Turn your CD collection into a digital music library
It's easy: 1-2-MP3! Turn your CD collection in to a digital music library.

Frequently Asked Questions

Index

What we do

Ordering and Shipping Process

How do I...

Technical Stuff

General Stuff

Answers

What we do

What is MP3?
MP3 is simply a compressed digital version of CD music. MP3 has many advantages primarily being more portable and versatile than CDs and can be played back on variety of devices. CDlabs encode MP3 to the highest quality standards available today whilst preserving small file sizes.
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What is FLAC?
This is an emerging digital music standard which has several benefits over MP3. Firstly, there is absolutely no loss in conversion to FLAC from CD therefore FLAC digital music produces perfect CD audio quality. Secondly, FLAC is a sensible backup (archive) of your CD collection against future loss or damage. Thirdly, FLAC future proofs you digital music collection. You can convert FLAC to any other digital format in the future simply and easily without ripping and encoding your entire CD collection again.
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What we do with your CDs
Using the latest technology with advanced error correction control, cdlabs digitally extract the music from your CDs using our custom developed systems Once we are satisfied the data has passed our vigorous error checking controls, we then encode the extracted data using our customised encoding software to create high quality MP3 or FLAC audio files. MP3 files are then copied to DVD-R and returned to you together with your original CDs. FLAC files are returned on a portable hard disk.

We take the utmost care of your CDs throughout the process.
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Why encode my CDs?
Having your CDs converted to MP3 format allows you to play your music using an MP3 player such as the Apple iPod, or any MP3, CD, VCD or DVD player capable of playing MP3 files. You can also play the MP3 files on your computer and even your car stereo if it is capable of playing MP3 format. The files are compressed so you get a lot of your CDs onto one disk. However FLAC files are larger than MP3 files and therefore require more disk space to be stored. FLAC is the best solution for home media systems such as a PC, Sonos DMS or Squeezebox
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Why can't I do it myself?
You can, if you have the right equipment, software and plenty of time on your hands. Even if you do possess the right hardware it is unlikely that you will have the software to produce the quality offered by cdlabs. And at 3 CDs an hour, it would take you weeks to convert your collection, time you could spend enjoying doing less mundane tasks!
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Why use cdlabs?
cdlabs is staffed by industry specialists, we encode to the highest standards currently available using custom hardware and software giving you professional high quality reproduction of your music matched with the smallest file sizes possible. This means you can fit more music on your MP3 player.
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What will it cost?
The cost for each CD converted is 99 pence and we will even load your MP3 music onto your iPOD or mp3 player for FREE! Apart from delivery there are no other charges. We have a special offer if you convert to FLAC and MP3 of £1.26 per CD. Discounts are offered on orders of 500 CDs or more, please contact us for further details.
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What if I have a damaged or defective CD?
If your CD is defective in anyway which will not result in a perfect reproduction, our software will alert us. CDlabs will attempt to rectify the defect, however if it is beyond repair you will be notified of the problem. Due to the processing involved the standard charge will still be levied.
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Can you put my MP3 files on CD?
Our default service is to ship your files on DVD, however if you prefer to have your files shipped on CD because your current CD player supports mp3 playback then please contact us with your requirements.
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How do I transfer my files to my MP3 player?
There are many players available, each requiring a different method to synchronise your player. Here are links to guides for some popular players:
Apple iPOD
Rio
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Ordering & Shipping Process

Placing your order with cdlabs
Go to our on-line order page and follow the simple steps, we guide you through the process. Rest assured that all information entered is on secure servers so no one else can access the information you enter. If you wish you can place your order over the telephone.
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How do I get my valuable CD collection to your labs?
We will send you special packaging by First Class post, together with instructions for shipping your CD collection to us without risk of damage. Simply load your CDs onto the spindles, seal the box, call our courier service at your convenience and away it goes with the peace of mind that your collection is fully insured. cdlabs also offer a drop-off service if you would like to bring you CD's in personally.
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Can I personally drop off and pick-up my CD collection?
Yes, cdlabs operate a drop-off and pick-up service in the East London and Oxford areas, you will need to arrange this in advance with us.
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Tracking my order
Once you have placed your order on-line, cdlabs will send you a confirmation email stating that your order has been received. You will then atomically receive update emails informing you of the status of your order as it progresses, you may also contact us at any time should you have any queries.
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What will be returned to me?
We return all your original CD's as well as DVD disks containing all your music which can easily be loaded onto your iPod or MP3 player using a standard PC or MAC. If you have sent us you iPod or mp3 player, this will also be returned to you loaded with your music.
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How long does it all take?
Once we have your CD collection it usually takes us 5 working days to process your order. It may take a little longer for orders of 300 CD's or more but we will let you know in advance.
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Will my CD collection be insured?
Yes, we provide insurance cover of £15 per CD shipped and up to £400 for a iPod or mp3 player.
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Are there any limits on the number of CD's I can have converted?
There are no limits on the number of CD's we will covert for you and we offer special discounts on orders of 500 CD's or more. For larger orders however we may require additional time to process your order.

For orders less than 50 CD's there is a minimum charge of £50
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Do I need to order a portable hard disk?
cdlabs offer a portable hard disk storage option. If you do not have much space on your PC hard disk and want to store and play your music on your PC you should consider purchasing a portable hard disk.

You still receive your music on DVD but we will also load the music files onto the hard disk size of your choice. You then simply plug the hard disk into the USB port on your PC and enjoy your music. The portable hard disk can also be use for the storage of any PC data that you may wish to load onto it yourself. FLAC files require a hard disk, you may send us yours or buy one from us when you place your order.

Please contact us if you require more information on this option.
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How Do I...

How do I copy my music onto my iPod or MP3 player?
We will copy your music files to your iPod or MP3 player if you send it to us. If you choose to do it yourself, the process is very simple. cdlabs will deliver your music files on DVD, all you need to do is follow these steps:

  1. Insert the DVD disk into your PC drive
  2. Copy the files to your hard disk
  3. Use the software shipped with your iPod or mp3 player to copy the music to your device.
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How do I organise and search through my music?
cdlabs name each track with the artist, album, track number and track name so you can easily locate your music files. In addition, we also include ID3 tags so you can use your MP3 player software such as iTunes to easily reference your music. You can also set up any number of your own play lists of your favourite tunes to suite a particular mood.
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Technical Stuff

Will I need a PC to listen to digital music?
You do not need a PC to listen to your music but you should have an MP3 player such as the Apple iPod or HP iRiver. Some in-car CD players and DVD players are also capable of playing MP3 formats too.

You will need a PC top copy the music files from the DVD disk to your mp3 player, alternatively you can send us your player and we will load it up for you for free.

If you chose the portable hard disk option, you will need a PC with USB2 or USB.
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Why do you store my MP3 music files on a DVD disc?
We use DVD to hold your mp3 music files because it is capable of holding a large number of music files on a single disk. Up to 50 audio CD's can be held on one DVD, you then simply copy the mp3 music files from the DVD to your iPod or MP3 device using your PC. If you send us your iPod or mp3 player, we will do it for you at no additional cost.
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ID3 Tags
cdlabs use ID3 tags on all tracks converted. ID3 tags provide additional information to you such as the album, artist and track names. These tags will appear on the display of most MP3 players and enables you to locate and categorise your music quickly and easily.
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Custom audio formats
Most of our customers are extremely happy with our default encoding service using mp3 and VBR (variable bit rate). Some customers however may have very specific requirements. At  cdlabs we can convert to various audio formats such as AAC, WMA, FLAC, AIFF, OGG, etc. We can also convert to custom variable and constant bit rates, please contact us with your requirements.
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Why do you use VBR as your default encoding option?
We use variable bit rate (up to 320kbps VBR) as this enables us to produce smaller file sizes without the loss of any quality. We have made use of some fairly advanced algorithms that enable us to provide comparable CD quality MP3 files at about 70% the size of a constant bit rate (CBR) file of comparable CD quality i.e 224kbps. Many of our competitors offer CBR 224kbps. Of course we can also encode to other bitrates, including 224kbps.
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General Stuff

Our terms and conditions
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for full details.
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Your rights to privacy
We respect your rights to privacy and strictly adhere to the data protection act. Please review our full Privacy Policy.
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Copyright
We will only convert original CD's. cdlabs endorse the responsible use and distribution of artists music and we adhere to copyright laws.

cdlabs convert each CD provided by our customers and do not keep a copy of your music.
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Joe Cox

Reviews Editor, WHAT HI-FI

WHAT HI-FI

"The end product is great..our files sounded superb, each immaculately labelled, complete with album artwork."

David Price

Editor, hi-fi WORLD

hi-fi World logo

"...I am very impressed by the sound of the transcriptions!"

Dan George

Reviews Editor, HI-FI CHOICE

hi-fi World logo

"I think the service is of real value, particularly the portable loading... The DVDs are great too - love the album listings."

Testimonials

"I chose CDlabs because they really take mp3 quality seriously - and I wasn't disappointed. The service took 4 days, and the results on my Linn hi-fi are very impressive - sounds just like my original CD's. ...even the odd scratch has disappeared!!"

Justin Lane - Pembrokshire