What Is Red Book CD Audio?
Understanding the technical basis of standard audio CDs.
Red Book is the commonly used name for the specification governing Compact Disc Digital Audio. Standard CD audio uses 44.1 kHz, 16-bit PCM.
44.1 kHz and 16-bit PCM
The Library of Congress identifies 44.1 kHz/16-bit PCM WAVE as an acceptable representation of CD Red Book quality audio.
CD-DA tracks
Because the source is already digital, extraction should avoid analogue re-recording and unnecessary conversion.
Digital extraction
Track boundaries, order and metadata should be retained alongside the extracted PCM files.
Access formats
MP3 or other compressed files can be made as access copies but should not replace the original digital extraction.
Preservation
Verify the track count, duration, sample rate, bit depth and checksums.
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.
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