I need to import a CD using either MacOS or Windows and then somehow transfer the tracks into my iTunes Music library on my iPad.
The latter part I think is not possible, but what is the best to go about ripping a CD on either Windows or Mac without using iTunes?
Does this help?
OP asked for āwithout iTunesā.
I donāt really see the logic here - you want to rip a CD without using iTunes but then add the tracks to your iTunes music library? Why not just rip in iTunes?
Exact Audio Copy is an excellent grabber for audio CDs on Windows.
You can use iMazing to transfer the music without iTunes (PC and Mac).
OP referred to not ripping on iTunes; I linked to info about the second part: syncing. You could of course pay for an app like iMazing to transfer too, but since iTunes is already thereā¦
Yeah sorry for not making that clear. I donāt have a SuperDrive so I either have to borrow one and attach it to my Mac and from there add it to iTunes
OR
Use a friendās Windows computer and then rip and transfer from there and then add to my personal iTunes through my Mac later
iTunes is available for Windows, either from Apple or through the Windows App Store. I prefer Appleās use of AAC over MP3 for ripping for sound quality/size, so Iād consider using it if possible.
Transfer from Windows to iPad could be accomplished via uploading to a cloud account then downloading, or with iTunes/WiFi (assuming it works the same way in Windows as it does with the Mac as described in the link I posted above), or by exporting the music files to a thumb drive like the iExpandDrive or
something
similar
You can rip through iTunes on Mac which then puts your music into your library.
If youāre an Apple Music subscriber itāll sync to all your devices.
If not, you can have an iTunes Match subscription through Apple which then will sync your music to your other devices
Rip the CD on your friendās Windows machineā¦copy the music files onto a thumb drive. Then on your Mac use iTunes to import from the thumb drive
So I ripped the CD using Windows Media Player and then I uploaded them to iCloud Drive. Now I need to import them to iTunes on my Mac, which I have a little while longer.
But when I go to iTunes and click add to library and then select the files, then nothing happens. The tracks are not added to iTunes. Do I have to convert them to another format or what?
Because you used Windows Media Playerā¦
iTunes will not import those files because of the file format. You need to rip them in iTunes first. Once imported into your iTunes library, you can then sync to your iPad.
I understand you are trying to do this in a roundabout manner, but you are making more work than needed.
I did it today on my work PC and I cant install iTunes on it unfortunately, as far as I know, it will require administrator preferences. But I will try to do that.
But I still have a Mac so Iām guessing that it would be possible in some way to convert those WMA audio files to something that iTunes on my Mac can recognise? Or not?
Why not buy a USB DVD drive for $20 - you can plug it in your Mac and forget about all this hoop-jumping.
Iām planning to get rid of my mac and go iPad Pro only very soon, so thatās why 
Ah, you should have said so in the initial post. My recommendation would have been a little different: to rip in iTunes at the lowest (and fastest) speed, then load up your Mac with all your music and then take advantage of iTunes Match. With an iTunes Match subscription, iTunes matches your library, uploads any unmatched tracks, and makes your music available on multiple devices through the iCloud Music Library, available to all your devices for streaming, without your needing to use storage space on your devices. If you have low-quality tracks, iTunes Match āupgradesā them, allowing you to download 256 kbps AAC files without DRM.
iTunes Match costs $25/yr, and is separate from Apple Music. But if youāre going iOS-only I think the price might be worth it.
I have iTunes Match and I love it. But I donāt have a CD drive for my Mac. So thatās why I have to do it on my windows machine at work. But I probably have to install iTunes on the work machine and then upload the files that iTunes rips to iCloud Drive and then import them into my iTunes library on my Mac and use iTunes Match to get them on my iPad and iPhone.
Why? Just log into your account from the Windows box (and be sure to log out after and then remove it from the list of āyourā devices, on apple.com) and upload from there. Then once in your Apple Music Library you can access your music (by streaming at will, or downloading to the device if you prefer) from anything you are logged into with your AppleID (and long as you donāt go over Appleās 5-device limit, if thatās still a limitation after all these years).
Thanks Iāll give that go if indeed Iām able to download iTunes on my work pc without administrator privileges. I already have downloaded and installed iCloud Drive on the machine for easy access to all my files