Use Gracenote CDDB With EAC

This is a ripping help tutorial for how to use the Gracenote CDDB With Exact Audio Copy.

EAC uses the freedb CDDB to look up CD information along with the track list and most of the time that works brilliantly. Sometimes, however, the CD is not in the freedb database - this is really annoying because then you have to type in the album info and all the tracks before you can rip the CD (you can do it after I suppose but you still got to type it all in).

It's doubly annoying if you play your CD with a Gracenote CDDB enabled player like WinAmp and the CD info. and tracks pop straight up. In that case you can save a playlist and at least copy'n'paste the tracks to save typing them, but it's still time consuming.


Today I found a quick solution, using a Windows CD Player, called unimaginatively 'Player'. Player is Gracenote CDDB enabled and best-of-all it is freeware.

Download 'Player' from the link below, but don't download one of the other players on the site, EG. 'VuPlayer', only 'Player' is Gracenote CDDB enabled and that's what you need.

Player is here, download and install it:
http://www.vuplayer.com/player.php

To get the Gracenote CDDB info. from 'Player' to EAC all you need to do is this.

1) Run 'Player' and click the Gracenote CDDB icon - it's the green down arrow icon (3rd from the right). The first time you do this it will register your version of 'Player' with Gracenote, you'll need to click 'OK' to the terms of service but that's all, no entering an email address as you must do with freedb.

It will then import the CD's Gracenote CDDB info. into 'Player'. Hint: You can switch to a different CD drive in the File menu if you have more than one drive.

2) Then in the 'Player' File menu, select 'Export Info' and click on 'cdplayer.ini'. This will save the Gracenote CD info. in a special system file called cdplayer.ini (you won't choose a file location that's automatic). Exit 'Player'.

3) Now load EAC, make sure you've got the correct CD drive selected if you have more than one. Then from the 'Database' menu, select 'Get CD Information From' and click on 'CDPLAYER.INI'.

EAC will then import the info. and you should see it all immediately.

You can now check it's all correct and fix any typos if necessary and then rip the CD as usual. But first why not submit the data to freedb so it's there for the next ripper. To submit just click on the 'Database' menu, 'Submit CD iformation To freedb'.

That's it. Hope this saves you guys some time.