How to burn a CD in 4 ways

How to burn a CD in 4 ways How to burn a CD in 4 ways

Even with dozens of data backup solutions available for Windows, such as transferring the data to Cloud accounts or to external hard drives, some people still prefer using CDs for creating copies of their important files. Another reason why some users still prefer using CDs is that their cars or TVs don't come with built-in USB ports but feature CD-ROM readers. So, they can copy their favorite music and movies and play them on the aforementioned devices.

In this article, I will show you how to burn CDs on your Windows PC. You can choose between multiple solutions. For example, you could burn your CD by using a Windows' default tool, or you might work with third-party utilities that are specialized in burning CDs and DVDs on PCs.

Tutorial assets

You will need to download the following software to follow along with this tutorial.

Use Windows built-in CD burning software

Whether you still use Windows 7 or chose to upgrade to Windows 10, burning CDs is done pretty much in the same way. Here I will show you how to burn CDs on a Windows 10 PC:

Step 1

Insert a blank CD in your computer.

Step 2

Open a File Explorer window and click the "This PC" icon from the left side of the screen. Right-click your CD or DVD drive and select the "Open Autoplay..." option. Choose the "Burn files to disc" option which is a File Explorer command.

Windows Autoplay Screen

Optional: As you can see in the uploaded screenshot, the Autoplay window also shows options for using third-party tools, like the free ISO burner I have installed on my PC (ImgBurn). You can find a lot of free CD burning software that you can use to burn CDs or DVDs without paying a buck or wasting much time waiting for the results. These disc image burners also provide you with extra burning options.

Step 3

You will then need to enter a name for your disc and select the preferred burning option. The disc can behave like a USB removable drive (the CD will work only on a PC with Windows XP or later) or as a CD/DVD player (supported my most computers). Select the second option and click the "Next" button to continue.

Configuring Windows Burning SettingsConfiguring Windows Burning Settings

Step 4

File Explorer will then open a window showing the contents of your CD or DVD. All you need to do is to drag-and-drop or copy the files you wish to transfer to your CD or DVD.

Step 5

Click the "Share" button from the File Explorer toolbar and select the "Burn to disc" option.

Burn files with Windows media player

Another way to burn files to a CD or DVD is by using the Windows media player utility. You can use this program to burn videos, music files, and pictures to your CDs and DVDs. Here I will show you how to burn videos in CD:

Step 1

Launch Windows media player app on your PC. Select the Burn tab from the right side of the interface.

Windows Media Player Burn TabWindows Media Player Burn Tab

Step 2

Click the "Burn options" icon and choose one of the following options: Audio CD (if you want to burn WMA, WAV, or MP3 files to a CD that can be played on any CD player and car stereo) or Data CD or DVD (if you want to burn videos, pictures, and songs; the files will play only on CD or DVD players and computers that support their formats).

Windows Media Player Burning OptionsWindows Media Player Burning Options

Step 3

In a File Explorer window, locate the videos you wish to burn to the inserted CD or DVD. Drag-and-drop them over Windows media player's burn list. Once you finish adding files to the list, click the "Start Burn" and let the app complete the given task.

Burn songs from iTunes to CD

iTunes is one of the most popular media players in the world. With its help, you can create and manage a media library, sync its stored data across your iOS devices, acquire new music from the Apple Store, and so much more. This program can also be used to burn songs to CDs. Here I will show you how to burn CD audio on Windows 10 with iTunes:

Step 1

Launch the iTunes app on your PC.

Step 2

The music files you wish to burn must be stored in a playlist (add files from the Music panel to a new playlist). Right-click the playlist you wish to burn and select the "Burn Playlist to Disc" option.

Step 3

Configure the burning options according to your needs and click the "Burn" button.

Configuring iTunes Burning SettingsConfiguring iTunes Burning Settings

Burn YouTube videos to a DVD

YouTube is one of the most popular online video sharing websites in the world. It lets you stream documentaries, watch movie trailers, play music videos, and so much more. You can watch YouTube videos from almost any type of media device (smartphone, tablet, smart TVs, etc.) except standard DVD players or TVs. One solution would be to download, convert, and burn your favorite YouTube videos to DVDs. Any DVD Converter Pro is a program that can do just that. Even though it isn't the best DVD burning software, this app comes with two built-in functions that enable you to first download YouTube videos and then burn them to DVDs. Here's what you need to do:

Step 1

Launch Any DVD Converter Pro on your PC. Click the Burn DVD tab.

Step 2

Click the "Add URL(s)" button. Import the URLs for the YouTube videos you wish to burn to DVD. Click the "Start Download" button once you finish adding the URLs.

Importing URLs In Any DVD Converter ProImporting URLs In Any DVD Converter Pro

Step 3

The app will immediately download the selected videos. Once the download process is complete, configure the burning settings according to your needs and click the "Burn Now!" button from the upper-right side of the interface.

Conclusion

Clearly, it's very simple to burn CDs on your Windows computer. Choose one of the aforementioned 4 methods, complete the correspondent steps, and you will immediately put your hands on your newly burned CD or DVD.

Alternative downloads

  • Any DVD Converter Pro Any DVD Converter Pro $39.95 windows All-in-one DVD ripper, video converter and audio extractor. Download
  • BurnAware Free BurnAware Free free windows Burning software that you can use to create all types of CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs. Download
  • PowerISO PowerISO $39.95 windows Handle all kinds of CD, DVD, and BD-ROM image file formats such as ISO, BIN, NRG, CDI, and DAA. Download
  • iTunes iTunes free windows Organize and enjoy the music, movies, and TV shows on your computer. Download

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