Burn Podcasts to CD

If you love podcasts, but don't have a way to play them outside of your computer, it is easy to burn them onto a disc to play anywhere. The easiest way to do this is iTunes, but anyone can burn podcasts over with an internet connection and 1-2 free programs.

Steps

Using iTunes

1. Make sure all of your files are visible in iTunes. Any podcast found on the iTunes store will show up automatically, but you'll need to move any files found elsewhere into iTunes so that you can burn them. To do so, click the "Download" link on the podcast you want. When it is finished downloading, copy and paste it into the folder "Automatically Add to iTunes," which is found in "My Music." This will place the podcast directly in iTunes, and even sort it for you, making your life much easier later.
   • iTunes, which has the largest library of podcasts on the planet, is the easiest way to burn podcasts to discs. It can be downloaded for free online. If you prefer not to use iTunes, there are
2. Navigate to your Playlists page in iTunes. CDs are burned on iTunes through playlists. Once you've created one and put on all the songs and/or podcasts you want, your computer will write the playlist to the CD as long as you have a computer with a CD burner. Your playlists page is found by clicking "Playlist" from the top of iTunes.
   • Almost all modern computers have a CD burner. If you do not know if your computer can burn CDs, check out "Device Manager" in the Start Menu (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Double click on "DVD/CD-ROM Drive," and look for the extension "CD-RW." This means you can burn CDs.
3. Click the "+" in the lower left corner of iTunes to create a new playlist. From the Playlist page, hit + and select "New Playlist." This will then bring you back to your music, and a gray bar will open up on the side of the screen. This is where you drag the podcasts or songs into the playlist to be burned.
   • If you have the podcast already selected in iTunes, you can also press Shift+Control+N (Windows) or Shift+Command+N (Mac) to automatically make a playlist with all the selected (highlighted blue) songs/podcast.
4. Click "Podcasts" and select the Podcasts you want to burn. You are able to select multiple at once while holding the "command/ctrl" key. Remember, however, that most CD's can only hold roughly 80 minutes of high-quality audio. If your podcasts are too long, there are a few solutions:
   • Convert the songs to mp3 easily through iTunes. This will lower the sound quality, but that is not a big deal if you are only listening to talks.
   • Use multiple CD's. If the playlist is too long, iTunes will give you the option to use multiple CDs. When one is full, it will prompt you to put in a fresh disc before restarting.
   • Cut the songs into smaller bits. You can use a basic, free audio editing software like Audacity to open the song, cut it in half, then save it as two smaller songs.
5. Click and drag the podcasts into your playlist, then hit done when finished. You can use the search bar in the upper right corner to find the podcast you want, then just drag it into the playlist space that opened up when you created a new playlist. Click the small "done" at the bottom of the page when you have everything.
   • If your playlist closes prematurely, or you want to add more episodes, find the playlist in your Playlist Menu, then click "Edit Playlist" in the top right corner.
6. Place a blank CD in your computer and click the gear icon in the lower left corner. Navigate back to your playlist if you've left, selecting it in the Playlist menu. Click the gear in the lower left corner, then select "Burn to Disc." You'll be offered several options, such as the gaps between songs, audio quality, and if you want to download song info (artist, name of podcast, etc.).
   • Select "MP3 CD" to fit more podcasts onto a single disk. However, know that not all CD players can play mp3s.

Using Independent Burning Software

1. Download free CD burning software. Any computer that comes with a CD burner will also come with a CD burning program, such as Windows Media Player or Sonic RecordNow. If you do not have a burning program you can find many free ones online, such as ImgBurn, BurnAware, or CDBurner XP.
   • Nearly every modern computer has a CD burner. If you do not know if your computer can burn CDs, check out "Device Manager" in the Start Menu (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Double click on "DVD/CD-ROM Drive," and look for the extension "CD-RW." The RW stands for Re-Write, which means you can burn CDs.
2. Make a folder of all the podcasts you desire to burn. On your desktop, make a folder, title it something memorable, and drag all of the podcasts you want to burn into the folder.
   • If you are having trouble finding them, check the "Downloads" folder, which is the first place they will go if downloaded from the internet.
   • You can drag and drop the files directly from many music players into the folder as well.
3. Place a blank CD into your CD tray. Make sure that it can fit the audio you plan on burning-- most CDs hold roughly 80 minutes of audio. The CD should be "writable" or "rewriteable," which are simply other expressions for a blank CD. If your audio is too long you have several options:
   • Convert the songs to mp3s. These files are smaller but sound worse. Not all players can run mp3 files, especially many car stereos.
   • Use multiple CD's. Make smaller folders, one for each CD. Limit each folder to under 80 minutes or so of audio.
   • Cut the songs into smaller bits. You can use a basic, free audio editing software like Audacity to open the audio, cut it, then save it as two shorter podcasts.
4. Open your burning program and follow the instructions. They are all different, but most of them have similar interfaces:
   • Select the files or folder for the CD.
   • Choose your settings (sound quality, mp3 or regular audio, etc.)
   • Burn the CD.

Downloading Any Podcasts for Burning

1. Always use the recommended download link if available. The best quality, easiest podcasts to burn will come with a download link. You can find 1000's of free podcasts for download online at iTunes, Podcast Alley, NPR, EarWolf, and elsewhere. Simply search for podcasts that interest you and look for the download link next to each episode.
   • You must have downloaded the file for the podcast to burn it to a disc.
   • Not all podcasts can be downloaded directly, but the vast majority are available for free.
2. Record the podcast as it plays if you cannot download it. This method is only helpful if you can leave your computer on for long periods while the podcast records, but may be the only way to download the podcast and make it burnable. To do so:
   • Download a recording program, like Replay Audio, that can save the sound coming from your computer. This program automatically makes a new "song" from the playing podcast, allowing you to listen anytime.
   • Some Windows users can use the "Stereo Mix" to record whatever sound is playing on your computer currently. To do so, right-click on the volume icon on your toolbar, then click "Recording Devices." Right-click in the box and select both "Show Disabled" and "Show Disconnected." Enable your "Stereo Mix," then use any music recording program to record the podcast as you play it. Note: Not all windows computers can do this.
3. Alternatively, record the podcast through your headphone jack. Buy a basic 8mm cable (aux cord) and run it from your output (headphone jack) to input (microphone jack). You can then use a recording program, like Audacity or Garage Band, to record the podcast as it plays. Basically, it takes the sound that would go to your headphones and routes it into a microphone, re-recording the file to your computer.
   • Save the file, then place it on your desktop or in iTunes to view and burn later.

Tips

• Keep your podcasts organized in folders, or on iTunes, to make them easier to find and burn.

Warnings

• Downloading podcasts and burning them may be illegal in certain countries.

Things You'll Need

• Compact Disc
• PC/Mac with CD Drive
• iTunes

Sources and Citations

See also

• Record a CD Using Audacity and iTunes
• Check the Balance on an iTunes Gift Card
• Hide an iPhone App from Your iCloud Account with iTunes
• Change Album Art in iTunes
• Sync Your iPhone to iTunes
• Add Personal Movies to iTunes
• Convert iTunes M4P to MP3
• Delete an iTunes Playlist
• Get a Free Song from iTunes
• Share Music Between Two Computers with Home Share

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