CD burning software: what are the best options?

[riverrat]

I'm currently using Windows Media Player as my CD burning software and music file archiving.

Are there any better options out there? I'm not looking to spend much $$.

If MS Media Player is OK, does anyone have any tips for settings and such? E.g. is there any way to set the file type?

I am pretty clueless on this topic, if that isn't already readily apparent...but I did do a rudimentary search ("CD burning software") before posting.

Thanks in advance.

[Pete B]

I highly recommend Feurio which is unrestricted shareware.

[riverrat]

Thanks Pete B. I will look into that.

[.:.impossible]

itunes is also free. Very nice software.

Click Here.

[robviti]

sonic recordnow! came with my dell. it's basic, but it serves my needs.

[mjzee]

I've been using MusicMatch.

[Jazzmoose]

I've been trying to use Dell Jukebox, but I'm so sick of it hanging up I'll try one of the others mentioned here...

[Harold_Z]

Do any of these allow you to adjust the burn rate? I've heard that 8X is optimal.

[Jim Alfredson]

I've been using Nero since before anybody heard of it but it's become kinda mainstream now. It's still a good program but it's not free.

[Jazzmoose]

Do any of these allow you to adjust the burn rate? I've heard that 8X is optimal.

Yeah, the Feurio does. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble, I'm assuming with the driver for the burner...I managed to get a disc of ballads burned for my wife, but it almost sounds in places like it came from a badly tuned FM station...

[Jazzmoose]

Cancel that; I was listening over my wife's shoulder...it was her darned CD drive...

Okay; I think I'll stick with Feurio for now. Thanks to riverrat for the timely thread and PeteB for the suggestion!

It's so nice to be able to do this finally...

[Big Wheel]

I need to do some burning of mp3s to CD (hard drive is filled up with music). My Nero trial version expired and it doesn't look like a new one is available on the website right now. Is ITunes a decent program for this? I've tried Feurio and found it mind-bogglingly complex for what I want to do, plus it seems to not get along with my particular model DVD/CD drive.

[Claude]

Do you want to burn audio or data CDs? Feurio is only for audio CDs.

If you want to free up disc space, you better move the MP3s to data discs (700MB per CD-R), since burning an audio CD from MP3s will only free up approximately 50-100MB per album, as the MP3s need to be uncompressed.

[Big Wheel]

Data will be fine. These are mostly just backup copies of CDs I already have, but have ripped so I can play them all on my mp3 player.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

The only tool I use these days to make backup copies of my CDs is Exact Audio Copy. It is really the only app that makes exact audio copies. Beware using Windows Media Player to make back-ups... it defaults to turning on normalization. Makes many CDs sound like crap after.

Note: during installation, it asks for a LAME encoder - you do not need to have a LAME encoder, so ignore that.

The steps to use EAC are pretty simple. After installing, it goes through and sets up your drives. Stick to the default settings to start. Once it's up & running, simply click Action-> Copy Image & Create CUE Sheet-> Uncompressed.

After the disc is backed up to the harddrive, put a blank in your burner and then select Tools-> Write CD-R...

This brings up the CD Layout Editor. In this window, click File-> Load CUE Sheet and click on the CUE sheet you created with the first step. After it loads, click CD-R-> Write CD...

Remember, after you're done, you have to delete the huge files or you'll run out of disc space pretty quickly.

Kevin

Edited December 9, 2005 by Kevin Bresnahan

[Big Wheel]

The only tool I use these days to make backup copies of my CDs is Exact Audio Copy. It is really the only app that makes exact audio copies. Beware using Windows Media Player to make bck-ups... it defaults to turning on normalization. Makes many CDs sound like crap after.

Note: during installation, it asks for a LAME encoder - you do not need to have a LAME encoder, so ignore that.

The steps to use EAC and pretty simple. After installing, it goes through and sets up your drives. Stick to the default settings to start. Once it's up & running, simply click Action-> Copy Image & Create CUE Sheet-> Uncompressed.

After the disc is backed up to the harddrive, put a blank in your burner and then select Tools-> Write CD-R...

This brings up the CD Layout Editor. In this window, click File-> Load CUE Sheet and click on the CUE sheet you created with the first step. After it loads, click CD-R-> Write CD...

Remember, after you're done, you have to delete the huge files or you'll run out of disc space pretty quickly.

Kevin

I already use EAC for the ripping (at somewhat less than CD quality), but I wasn't aware it could also do burning.

Edit: does this work for data CDs as well as audio CDs?

Edited December 9, 2005 by Big Wheel

[Christiern]

Roxio's Toast is what I use--excellent (on a Mac, at least)

[Jim Alfredson]

Roxio's Toast is what I use--excellent (on a Mac, at least)

It sucks on PC. I agree that its great on Mac.

[Claude]

If cost is an issue, you should try the free software CDBurnerXP

http://www.cdburnerxp.se

[Jim Alfredson]

Nero is a really great program if you can afford it. $50 really isn't that much. You can rip audio to numerous formats, you can edit files, you burn and create ISOs, etc. etc. I have it on all three of my computers and have been using it exclusively for years.

[Peter Johnson]

Second (or third) this suggestion. And a big thumbs-up to the company. I purchased this program online (Roxio 6). Looking at the website a few days later, they were trumpeting Roxio 7, even though I'd already used my download link and installed 6! I went to Roxio's live chat (support) feature, and told the rep what happened. It turns out I might have mistakenly ordered 6 when I meant to order 7, but no questions asked, she refunded my money for Roxio 6 and ordered me up a download link for Roxio 7--at the upgrade price!

Man, it's rare to get customer service like that. Love the program (have already digitized a couple of Cal Tjader records), love the customer service.

Roxio's Toast is what I use--excellent (on a Mac, at least)

[Use3D]

Windows XP can also burn CDs by itself.

Edited December 9, 2005 by Use3D

[Harold_Z]

Windows XP can also burn CDs by itself.

Howso ?

Do you mean in addition to the SONIC RECORDNOW (which I think is Samsung) ? That came preloaded when I bought my computer. I thought Dell put it in, but is that standard with XP ?

Or is there another burner on my pc that I'm unaware of ?

Edited December 9, 2005 by Harold_Z

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Windows XP can also burn CDs by itself.

True, but as I said above, be careful... Microsoft seems to think music burning-PC users want their audio "flat" so they futz with the levels to give you what they "think" you want. I can't tell you how many people have used several of Microsoft's "free" (like you didn't paid anything for XP?) burning packages only to find out that the levels are all screwed up. Stick to EAC and you'll be alright. THERE IS NO BETTER .WAV BURNING PROGRAM THAN EAC... and it's free to boot.

If you want to burn audio, use EAC. I use Roxio's EZ-CD Creator for data.

Kevin

[GregK]

I installed Nero on my new Sony Vaio PC and it seemed to have killed my CD/DVD burning drive. I had to have someone come in and replace the drive. There seems to be some issues with Nero software on Sony computers, so I am back to Windows Media or Sonic. WM is annoying because no matter how many times I try to turn crossfading on, it STILL inserts a 2 second gap between tracks, which is very annoying with live discs. And I havent even tried Sonic yet, but I dont see any crossfade options