CD Audio Extraction

CD-DA discs store digital audio as tracks rather than ordinary computer files. Professional extraction reads the audio data accurately and can produce PCM WAV files while retaining track order, duration and metadata.

What is CD-DA?

Commercial audio CDs normally contain 44.1 kHz, 16-bit PCM audio. The Library of Congress lists CD Red Book quality PCM WAVE files at 44.1 kHz/16 bit as an acceptable digital audio format, while higher-resolution native masters may be preferred when they exist.

Accurate audio extraction

Audio extraction should avoid unnecessary conversion or processing. The objective is to reproduce the digital audio on the source disc accurately.

Track boundaries and pregaps

Track order, durations, indexes, pregaps where relevant, and metadata should be recorded. Where an archival workflow requires it, the original disc structure can also be retained as an image or other documented representation.

44.1 kHz / 16-bit PCM

Access copies such as MP3 can be created from the verified WAV files, but lossy access files should not replace the preservation-quality extraction.

Preservation and access copies

Quality control should include track count, duration, sample rate, bit depth, channel configuration, clipping or unexpected errors and file integrity.

Reference guidance: This article is informed by optical-media preservation guidance from the U.S. National Archives and the Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement. Where appropriate, the article distinguishes preservation guidance from practical extraction procedures.