Reasons for keeping full CD rips

Maybe you think: I ripped some CDs to my computer and then converted them to 320kbps mp3. If I discover duplicat songs, fine - I go delete the one that is worse. Saves disk spaces.

It depends on what you want, but here are reasons to keep lossless audio data and to keep full CDs.

why lossless

• maybe today, you, with current environment cannot hear the difference between 320kbps mp3 and wav.
  • What about tomorrow?
  • What about other people than you? (At least as DJ you should probably care about others)
  • What about a different environment, e.g. new speakers, headphones ...?
  • What about effects that one cannot hear, but are still there?

why full CD rips

If you deleted the other version you have no chance to re-check. You also cannot participate very good in discussions over the deleted file with other people very good.

You may have problems to use cool features, like automatic mass tagging - because the CD in its entirety has gone, it cannot be recognised.

solution

• keep the original data, if you like lossless compressed, e.g. using FLAC
• maintain an extra archive for your tracks that you think are the best versions of a song
• there may come up tools, that can generate best-of-extractions based on the data you have
  • e.g. several people gather and create a best-of-text-file. You just get the file, a programm looks what you have, and in the extraction it leaves out duplicates that have a better counterpart.