cdparanoia

cdparanoia [options] [start_track[-end_track]] [output_file]

-V, --version
    Displays version information and exits.

-Q, --query
    Queries the drive for CD-ROM device and disc information.

-d , --device=
    Specifies the CD-ROM device to use (e.g., /dev/sr0).

-s, --search-for-drive
    Attempts to automatically detect the CD-ROM device.

-Z, --disable-paranoia
    Disables all data verification and error correction routines, making it faster but less accurate.

-Y, --disable-extra-paranoia
    Disables only the most aggressive error correction, keeping basic verification.

-X, --disable-skip
    Prevents skipping over uncorrectable sectors; instead, it attempts to read them repeatedly.

-P, --force-paranoia
    Forces full paranoia checking, even if the drive reports it can do error correction internally.

-S , --force-speed=
    Forces the CD-ROM drive speed (e.g., 2 for 2x).

-t , --track=
    Specifies a single track to extract.

-N, --never-skip
    Never skips sectors, always retries, potentially taking a very long time.

-L, --list-tracks
    Lists the tracks on the current disc and exits.

-w, --wav-file
    Outputs the extracted audio as a WAV file.

-v, --verbose
    Increases verbosity, showing more information about the ripping process.

-q, --quiet
    Suppresses non-essential output, only showing errors.

-B, --batch
    Extracts all audio tracks on the disc sequentially.

-F, --force-overread
    Forces the drive to attempt reading past the end of the data track for jitter correction.

-p, --pragma-sectors
    Specifies sectors instead of tracks for extraction. Useful for extracting parts of a track.

cdparanoia is a sophisticated command-line utility designed for extracting digital audio from compact discs (CDDA) with exceptional accuracy. Unlike simpler CD ripping tools, cdparanoia employs a set of advanced error detection and correction algorithms, often referred to as "paranoia mode," to ensure that the extracted audio data is free from jitters, skips, and other digital artifacts, even when dealing with scratched or imperfect discs. It achieves this by performing multiple reads of questionable sectors, comparing the data, and using intelligent heuristics to reconstruct the correct audio stream. This makes it an invaluable tool for archiving audio CDs, especially when source material quality is a concern. It typically outputs raw PCM audio data or WAV files, which can then be further processed or encoded into other formats. Its focus is purely on the reliable extraction of the digital audio stream from the disc.

• No direct MP3 encoding: cdparanoia extracts raw audio (PCM) or WAV files. Users need external tools like LAME or FFmpeg to encode to MP3 or other lossy formats.
• Speed vs. Accuracy: While it can rip quickly by disabling paranoia, its primary strength lies in its meticulous, and thus slower, error correction. Ripping heavily damaged discs can be extremely time-consuming.
• Hardware Dependency: The effectiveness of cdparanoia can depend on the quality and features of the CD-ROM drive, as some drives have better error handling or reporting capabilities than others.
• CD-ROM Device Naming: Device names (e.g., /dev/sr0, /dev/cdrom) can vary between Linux distributions and systems, requiring the --device option.

cdparanoia primarily outputs raw 16-bit 44.1kHz stereo PCM data to standard output by default, which can be piped to other programs. The -w option allows direct output to a WAV file. It does not natively support other audio formats like MP3, FLAC, or Ogg Vorbis, requiring separate encoding steps.

The tool's "paranoia" mode isn't just about re-reading bad sectors; it involves sophisticated algorithms that look for inconsistencies, synchronize read data, and perform jitter correction. It attempts to detect and correct errors without altering the original audio content, preferring to report uncorrectable errors rather than guessing.

For convenience, cdparanoia supports ripping entire discs automatically using the -B (batch) option, which extracts all audio tracks sequentially to numbered WAV files or stdout.

cdparanoia was developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation, known for its open-source multimedia projects like Ogg Vorbis and FLAC. Its development began in the late 1990s with a focus on creating a robust and reliable CDDA extractor, addressing common issues like jitter, read errors, and inaccurate sample positioning that plagued earlier ripping tools. The name "paranoia" reflects its aggressive and meticulous approach to verifying every single audio sample, contrasting with tools that simply extract data without such rigorous checks. It quickly gained recognition within the Linux and open-source communities as the gold standard for accurate digital audio extraction, becoming a foundational component in many audio workflows and other ripping frontends. While the core project saw less active development in the 2010s, its principles and code remain influential, often integrated into or inspiring features in modern audio software.

cdrdao(1), rip(1), ffmpeg(1), lame(1), audiocd(1)