Make an Audio CD With Windows 7

With Windows Media Player in Windows 7, users have the ability to copy music saved in their library to a blank CD. This feature is useful if you want to listen to music from your computer in your car or even if you want to create a CD with a mix of songs.

Steps

  1. Determine if your computer contains a CD burner. There are 2 ways to determine if your computer contains a CD burner. If your computer does not contain a CD burner, you must contact your computer's manufacturer if you need help selecting a CD burner.
    • Look on the front of the CD drive tray for a logo that indicates whether the drive offers "writable" or "rewritable" features. If the logo is present, then your computer contains a CD burner.
    • Look at your CD drive properties in Windows. In Windows click on the "Start" button or Windows logo in the bottom left corner of your screen, then click on "My Computer." Right-click on your CD drive and select "Properties." Look for a "Recording" tab. If the "Recording" tab is present, you have a CD burner installed on your computer.
  2. Obtain a blank digital CD. There are 2 different types of CDs you can use depending on the type of CD player you have; Audio CDs or Data CDs. Audio CDs will store music only and can play on any type of CD player. Data CDs will store music, pictures and videos but will only play music on CD players that support WMA files. Audio CDs have a capacity of up to 80 minutes of music, whereas Data CDs have a capacity of up to 700 megabytes or 8 hours of music.
    • Purchase blank Audio or Data CDs in CD-R format because they are compatible with the widest range of CD players. If you plan on using a Data CD, you may also purchase the CD-RW format if you plan on erasing the CD or adding new files to it later on. You must also determine that your CD player supports CD-RW CDs.
  3. Burn your Audio or Data CD using Windows Media Player. Open Windows Media Player from your Start menu or from where it's stored on your computer.
    • Click on the "Burn" tab in the upper-right corner, then click on the arrow below it or off to the right to display a drop-down menu with additional options. Click on "Audio CD" or "Data CD or DVD" depending on the method you have chosen.
    • Insert your blank CD into your CD burner. If the "AutoPlay" dialog box appears, close it. If your computer has more than one CD burner, click on the "Next Drive" link to select the burner you want to use. If Windows Media Player does not recognize your USB-connected burner, check the connection or close and restart Windows Media Player.
    • Find items in your music library you want to burn to the CD. In the main window of Windows Media Player, navigate to the music file or folder you want to burn to the CD. Click and drag these items over to the "List" pane on the right below the "Burn" tab. Drag and drop items up and down in the list if you want to change the play order. If you accidentally drag and drop a song you don't want, right-click the song and click "Remove from List."
    • Click on the "Start burn" button at the top of the List pane to begin burning your CD. The burning process will take several minutes to complete depending on how many files you selected, and you may even be prompted to insert a second CD if your files will not fit on one CD.

Warnings

  • In some cases, the songs you burn may be copyright-protected with media usage rights and be unplayable. Some computers have the ability to acquire usage rights and play the songs with an Internet connection, but some devices such as portable CD players and car stereos may not be able to acquire those rights. Check the documentation or contact the manufacturer of your computer or CD player to determine if media usage rights are installed.

Things You'll Need

  • Blank digital audio or data CDs
  • CD recorder drive (also known as CD burner)

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Sources and Citations

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