Digitise your old media
Turn old audio into shiny new digital files using free software
IT WILL TAKE
1 hour
YOU WILL LEARN
You will learn how to digitise records and other old media
YOU’LL NEED
Audacity (Free, audacityteam.org), macOS 14 or later
Genius tip
If you’re using a USB turntable that has a phono/line switch, it has a pre-amp. Set it to ‘line’ or your audio output will be too quiet.
Whether it’s home movies on VHS or a library of classic vinyl, it’s easy to capture the audio and video, play it and even improve it on your Mac.
If you have videos on CD or DVD, a portable CD/DVD drive is all you need; connect it, open it in Finder and drag the files across. An app such as Handbrake (handbrake.fr) can convert outdated file formats into more modern formats.