General
Can I do the
digital conversion task myself?
It is possible, but for many
people the right answer is to get expert, affordable help and
save a very large amount of time in the process. Converting an
individual CD to digital format can take 8 to 12 minutes
(including organizing) depending on the speed of your hardware, software, and your
attentiveness. Multiply this times hundreds of CDs and it makes
sense to outsource the process.
Pickled Productions' technicians are experts at the conversion
process and guarantee high quality results utilizing
professional grade equipment.
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Is
Pickled Productions’ CD Ripping Service Legal?
Yes. Pickled
Productions abides by all copyright laws and expects our
customers to do the same. Generally, if you have purchased
copyrighted materials such as a music CD, you have the right to
create a copy of that material for your own personal use.
Pickled Productions will create this copy and return the
original material and the copy to you.
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Do you
keep a copy of my music?
No, Pickled Productions does
not keep any copies of music we convert.
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Do I
get my original music CDs back?
Yes. We ship your CDs back
with your new Digital Music Library.
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Into
what file format will you convert my CDs?
Pickled Productions' standard
conversion output format is MP3. The MP3 file format
is the most widely used and is compatible with all PC (iTunes™
and Windows Media Player™) and portable playback devices (iPod™,
Rio™, Zen™. iRiver™, etc.).
You are free to select any of the other
formats that we offer. If you would like a different
output format than what we offer, please use our "Contact
Us" request form and one of our technicians will contact
you.
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How do
you deliver my converted music collection?
Pickled Productions will
deliver your Digital Music Library
on DVD. About 35 -
45 CDs can fit on a
single DVD at the standard encoding rate of 320 kbps. We
also can ship your music collection on an external hard drive
(purchased at the time of order or supplied
by you).
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Can you
load my iPod/MP3 player?
Yes. Simply click the Free
iPod/MP3 loading option on our order form. When your packing
material arrives, simply pack the iPod/MP3 player with its power
supply and connector cable with your CDs.
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Will
the MP3 format work with my iTunes?
Yes. MP3 works just
fine. iTunes will see the MP3s and treat it just like its
own file format. If you ever get a car with a CD player
that also plays MP3s or any other MP3 device that is not an
iPod, you won't have to worry about the format. That is
why we prefer the MP3 format because of its universal
playability. If you still want your music in Apple's
format, we can do that too.
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Do
you use Genre information?
Yes. We
supply basic Genre information to help
organize your collection. Genre, in many cases, is very
subjective. Some people like to
further define an artist in the Rock genre by labeling them as
Hard Rock, Soft Rock, Acid Rock or Heavy Metal. Most software that
comes with iPods/MP3 Players like iTunes have the ability to
select multiple artists, albums or songs and mark them all at
once to a user specified genre. Your
music will be tagged with common genres to start out with. We also supply software to easily update this information.
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What
does your Quality Control process do?
We ensure that all
music files are
properly labeled and that all of your music is consistently
marked. Multiple disc albums should read consistently like
"Disc 1" and "Disc 2", not "Vol. 1" and "Disc II". We also
ensure artists are labeled consistently throughout like "Simon
and Garfunkel" vs. "Simon & Garfunkel".
We even go the extra mile by making sure that
artists in compilation CDs are accurately tagged. We want to make
sure that in addition to your MP3s sounding good that they look
good too.
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Does
my computer read DVDs?
Most computers manufactured
after 2003 will have a DVD drive. You can tell by looking
at the drive and checking to see if it has the DVD logo.
If you have concerns, please contact us and we can discuss other
methods of getting your collection back to you.
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Ordering
How many
DVDs will I receive?
Pickled Productions can put
about 35-45 CDs onto a single DVD, depending on the number of
minutes per CD. We provide all the DVDs necessary for your
music collection.
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How
much does it cost to convert a CD single?
Pickled Productions processes
CD singles the same way as regular CDs and therefore counts as
one CD.
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After
I place my order, when do you charge my credit card for the service?
When you place your order, a
temporary authorization is made against your credit card for the
amount of your order. We will wait until your order is received,
processed, converted, and placed with the shipper for return to
you before charging your credit card. We notify you of the
credit card charge via email along with tracking information for
the return shipment.
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Is
there a minimum order size?
There is a minimum of 50 CDs.
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Can
you accept custom orders or unusual requests?
Yes. Our technicians are
experts and can handle conversion to any format. Please contact
us at 866-937-4748 or via our "Contact
Us" request form and one of our technicians will contact
you.
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What
benefit does the hard drive option provide?
If your computer currently
has limited disk space, you should consider an external hard
drive. An external hard drive is an easy way to
immediately add the disk space necessary for your new
Digital Music Library. A typical CD converted to MP3 requires
approximately 100Mb of hard drive space. A 100 CD collection
will therefore require about 10,000 Mb or 10 GB of storage.
Refer to the table below to determine if and what size external
hard drive is right for you.
| Hard
Drive Size |
Approx. CD
Storage |
| 40
GB |
300 |
| 80
GB |
600 |
|
100 GB |
800 |
|
160 GB |
1200 |
|
300 GB |
2400 |
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Shipping
How do I send my CDs to Pickled Productions?
After you place your order,
we will send you all packing materials needed for you to ship
your CD collection to us. Once the box arrives, pack your
CDs using the materials
provided and then use the pre-paid shipping label to
return them to us
for processing.
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Do I
send my CDs in their cases?
No. CD jewel cases are heavy
to ship and notoriously fragile. Because your CD collection is
important to you and to us, Pickled Productions provides you
with specially designed spindle cases for safe and
cost-effective shipment.
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I have
selected the free iPod/MP3 player loading option. How should I ship
you the player, and will it be insured in transit?
Pickled Productions sends you
all the materials needed to pack your MP3 player as well. Make
sure to send us your power supply and connector cable.
After we convert your CDs, your MP3 player will be returned
fully loaded and ready to go. Your player is insured for its
replacement value in both shipping directions.
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How
much is shipping for your CD conversion service?
There are no additional
shipping costs for the CD service, it’s included in the per CD
pricing.
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Are my
original CDs insured against loss or damage during shipment?
Yes. Your Audio CDs are fully
insured during shipment.
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How
does Pickled Productions ship my music back to me?
Pickled Productions currently
offers you two options for receiving your digital music library:
Pickled Productions returns
all orders on DVD. We also offer you the option to purchase and
receive your music on an external hard drive. We will
ask if you would like to buy a portable drive and, if so, what
size. All orders delivered on a hard drive also include the data
DVDs as a backup archive.
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Processing
How long does
conversion take?
Upon receipt of your CD
collection, Pickled Productions starts a very
comprehensive process of cleaning, repairing and converting your
collection. Depending on the condition of your CDs this
process usually takes between 2-4 business days. Larger orders
(750+ CDs) and special requests may
add a couple of
days.
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How do
you convert my CDs?
We use an automated process
on high quality drives to convert your collection. CD
information such as Artist, Album and Track is retrieved.
The process of converting your CDs to your
format of choice is then done using the
best encoders available ensuring accurate playback and premium
sound quality. Finally, the converted MP3s are written to high
quality DVDs.
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Can you
convert damaged or scratched CDs?
Pickled Productions utilizes
the latest tools to fix damaged CDs to the greatest extent
possible. These tools fix the CD by repairing the surface of
the disk. In many cases, we are able to convert a CD that was
once damaged and unplayable. However, badly damaged CDs
and discs with top side damage may
not be repairable and will be returned to you.
We will not charge you for discs that we can't repair.
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Can you
convert my custom compilations?
No. Conversions of custom
compilations or copies may violate copyright laws. Pickled
Productions can only convert original CDs produced by the
original record labels. Please do not send us CD-Rs or CD-RWs
with custom collections or copies that you have created.
Please send only originals.
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Can you
convert a copy protected CD?
No. A very small percentage
of CDs are copy protected. Pickled Productions abides by all the
laws governing copy protection and will not attempt to convert
these CDs. Very few of our customers
have discs such as these.
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Are the
MP3s returned to me, CD quality?
Yes. Pickled Productions'
default configuration for converting your CD collection is a 320
kbps MP3, while most software packages claim 192 kbps to be CD
quality.
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What
audio file formats does Pickled Productions offer?
Pickled Productions uses the
MP3 file format as its default. The MP3 file format is the only standard
supported by all media devices (e.g., Apple's iPod, Creative
Lab's Nomad, Dell's DJ, Gateway's Jukebox, etc) and software
players (e.g., Apple iTunes, Sony's SonicStage, MusicMatch,
etc.). We will also convert your music to
other formats such as AAC, FLAC, WMA, etc. If you would like a
different output format other than what we
supply, please submit your request via our "Contact
Us" contact form.
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What
Format and Bitrate should I choose?
Pickled Productions
recommends using MP3 at 320 Kbps CBR. Here is some information to
help you decide.
Bitrate for the most part
dictates not only sound quality, but file size. As the
bitrate increases so does the quality and the file size.
As the bitrate decreases the quality and size also decrease.
Some things to remember. If you are only using your MP3s
on portable players with very little room, then choosing a lower
bitrate will benefit you with smaller files so you can fit more
on your player. If you have a large storage capacity
player or plan to listen to your music on a home stereo, then
the larger/higher quality would be appropriate. Most
people feel that 192 Kbps is more than acceptable.
|
Bitrate (kbps)
|
Quality |
# of
songs/1,000 MB Memory (Approx.) |
|
128 |
Fair |
240 |
|
192 |
Good |
160 |
|
224 |
CD Quality |
140 |
|
256 |
Better |
120 |
|
320 |
Best |
100 |
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Using
Your MP3 Collection
What do I
do with the DVDs you send me?
The DVDs that you receive
from Pickled Productions contain your new
Digital Music Library.
Simply copy the contents onto your PC hard drive and you will
then be able to use your new MP3s with your playback software.
You can then store the original DVDs in a safe place. If
anything were to happen to your computer or MP3 player, you will
have a complete backup of your music collection.
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How do I
load my music onto my computer?
Once you receive your DVDs,
simply insert the DVDs one by one and copy the files over to
your computer's hard drive.
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How do I
load my music onto my iPod?
You load your iPod in three
simple steps:
1. Load your music onto your computer.
2.
Import the files into iTunes.
3. Use iTunes to sync your iPod
with your computer.
Consult your iPod users manual or the iTunes sync page
for more details.
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How do I
load my music onto my portable MP3 player?
You load your MP3 player in
three simple steps:
1. Load your music onto your computer.
2. Import the files into your MP3 player's music management
software.
3. Use your MP3 player's music management software
to sync your player with your computer.
Consult your MP3
player's users manual for more details.
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How will
my music library be organized?
Pickled Productions organizes
your music library by artist, album and track list. This
organizational information is included in both ID3 tags within
every file as well as within the file names themselves.
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How do I
load CDs I purchased after Pickled Productions converts my
collection?
While converting an entire CD
collection is very time consuming, conversion of a single new CD
does not take much time or effort.
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How do I
install an external hard drive?
Picked Productions sells
external hard drives that plug directly into a spare USB port on
your PC or MAC. Modern operating systems such as Windows
XP or Mac OSX will automatically recognize the hard drive.
Pointing your music players at the library on the new hard drive
is very simple. Complete instructions are included when
you purchase an external Hard Drive.
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