Joining the 21st century: Software (opensource) recommendations

[Haopengyou]

I borrowed a friends mp3 player last week and remembered how enjoyable listening to music was. I want to start ramping up so that I can load music to my cell phone(s) and other devices. I also want to start using music in my powerpoint files in my classes as well as in my moodle lessons as well. I have compiled a list of functions that I think I need to be able to do and would like your suggestions for open source software that will accomplish these tasks. Hopefully i can find a couple/few programs that will accomplish these tasks so that I don't clutter up my notebook with 50 programs! I know that there are a few video tasks thrown in there as well. Please feel free to comment on those also.

If you can think of other tasks that I am likely to encounter, please feel free to mention them also.

Rip a song from a cd/dvd
manage my audio file (mp3, avi, itunes, etc) collection
cut an audio file into parts
record audio from a microphone
record audio/video from youtube, etc
manage internet radio – record audio
mixing audio
audio file format conversion, i.e. avi to mp3, etc
save streaming video/audio to my harddrive
burn an audio file to a cd/dvd
make an electronic “juke box”
edit mp3 tags
play real audio files without having realplayer installed
show song lyrics
play vcd, dvd
edit, split, join vcd and dvd files
render
burn a video file to a disk
add subtitles
shrink dvd to fit on my cell phone

[Nelson37]

You will need several different programs, the only hands-down recommendation I would give is ImageBurn for burning disks. Other than that, it's mostly personal preference. The "TOOLS" section on the left has most everything you need.

And what's a "moodle lesson"?

[lordsmurf]

moodle.com is a site where you can get free edu / e-learning tools.
I've read quite a bit about in in the past few years -- lots of buzz about it in edu magazines.

[Haopengyou]

Thanks! Moodle is an online (or single computer) computer assisted education tool. It is an excellent and free tool but not anywhere near what I would call user friendly, and I have been working with computers since the TRS 80 days. I want to develop some proficiency in both audio and video so that I can improve my ability to make online classes, especially so that I can help the orphans that I work with improve their study skills. I will continue to search the tools. It would be helpful if someone could tell me which of the above tasks are likely to be bundled in the same program or some search terms that I can use to develop background knowledge in these areas.

[byteguy]

Your list is a lot like "I want to boil the ocean and serve it as a chowder." You're covering a huge amount of ground and asking for a simple answer.

Start simple. Pick audio first. Go get something like AudioGrabber to pull music off CDs. Then get Audacity and learn now to manipulate audio files. MP3 tags are simple; get MP3Tag. All these programs are free and there are LOTS of good alternatives. I'm just listing what I personally use and like.

Keep in mind that some of the things you are trying to do (depending on where you live) are actually illegal. No, I'm not making a value judgment or saying I even agree... I'm just telling you what is true. Because of this, some things like "save streaming video/audio to my harddrive" and "edit, split, join vcd and dvd files" require multiple programs or are a constant battle to keep running as the suppliers change their systems to combat copying.

[Haopengyou]

Thanks!