This article explains how to create a CD using a CD-R or CD-RW and explains which disc format may be most appropriate for your needs.

Creating CDs

If your Mac has a built-in Apple CD recorder, you can create your own CDs in several different formats.

You use blank CD-R or CD-RW (read/write) discs to create your own CDs. Once a CD-R has been recorded, or "burned," you cannot modify the disc or any of the files that are on it.

If you want to use a CD-RW disc that already has files on it, you must erase it first. Many of the CD drives in older computers cannot reliably read a CD-RW disc. For better compatibility, use CD-R discs instead.

Creating a CD

1. Insert a blank disc into the CD recording drive.

2. In the dialog box that appears, select a format for the disc from the Format pop-up menu. For information about the formats, see "Choosing a Disc Format" section, below. After you click OK, an icon for the disc appears on your desktop.

3. Drag files and folders to the disc. When you're finished, click the disc icon, then choose Burn CD from the Special menu. The names of the files, folders, and disc cannot be changed after the CD is written. Arrange the files on the CD exactly as you want them before recording the disc.

4. In the dialog box that appears, confirm that you want to write the CD. The disc is initialized and the files and folders are written to the disc. This process takes several minutes.

Choosing A Disc Format

To create a CD that works with your Mac and other computers, choose the Standard format. This creates a hybrid disc that is both Mac OS Extended Format (HFS Plus) and ISO-9660 format. When used with older versions of the Mac OS, as well as other types of computer systems, it may appear as an ISO-9660 disc.

To create a disc that contains data files for use with other types of computers, such as a collection of MP3 files, choose MP3 CD format. This creates a disc in ISO-9660 format that most computers can read. The names of your files on the disc will be shortened to conform to the ISO-9660 standard.

Choose the iTunes format to create an audio disc for use in stereo systems. This will open iTunes so you can create your audio CD using tunes from your music library. (You should only use CD-R blanks when creating audio discs. CD-RW discs are not recognized by most audio equipment.)

Notes On Creating CDs

Files written to the CD are temporarily stored on your hard disk. Depending on the size of the blank CD, your files, and your hard disk you may need as much as twice the capacity of the CD in free space on your system disk.

The CDs you create are "single-session" discs. You can burn each CD-R only once; any extra space on the disc cannot be reused or recovered.

To eject the CD automatically after creating it, drag the disc icon to the Trash instead of choosing Burn CD from the File menu.

When you create a Standard format CD, the size and location of the disc's window, whether or not the disc's window is open, and the position of all the icons are recorded on the disc. Make sure the disc is how you want it before recording it. If you choose to create an MP3 (ISO-9660) or iTunes audio disc, this extra information is not retained.

If you cancel while the disc is being created, the CD will be incomplete and unreliable. It should not be used.

The length of time it takes to create a disc depends on the blank media you use, and the size and number of files on the disc.