Mac OS X you can use to burn, or write CDs without having to install special software. You can burn a data CD to store a large number of files, an audio CD to play on stereo, or you can burn an image file from another CD onto a CD. Follow this guide to burn your CDs quickly and correctly.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Burn an Audio CD
Step 1. Open iTunes
Create a new playlist by clicking File, then hover over New. Select Playlists from the menu that appears.
You can change the playlist name by clicking the playlist name in the right frame after you create it. The playlist name will be the CD name, and will be displayed when you insert the CD in a compatible CD player
Step 2. Add songs to your playlist
Click and drag the desired song into the playlist. You can also add one album at a time by clicking and dragging the cover image.
A standard audio CD can hold a maximum of 80 minutes of playback, which means that your playlist should contain songs with a maximum duration of about 1, 2 or 1.3 hours. (This can be found at the bottom of the window.) Because this isn't an accurate way to measure duration, some 1.3 hour playlists will be shorter than 80 minutes and some longer. (You'll know for sure when you try to burn it.)
Step 3. Rearrange the playlist order if desired
There is a dropdown menu above the entries in your playlist, below the title. Select the method by which you want to sort the playlist. To place the songs in the order you want, click Manual Order and then click and drag the songs into the playlist.
Step 4. Insert a blank CD
Click File, then select Burn Playlist to Disc. If the playlist is too long, you will be given the option to split it across multiple CDs. You can do this if you wish or cancel the burn and reduce the duration of the playlist.
- If you're not sure how to open the CD slot, go to Controls on the iTunes toolbar and click Eject Disc. The CD slot will definitely open whether there is a CD or not in it.
- Usually you need to use a CD for audio discs. There is indeed an audio DVD player, but it is rather rarely used.
Step 5. Choose your burning settings
In iTunes 10 or earlier, burning will start automatically. In iTunes 11, you are given the option to set burning preferences before you start the burning process.
- You can set the burning speed. Higher is faster, but very high speeds can cause disk errors on older systems or cheap CDs.
- You can choose to pause between songs or not.
- You can choose the format you want. Audio CDs are the most common and can be played on almost any CD player. MP3 CDs require a special player to play them. Only do this if you are sure your player is compatible and all the songs in your playlist are in MP3 (and not AAC, for example).
Step 6. Click Burn when it is ready
The iTunes display will show the CD burning process in progress. iTunes will sound a warning sound when the burning process is complete.
Method 2 of 3: Burn a Data CD
Step 1. Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW into the CD drive
A CD-R can only be written once, then becomes read-only. You can add and delete data on a CD-RW.
These steps can be used to burn DVDs as well as data CDs, as long as your computer supports DVD burning
Step 2. Select the Open Finder option
When you insert a blank disc, you will usually be asked how to handle it on the computer. This option will open the Finder so you can easily drag and drop files when you select the CD.
Step 3. Look for the blank CD icon that appears on your desktop
This icon is named "Untitled CD". Double-click to open the CD Finder window.
Step 4. Drag and drop the desired folders and files onto the CD
Rename the file or folder as you like before you start the burning process. Once burned to a CD, you cannot change the name.
Step 5. Start the burning
Click File, then select "Burn Untitled CD". You will be given the opportunity to name your CD. This name will appear each time the CD is inserted into the computer.
Step 6. Click Burn after the CD is named
The files will then be saved to the CD. This process can take anywhere from a minute to almost an hour, depending on the size of the file you want to burn.
To reuse a CD-RW disc, erase all data on the disc and then repeat the burning process
Method 3 of 3: Burning Disc Image to CD
Step 1. Open Disk Utility
This can be found in the Utilities folder in Applications. A disc image is a direct copy of a CD or DVD burned onto a blank CD or DVD. The burned disc will have exactly the same content as the original disc.
Step 2. Insert a blank disc
Depending on the size of the image, you can insert a CD or DVD. A CD image is usually around 700 MB, a DVD image can be as large as 4.7 GB.
Step 3. Add disc image files
Locate the disc image file on your computer. Files must be in ISO format. Drag the ISO file to the sidebar in the Disk Utility window.
Step 4. Burn the disc
After you've dragged the file into Disk Utility, click the image in the sidebar, then click the Burn button at the top of the window.
Step 5. Set your burning options
After you click Burn, click the arrow button in the corner of the Burn window to open the burning options. Make sure the “Verify burned data” box is checked. Click Burn to start the burning process.
Tips
- You can burn information onto a CD-R more than once, but each burning session is permanent and you cannot delete the information from the CD. On the other hand, you can burn and delete files multiple times from a CD-RW.
- If you're burning an audio CD of songs in multiple file formats, save yourself time by checking Audio CD when selecting your burning settings. Converting all the songs to MP3 format, which is the only way to get to the MP3 CD option, can be a time-consuming process.
- These data burning steps can also be used if you want to burn information onto a DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, or DVD-RAM. DVDs have more storage space than CDs.
Warning
- Although choosing Audio CD, in theory, should make your songs playable on every CD-player, note that not all types of discs can be played on every CD-player. (Some players can't play CD-RWs, for example.)
- A badly scratched or damaged CD may not be readable by your computer. Make sure your CD is clean before inserting it.
- Depending on the CD and its files, the product resulting from these steps may not work on a PC.
