Create audio disc with CDBurnerXP

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Create audio disc with CDBurnerXP

In this tutorial: How to create an audio CD or DVD with CDBurnerXP in Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7

Last modified: 2011-12-20 22:55:11 EET

Audio CDs are for car and home stereos that do not support mp3s or other compressed audio formats. You can create audio CDs/DVDs from compressed and uncompressed audio files on your computer using CDBurnerXP.

File formats supported include:

aif & aiff
ape
bwf
flac
mp2
mp3
mpc
ogg
wma
wav
wv

You can also add files using playlists in the following formats:

When you open CDBurnerXP, you will see Action Selection dialog. Click Audio disc and then click OK. Insert your blank CD or DVD now.
CDBurnerXP, main Action Selection dialog. Click Audio disc. Then click OK button.

Find the audio files or playlists you want to write to your CD/DVD from top part and drag them using your mouse to the lower part.
To select all files in the folder at once, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+A. To select multiple consequent files, click the first file, then hold down Shift key and click the last file. To select multiple non-consequent files, hold down Ctrl (Control) key and click the files with mouse.
Please remember that you cannot add folders to audio CDs or DVDs!
CDBurnerXP, Audio compilation window. To add something to a disc, drag files from top part to lower part.

Files will be analyzed before adding them to compilation. This is to prevent erratic items from interrupting the disc creation process.
CDBurnerXP, Audio compliation, Adding Files. Each file will be analyzed before adding to compilation.

Every file added will update the Data size bar above Status bar. Make sure not to exceed the red line in Data size bar. Check Remaining Size in CDBurnerXP Status bar to see how much data you can add to the inserted disc. Although there are megabytes displayed also, the only important criteria are minutes and seconds (standard CD holds 74 minutes [1 hour and 14 minutes] of audio, but many CDs hold 80 minutes [1:20] of music).
Megabytes are displayed for uncompressed audio, not mp3-s or any other compressed audio type.

When you are done adding files, adjust Number of copies to the number of discs you want to burn and click Burn button in toolbar above disc contents.
CDBurnerXP, Audio compliation. Click Burn to start creating the audio disc.

CDBurnerXP will then display the Burn Audio CD dialog.
For CDs/DVDs created for older home and car entertainment systems, select the lowest Burn speed possible to ensure maximum compatibility.
From the Burn method section, select the A pause for 2 seconds between all tracks (known as TAO or Track At Once, the default) option or create a gapless (No pause between tracks) disc (known as DAO or Disc At Once).
In most cases, the pause is fine. You can also adjust the Pause length option to 1 second - but creating pauses over 2 seconds in length have no point.
The Enable CD-Text option is good only if your compressed audio files (MP3, FLAC, OGG, etc) have been properly tagged.
Always activate the Finalize disc option to ensure maximum compatibility with older systems. This will not allow adding new tracks later, but makes sure your parents' ages-old Hi-Fi plays the disc properly.
CDBurnerXP, Burn Audio CD options. Click A pause for 2 seconds between all tracks option for typical CDs; No pause between tracks for live performances or mixtapes.

CDBurnerXP will then process compressed audio tracks. Just wait for this to complete.
CDBurnerXP, Adding Tracks To Audio Image. Stand by.

In case you did not insert a disc, you will see the Disc Required dialog stating Not writable (No disc) in the Present column.

In case the inserted disc is not writable - a finalized CD-R/DVD-R/DVD+R - the Present column will state Not writable (CD-R) or Not writable (DVD-R).
Please insert the writable CD/DVD now.

If there is not enough room on the CD-RW or DVD-RW/DVD+RW you inserted, CDBurnerXP offers to blank the disc and overwrite the contents. Make sure you didn't insert your wedding photos disc or something alike and then click Yes.

No, really make sure you didn't insert a disc with important data on it!
The Fast method is fine in most cases; Secure erase method is required only if your disc contains very confidential data that should never end up in the hands of unwanted people.
If you are sure you want to overwrite the disc, click Erase.

CDBurnerXP will notify you that you are really-really going to erase the contents of the disc.
Click Yes if you are very sure there are no important items on the disc. To avoid the confirmation prompt in the future, put a check mark in the Never ask again box first.

Click OK after the disc has been blanked. To prevent the success message from appearing again, activate the Never tell again option first.

Wait until CDBurnerXP completes the writing process.
CDBurnerXP, burning audio CD. Stand by until the process is complete.

When everything is complete, CDBurnerXP will display a dialog. Click OK.
If you do not want to see the message in the future, put a check mark in the Never tell again box.
CDBurnerXP, audio burning complete. Click OK.

Click Close in Burn audio CD dialog if you do not want to burn another disc with same contents. If you want to create another disc with same contents, insert an empty disc and click Burn disc.
CDBurnerXP, burning complete. Click Close.

To close CDBurnerXP, use keyboard shortcut Alt+F4 or click the X button on top right.

CDBurnerXP will ask if you want to save changes to the compilation. Click No if you do not need to re-use this compilation later, or Yes to create the compilation file.
CDBurnerXP, Do you want to save your changes before closing it? Click Yes to save the compilation; or No to exit without saving.