Creating Your Own Music CDs in Media Player 12
Creating Your Own Music CDs in Media Player 12
Explorer Media Player 12 Guide
(Windows 7 media player)
(In Windows 7 Tips Read windows media player 12 Tips)
Creating Your Own Music CDs: (Media Player 12)
Creating your own custom music CDs in windows media player 12 made very sample by microsfot in his new windows 7 operating system. It’s also a great way to protect any new CDs you purchase from getting scratched and ruined. When you buy a new CD, rip it to your Media Library, then put it back in its case for safe-keeping. Burn a copy of the CD (or just your favorite songs from the CD along with some other favorite songs), and use the copy in your home or car stereo. You can also copy songs you purchased online to CDs.
If you buy blank CDs in spindles of 50 or more, they are typically very inexpensive. You won’t get the little plastic jewel case, but you can buy paper sleeves or jewel cases separately. Or you can keep all the CD sina CD binder.
Types of music CDs: (Media Player 12)
Before I get into the specifics of burning CDs, it’s important to understand that you can create two different types of music CDs:
- Audio CD: This type of CD will play in any home stereo, car stereo, or portable CD player, as well as on computers. You must burn songs to a CD-R disk (preferably an Audio CD-R) to create this type of CD because most non-computer players can’t play CD-RW disks or DVD disks.
- Data CD: This type of music CD will play in computers, or in any stereo that’s capable of playing this type of CD. You can use CD-R or CD-RW disks. However, you must choose a disk type that is compatible with both your computer’s CD/DVD burner and the device on which you want to play the disk.
If you don’t know what type of disks your stereo can play, refer to the instructions that came with that device. Optionally, create an RW (Read/Write) disk and try it out. There’s no loss if the disk doesn’t play, because you can always erase the disk and use it for something else. Once burned, R (Recordable) disks cannot be erased or changed.
Choosing music disk options (Media Player 12)
The first step to creating a music CD in media player 12 is to specify which type of disk you want to create, and perhaps some other options. In Media Player, click the Burn tab, then click the Burn Options button to see the menu. Choose options as summarized in the following list.
- Audio CD: Choose this option to create the type of CD that all stereos and players can play. For best results use an 80-minute Audio CD-R disk.
- Data CD or DVD: Choose this option if you want to create a music CD or DVD that plays only on computers and devices that are capable of playing non-traditional music CDs.
- Eject Disc after Burning: Choose this option to have the CD be ejected automatically when it’s ready for use. This is especially useful when burning multiple CDs from a single Burn list.
- Help with Burning: Choose this option for help with burning music CDs.
- Hide list: Hide the burn list.
- More Burn Options: Choose this option to choose additional options described following this list.
- Name Disc: Specify a name for the disk.
Choosing More Burn Options takes you to the Burn tab of Media Player’s Options dialog box. Most of the options duplicate options on the menu. The ones that are unique are summarized in the following list.
- Burn Speed: The default setting is Fastest. But if you have problems burning disks, or the sound quality isn’t up to par on the disks you burn, consider reducing this to a slower speed.
- Add a List of All Burned Files to the Disc in this Format: Choose WPL if your player can read Windows playlists. Choose M3U if your player can only read MP3-style playlists.
- Apply Volume Leveling across Tracks: Choose this option to ensure that the volume of each song is the same when listening to the finished CD.
- Burn CD without Gaps: Omit the two-second gap normally inserted between audio tracks.
- Use Media Information to Arrange Files in Folders on the Disc: If selected, items on the CD will be organized into folders. If you are unsure about whether or not your player can handle folders, clear the check box for this option.
Click OK in the Options dialog box to save any settings you changed. With your options selected and squared away, you’re ready to choose which songs you want to copy to your custom CD.
Choosing songs to put on the CD
The skills needed to choose songs to put on a CD are the same as those for creating a custom playlist. You can drag songs individually, or you can drag an entire album or other category. But you have to make sure you’re dragging to the Burn list, not just any playlist. Here’s the basic process:
- Click the Burn tab to make sure you’re viewing the Burn list.
- If your Burn list contains songs from a previously burned CD, and you want to create a new one, click Clear List at the top of the Burn list. Click the Burn Options button and choose Audio CD if you’re burning a music CD for stereos. Otherwise you can choose Data CD or DVD if you’re creating a music disk for computers and appropriate players.
- Use a felt-tip pen or disk labeler to write the name of your custom CD on a blank CD. Then put that CD in your CD drive.
At this point, your Media Player window should look something like. The songs that appear in the center contents pane will, of course, be songs you have in your own library. How your icons look depends on what category you’re viewing and what option you’ve selected from the View Options button.
At this point, just drag the songs you want to burn to your custom CD to the Burn list, or right-click any song title and choose Add to Burn List. As you add songs, the indicator at the top of the Burn list keeps you informed of how much space will be used on the CD. You can keep adding songs until the disk capacity is exhausted. Any additional songs you add at that point are added to a new disk. Media Player numbers the disk sequentially in the list.
Options that apply to custom playlists also apply to the Burn list. For example, to remove a song from the Burn list, right-click its title and choose Remove from List. To change the order of songs, click the Burn Options button, choose Sort List By, and choose a sort option. Or, drag any song title up or down within the list.
When you’re happy with the songs you’ve selected and their order, you’re ready to burn the CD.
Creating the disk (Media Player 12)
When the Burn list contains all the songs you want to copy to the CD, click the Start Burn button at the top of the Burn list. Then wait. How long it takes depends on the type of CD you’re creating, the speed of your drive, and other factors. The status column in the contents pane and an indicator below the Burn list will keep you apprised of progress.
When the CD is finished, remove it from the CD drive. If you created a standard Audio Disk, you can insert and play it in a stereo as you would any other disk. If you created a Data Disk, you can play it in any device that supports the type of disk you created.
Saving a Burn list
It’s a good idea to save each Burn list you create. That way, if you ever want to create another copy of the same CD, you can just open the saved Burn list. To save a Burn list, click the Burn Options button and choose Save List As. Change the name to something that describes the Burn list and click Save. Then to create a new Burn list, click the Clear List Pane button.