R
• CD-RW
• DVD±R
• DVD±RW
• DVD-RAM
• DVD±R DL

Nero BurnLite 10 supports these disc formats:

• Data CD (ISO, UDF, ISO/UDF)
• Data DVD (ISO, UDF, ISO/UDF)

Download Page : Nero BurnLite 9 . (Link changed)
It s 31 MB  download!

UPDATE 1 : It appears that this version 10 installs Ask toolbar without the users consent, And that is something we disapprove of! We therefore suggest you download v 9 instead, or try other freeware burning software. Download page link changed. Thanks acr!

UPDATE 2: You can still install Nero 10 Free version without Ask Toolbar – Posted by TWCF member venkat.

Source: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/nero-10-free-version-released

You can also get the Nero ROM Classic here:

http://www.techradar.com/downloads/nero-burning-rom-classic

You can get Nero Kwik Media here:

http://www.techradar.com/downloads/nero-kwik-media

6 Free Alternatives To Nero DVD/CD Burning Software

Everyone is aware of Nero, the most wanted burning software. Even I have used Nero for almost two years before jumping to the free alternatives that do the same job for free of cost. The reason behind the jump was not the cost of Nero but its size. As you might have observed, every time Nero releases new version with added features that are useless for most us.

How many of use all the features of Nero 7 or 8 or 9? That is, do you use the multimedia and backup feature of Nero 9? If your answer is a big “NO” you can use any of the below freeware as an alternative to Nero.

1. Infra Recorder: Probably one of the most used free burning software after CD Burner XP. You can create data, audio CDs easily just like Nero. Infra Recorder also supports dual-layer DVDs. Users can erase discs, burn images, copy discs, burn multisession discs, save audio and data tracks to files using Infra Recorder. Moreover, the installer size is just 3.2MB!!

|Download Here|

2. CDBurnerXP: CDBurnerXP is a good freeware alternative to paid CD and DVD burners. This is the software which made me to jump from Paid Nero. Apart from basic disc burning features this freeware also supports Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. Below is a small list of CDBurnerXP key features:
* burn all kinds of discs
* audio-CDs with or without gaps between tracks
* burn and create ISO files
* data verification after burning process
* create bootable discs
* multi-language interface
* bin/nrg ? ISO converter, simple cover printing and much more!
* Operating Systems: Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista

|Download Here|

3. DeepBurner: There are two versions of DeepBurner program available: Pro and free. I have been using this free burner for the last six months without any hassles. This program has many features that you can’t see in a free burner. To start with, it supports data CDs/DVDs, Audio CDs, build and burn images, overburn function, bootable discs, multisession discs. DeepBurner also supports CD-R / CD-RW / DVD-R / DVD+R / DVD-RW / DVD+RW / DVD-RAM. You can also find a big feature list here.

|Download Here|

4. FinalBurner : Final burner is also one of the free alternatives to bloated Nero. The user interface is simple and is easy-to-use as well.
Main features:
Burn Data CD/DVD (CD R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD DL, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, etc.)
- Autorun menu designer
- Burn Audio CD (Import *.wav; *.mp3; *.ogg; *.mid; *.wma; *.aac; *.mp4; *.m4a; *.xm; *.mod; *.s3m; *.it; *.mtm; *.mo3 audio files.)
- Burn Video DVD (Import AVI, DIVX, XVID, MP4, MPG, WMV, ASF, MOV, FLV, etc. Capture from Web cam, TV tuner, DV, etc.)
- AudioCd Ripper

|Download Here|

5. ImgBurn: Don’t think this tool is just for image burring. ImgBurn is lightweight CD/DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-Ray burning software that creates Audio CDs, DVD Videos discs, HD DVD videos discs. The biggest strength of this program is that it supports a wide range is images file formats including BIN, CUE, DI, DVD, GI, IMG, ISO, MDS, NRG and PDI. It also supports Unicode folder/file names, so you shouldn’t run in to any problems if you’re using an international character set.

|Download Here|

6. CDrtfe: CDrtfe is another free burning program for Windows. CDrtfe can burn data discs (CD and DVD), Audio CDs, XCDs, (S) VCDs and DVD-Video discs. For Windows 9x, ME, 2k, XP.

|Download Here|

I have listed the software which I have found a good alternative to Nero. If you have come across any good freeware burner let me know by leaving a comment so that I can include them in the next list.

Source: http://www.intowindows.com/6-free-alternatives-to-nero/

Could Winyl Be Your New Windows Music Player?

By Paul Ferson.  Music, of all the media you can play on a computer, has arguably gone through the biggest transformation. From MP3s stored on a physical hard drive, to cloud storage of your own music and streaming of music from massive digital libraries, it has evolved a great deal in the space of a decade, but all stages continue to progress.
While iTunes might be the most well-known music player available for Windows and Mac, it’s by no means the only one. Given the appeal of customizing iTunes, it should come as no surprise that other players exist and use this type of flexibility as a major selling point. Winyl is one of these players, and the name relates perfectly to the evolution of music’s availability, going right back to the older vinyl records.

Interface

..

 

Winyl’s default interface is dark but inviting; many music players rely on lighter colors and the radical contrast sets Winyl apart very quickly. The skin can be changed, and in a relatively naughty act, there’s a skin labelled “iTunes” that strongly resembles Apple’s player circa iTunes 9, right down to the Mountain Lion-era buttons.

You can get the above iTunes 11 theme here: http://pep0.deviantart.com/art/iTunes-for-Winyl-436614085

The left-hand sidebar contains numerous options which should prove familiar; “Artists”, “Genres” and “Radio” are all entries that should prove familiar, though there is also a file explorer for guiding Winyl to files you’d like to make it play. The functionality isn’t vital but exists for those who may desire it.

In all probability, the majority of use will be through the “Artists” tree, which expands to display all of the artists in the library. These artists can be expanded on an individual basis to see a list of all their albums, or the individual albums can be clicked to filter out any other entries. As a result, it’s easy to find one album in a prolific artist’s discography.

Should you wish to ignore the individual album lists found under the artists, it is also possible to simply scroll through all of the albums from the artist in question. Doing so will allow you to view all of their songs at once, while the search box quickly cuts through the library in order to find exactly what you’re looking for.

If Winyl makes one iTunes feature look sluggish, it’s the search. Rather than giving a long list of options, Winyl cuts down the visible options in the UI to match searches. Winyl’s developers have also seen fit to include support for the enhanced taskbar introduced with Windows 7. The preview features media playback buttons and album artwork as opposed to the more conventional program preview.
Winyl’s other panel of note can be toggled at will on the right-hand side, displaying lyrics. Lyrics are pulled from sources online, though it is done extremely quickly. The lyrics pane is also adapted to fit with the rest of the skins, should you change them.

Functionality

While it should come as no surprise to find that Winyl is up to the task of playing MP3 files, it does have a number of tricks up its sleeve beyond an equaliser. For one, it has an ID3 tag editor built in: users of dedicated software like MP3Tag will likely not be blown away by its features, though it is more than enough for the average user.
Winyl also supports storing and reading lyrics directly from the MP3, rather than via online sources; selective users could ultimately find themselves with more accurate lyrics than the majority of Google searchers online.

Also incorporated into the skin design is a pop-up to inform users of the track when it changes; a neat feature, albeit not an entirely necessary one. This can be disabled in the settings, and should you choose to disable it, you will also discover the ace up Winyl’s sleeve: Last.fm integration.
Winyl supports Last.fm’s official client, which the company refers to as the “Scrobbler.” While most major music players support Last.fm as well, the support means that the barrier to change is removed. For those unaware of what Last.fm does, it records your listening history and recommends artists based upon your tastes. Thus, for passionate fans of music, it can be an excellent tool with which to further broaden their tastes.

Overall

There is little to dislike about Winyl: it provides a considerable amount of user customizability without the expense of overall usability. Those accustomed to extremely flexible programs like Foobar2000 will likely find Winyl a downgrade, but for those who have not used such extensible and modifiable music players – or who want an easier route to a more personalised piece of software, Winyl is a worthwhile prospect.
Development for it is ongoing, and its future appears promising; for anyone who may have lamented Songbird’s functional decline, this should be an encouraging sign of the future.

You can download it here: http://vinylsoft.com/

Source: http://www.maketecheasier.com/winyl-windows-music-player/