"I find that is is often necessary to merge multiple sound files into one recording.

This need has arisen for various reasons:

• merge ePortfolio evidence tracks into one file,
  
• combine multiple chapters of an audio-book, etc.
  

There are many great programs to achieve this, but very few of them are actually free. I've discovered that while all of these programs perform the task well (like Audacity for example), they also contain lots of other features, making them too complicated for the tasks. What I need is a plain vanilla merging utility. Any ideas?"

I suggest you try Merge MP3. It’s free, small, and allows you to...

• drag-and-drop MP3 files,
  
• arrange them in a specific order,
  
• preview the files, and, of course,
  
• finally merge them into a single file.

Here’s how you can merge mp3 files in four easy steps, using Merge MP3:

Step: 1

Download Merge Mp3 (Go to http://www.komkon.org/~shchuka/software/mergemp3/). There’s no need for any installation and you can run it instantly (it can be carried on a memory stick and run on any PC that allows exe files to be run).

Step: 2

After you’ve downloaded and opened Merge Mp3, insert the files that you want to merge. To do this, either go to ‘File’ > ‘Add Files’ or just drag-and-drop them.

Step: 3

Now just put the files you inserted into the specific sequence you desire.

Step: 4

The last step is to merge them together. You can do this by going to ‘File’ > ‘Merge’. Optionally, before merging all the mp3 files together, you can also enter the ID3 tag information (such as Artist, Album, or Title) for your merged file.

And that’s how you can merge several mp3 files together using Merge MP3.