Creating Your Own Music CDs

With Windows Media Player (and other players as well), you can create your own custom CDs. For instance, you might create a CD with party tunes for an upcoming event, or you might create a CD for a friend, sharing your latest favorite songs. You can create a CD from any songs on your computer. In addition to creating a CD, you can also download music to a portable music player. This section covers the basics of creating your own music CDs.

Copying Music Files

To create a CD, you first must make sure that the tracks are stored on your computer or network. If you use Windows Media Player, all of your music (and video) files are stored in the Media Library. This includes music you have downloaded using Windows Media Player, any music already on your computer (such as sample songs that may be included with Windows Media Player), and songs you have copied to the Media Library.

You can copy music from existing music CDs to the library. To do so, follow these steps:

1.	Insert the music CD into the CD drive and stop its playback.
2.	Click the Copy from CD button to display and select the tracks you want to copy. To select a track, make sure its checkbox is checked. If you don't want to include a track, uncheck its checkbox (see Figure 11.10). Figure 11.10. Select the songs you want to copy from the CD.
3.	When all the tracks are selected, click the Copy Music button. The files are then copied from the music CD to the Media Library. You can then select from these tracks to create your own custom CD.

Note that the first time you copy music files, you are prompted to select how to handle them. Follow these steps:

1.	Review the copyright information, select the option, and click Next. tip You can also view and change these options by clicking Tools and then Options. Click the Copy Music tab in the Options dialog box.
2.	Review the information on new music file formats, select a format, and click Finish. You'll see the Options dialog box (see Figure 11.11). Figure 11.11. Use this dialog box to set copy options, such as the location for the music files.
3.	Make any changes to the Copy Music options. For instance, you can select a different folder for the music files, select what happens after the files are copied (such as whether the disk is ejected), and you can make other changes. caution When copying audio files, be sure that you understand the legal ramifications of copyright protection.
4.	Click OK.

Creating a Playlist

The next step in creating your own CD is to create a playlist that includes the songs you want. To do so, follow these steps:

1.	Click the Media Library button to view all of the various music files on your computer. (The first time you view the library, you are asked whether you want Windows Media Player to search for and include all of the media files on your computer. Follow the prompts to complete the search.)
2.	Click the Playlists button and then click New Playlist. You'll be prompted to type a name, and you'll see the songs in your library listed.
3.	Type a name for the playlist.
4.	In the list of available songs, select each song to add by clicking on its name. (You may have to expand the list to display the song name. For instance, you may have to click the artist name and then the album name.) When you click a song, it is added to the playlist (see Figure 11.12). Figure 11.12. Type a name for this new playlist and then add the songs.
5.	When all the songs are added, click OK. You can then use this playlist to copy the songs to a CD, which is the topic of the next section.

Burning a CD

After you've set up a playlist, you can copy the songs in that list to a CD. Follow these steps:

1.	Click Copy to CD or Device.
2.	In the Items to Copy pane, click the down arrow and then select the playlist or category of tracks that you want to copy (see Figure 11.13). Figure 11.13. Select the playlist to copy from this drop-down list.
3.	All of the songs are selected. If you want to exclude some songs, uncheck the check boxes for those particular songs. The number of selected items and total time are displayed at the bottom of the Items to Copy pane. note MP3 is a popular format for music files, and you can purchase these players to store and play back music (much like a Sony Walkman, but without a CD disc). MP4 players are starting to hit the market at the time of this book's writing. Expect that newer file format (and player) to become the standard as time goes on.
4.	Insert a blank CD into the CD drive. Then click Copy, and the songs are copied to the CD.

You can also copy the songs and playlists from your computer to a portable music player, such as an MP3 player. To do so, connect your player and then select the device from the drop-down list in the Items on Device pane.