Burn CDS and DVDs with iTunes

Task #57

Difficulty Level 1

You can use iTunes to burn your music onto CDs and DVDs in a variety of popular formats. The iTunes Preferences window gives you several options for burning discs. You can select the drive with which you want to burn, how fast you want the burner to operate, and the format of the resulting burned disc.

You have three format choices for burning discs in iTunes — Audio, MP3, and Data. Audio CDs are the discs that you will find in your home stereo, boom box, or car. MP3 discs work in some CD players, some DVD players, and nearly all computers, such as your Microsoft Windows brethren. Data discs are only readable with a computer. Note that the Data format permits the burn to occur on a DVD disc as well as a CD. Using a DVD is a great way to back up large libraries. Choose the appropriate format according to your specific needs.

Apply It

If you want to burn additional discs that are identical to one you have already burned, select the playlist and click Burn Disc again. You can make as many copies as you want with one exception: The songs you download from the iTunes Music Store have limits as to how many times you may make copies. The number is large for individual use but is meant to prevent large-scale piracy.

Caution

If you are using CD-R media, make sure that you have your playlist set exactly as you want it. If you make a mistake, you will waste a CD-R. CD-RW discs, on the other hand, are erasable, which gives you more room for error. CD-RW discs cannot, however, make up for the lost time of burning another disc when you make a mistake.