How to record music from vinyl to iPad

So much music is now available for download today that CDs are already becoming a thing of the past. Some people still cling on to vinyl records because those exact recordings were never transferred to CD and have still not found their way onto the Internet. If you have a collection of music on vinyl that you cannot live without, you can extract the music into your iPad to ensure that it is preserved no matter what happens to the vinyl disc that currently holds it.

Buy a record player with a turntable to play your records. You may have an old Hi-Fi system, but chances are that it will not have a USB port. The USB port is an essential element of the record player if you want to transfer your music to an iPad.

Check reviews of different turntables from a trusted magazine or website (see Resources for an example). USB-driven turntables are designed to connect to computers and so automatically include the ability to extract music to a computer, but may not interact well with the iPad. Reviews should also give an idea of the quality of the sound that can be extracted by the record player.

Shop around for the best quality turntable available in your price range. The process of extraction happens in the turntable, not in the iPad. A poor quality record player will reduce your enjoyment of the extracted music.

Connect the turntable to the iPad via a USB cable. The first time you connect the two, the turntable should transfer its proprietary player app to your iPad. Follow any instructions that appear on the screen to install the app. The method of installation varies from turntable to turntable.

Open the turntable app on the iPad. Check the settings in the app to make sure that the volume control is not muted. If it is, the app may be working well with the turntable without you realizing it.

Cue up your vinyl record on the turn table. Put the needles at the beginning of the record and press the play button. Some turntables have their own speaker, but you should check that the app software recognizes incoming sound to confirm that the two pieces of equipment are working properly together.

Check the controls of your app. The turntable streams music to the iPad, but will not automatically save it unless you specifically press a “record” button. The software will save the music to files and the register those files in your iTunes library.