How to Extract CDA Files (4 Steps)

By Stephen Lilley

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Compact disc audio (often shortened to just "CDA") are files contained on audio CDs. If you have an audio CD that you can play in a regular stereo or CD player, that disc is filled with CDA files. If you want to extract these files to your computer and listen to them using your computer speakers from your hard drive, you will have to use a program designed for this purpose. Luckily, as long as your computer came with a CD drive it also came with such a program.

Step 1

Put your audio CD into your computer's CD drive.

Step 2

Turn on your computer.

Step 3

Wait a second. Once your computer recognizes that you have placed an audio CD in your CD drive, a box containing the options you have available to you will open on screen.

Step 4

Click "Rip Music from CD" and click "OK." Windows Media Player will automatically open on screen. Choose whether or not you'd like to copy protect your songs from the dialog box on screen and click "I Agree" then "OK." The program will immediately begin to extract the CDA files from the disc and convert them to MP3 files on your computer's hard drive. At the same time, each CDA track that is extracted will be placed in your Windows Media Player library, so if you want to play them just click "Music" and select the track you want to play.

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