2. Burn your album to CD
Burning music to a CD is the process of using a computer's optical drive to write digital audio files, such as WAVs, onto a blank CD, creating a playable disc.
What you’ll need:
Computer
External USB CD-RW optical drive (CD burner)
Media player software such as Windows Media Player (Legacy), Apple Music/iTunes or any other third-party media player application that can burn CDs.
Blank CD-R (recommended) or CD-RW disc
Standard or slimline jewel case or clear plastic wallet (at least 150 micron recommended) for storing and protecting your CD.
Your chosen album tracks downloaded to your computer and imported into your media player’s library.
Recommendations:
For compatibility with most CD players, it is recommended that you burn your album as an audio CD instead of an MP3 or data CD using a CD-R instead of a CD-RW.
A standard audio CD can store up to 80 minutes of music. Please ensure your album does not exceed this length before burning.
Select a slow burn speed (between 4x and 16x) to maximise reliability and reduce the risk of data errors occurring. This can usually be set from your media player’s burn settings.
Before burning, close any unrelated applications on your computer and avoid multitasking during the burn process to help prevent disruption to the data stream.
Please note:
The quality and reliability of blank CDs vary significantly between brands and production batches. In general, CD-Rs will offer better compatibility and longevity than CD-RWs.
Unlike CD-RWs, CD-Rs can only be burned once. If using a CD-R, please ensure you have completed your tracklist before burning as further changes cannot be made once the disc has been finalised.
While it is relatively rare for CD burning to fail with modern technology, it can still happen due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, defective CDs, dirty or damaged optical drives and excessively high burn speeds. Due to the variables involved, it cannot be guaranteed that a blank CD will burn successfully.
Metadata (such as track title, artist name, etc.) is generally not included when burning an audio CD. Some applications will allow you to include CD-Text, however, this feature is not universally supported by all CD players.
How do I burn my album to CD?
The steps below offer basic guidance on how to burn your album to CD using Windows Media Player (PC) and Apple Music/iTunes (Mac). Step-by-step guides (such as this) can also be found online if you require more specific instructions. If you are using another media player application to burn your album, please refer to the developer’s online documentation.
Burn your album using Windows Media Player (PC):
Insert your CD: Insert the blank CD into your computer's CD-RW optical drive.
Open Windows Media Player: Launch the application by searching for Windows Media Player in the Start menu. If you’re using Windows 10/11 and don’t see the application in the Start menu, it may need to be enabled first:
Windows 10: Select Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features > Add a feature > Windows Media Player, and select Install.
Windows 11: Select Start > Settings > System > Optional Features > View features, and search for Windows Media Player Legacy. Check the box next to Windows Media Player Legacy and select Next, then Add.
Add your album tracks: Import your chosen album tracks into your library by drag and dropping them directly from File Explorer into the open Windows Media Player window.
Navigate to the burn tab: Click on the Burn tab located in the top-right corner of the library pane.
Create a burn list: Drag and drop your chosen album tracks from your library to the Burn list pane on the right. You can reorder the tracks by dragging them up or down.
Configure settings: Click the Burn options button (a small checklist icon) located in the top-right corner of the Burn tab and select Audio CD. Click More burn options and set the Burn speed to Slow.
Start burning: Click Start burn to begin the process.
Burn your album using Apple Music/iTunes (Mac):
Insert your CD: Insert the blank CD into your computer's CD-RW optical drive.
Open Apple Music/iTunes: Launch Music/iTunes from the Dock or Applications folder.
Add your album tracks: Import your chosen album tracks into your library by drag and dropping them directly from Finder into the open Apple Music/iTunes window.
Create a playlist: Select File > New > Playlist, then drag and drop your chosen album tracks from your library to the newly created playlist. You can reorder the tracks by dragging them up or down.
Initiate burn: Select the playlist, then choose File > Burn Playlist to Disc.
Configure settings: Select Audio CD and a slow burn speed (between 4x and 16x).
Start burning: Click Burn to begin the process.
Once you have successfully burned your album to CD, store it in a jewel case or clear plastic wallet to protect it from dust and scratches.