Unleash Your Inner DJ: Learn How to Create Custom CDs Using iTunes!

Are you bored with the mainstream music played on the radio? Do you want to create your own custom playlist? Well, there’s no need to worry because with iTunes, you can unleash your inner DJ and create your very own custom CDs. It’s a lot easier than you think and it’s a fun activity too!

Before we dive in, first, let us understand what iTunes is. iTunes is a media player, media library, online radio broadcaster, and mobile device management application developed by Apple. It is used to play, download, and organize digital multimedia files. Anyone who owns an Apple device probably has iTunes already installed.

Now, to create your custom CD, you first need to select the songs you want to include in it. You can either buy new songs from the iTunes store or use the ones you already have in your library.

Once you have chosen your songs, you need to create a playlist. Go to the “Library” tab and click on “New Playlist.” Then give your playlist a name by clicking on “Untitled Playlist” and typing in the name you want. To add songs to the playlist, simply drag and drop them into the playlist.

Remember, you can add as many songs as you want. However, note that a CD can only hold up to 80 minutes worth of music, so plan accordingly.

After you have added all the songs you want, you need to burn the playlist onto a CD. Here are the steps:

  1. Insert a blank CD into your computer’s CD drive.

  2. Go to the playlist you want to burn and click on it.

  3. Click on “File” at the top left corner of the screen.

  4. Click on “Burn Playlist to Disc” from the drop-down menu.

  5. A new window will pop up where you can choose the disc format (Audio CD or MP3 CD). For this tutorial, we will choose Audio CD.

  6. Click “Burn” to start the process.

  7. Once the CD is burned, you can eject it and play it in any CD player.

That’s it! You now have a custom CD with all your favourite songs. You can create as many CDs as you like, each with a different playlist. It’s an excellent way to personalize your music collection and create the perfect soundtrack for any occasion.

In conclusion, using iTunes to create custom CDs is an easy and fun activity. It’s an excellent way to explore new music, revisit old favourites or create the perfect playlist for any occasion. So, go ahead and unleash your inner DJ today!

This article explains how to create custom CDs using iTunes versions 12.8 and higher.

What to Know

  • First, create a playlist and add songs in the order you want them to be on the CD.To burn the playlist to a CD, go to File > Burn Playlist to Disc > select settings and click Burn.

Create a Playlist to Burn to CD

To burn a CD in iTunes, begin by creating a playlist. The exact steps for creating a playlist depends upon what version of iTunes you’re using, but all recent versions generally follow something like these steps:

  • Select the File menu.
  • Select New.
  • Select Playlist.
  • The new playlist appears in the left-hand column of iTunes. Begin typing to give it a name, and then press Enter to save the name.

Add Songs to the Playlist

Once you’ve created the playlist, you need to add music to the playlist and put it in the order you want it to be on the CD by following these steps:

Select the File menu.

Select New.

Select Playlist.

The new playlist appears in the left-hand column of iTunes. Begin typing to give it a name, and then press Enter to save the name.

You can burn a song to CD an unlimited number of times. You are limited, however, to burning 5 CDs using the same playlist. After 5, you need to make a new playlist to burn more CDs. Additionally, you can only burn songs that are authorized to play through your iTunes account.

  • Navigate through your music library to find the song you want to add. Then, either drag and drop the songs onto the playlist in the left-hand column, or select … (the ellipses) next to a song as your mouse hovers over it, and select Add to Playlist > New Playlist or the name of a playlist listed.
  • Drag and drop the songs into the order you want on your CD.
  • If you want iTunes to do some sorting for you, select View > Sort By.

Sorting options are as follows:

Navigate through your music library to find the song you want to add. Then, either drag and drop the songs onto the playlist in the left-hand column, or select … (the ellipses) next to a song as your mouse hovers over it, and select Add to Playlist > New Playlist or the name of a playlist listed.

Drag and drop the songs into the order you want on your CD.

If you want iTunes to do some sorting for you, select View > Sort By.

  • Playlist Order: The drag-and-drop order from Step 2.Name: Alphabetical by song name.Genre: Alphabetical by genre name, grouping songs from the same genre together alphabetically by genre.Year: Groups songs by the year they were released.Artist: Alphabetical by artist name, grouping songs by the same artist together.Album: Alphabetical by album name, grouping songs from the same album together.Time: Songs arranged longest to shortest, or vice versa.If you sort using one of these options, you can also choose to view the sorted playlist in Ascending or Descending order.

Insert a Blank CD and Choose Burn Settings

Once you have the playlist in the order you want, follow these steps:

  • Insert a blank CD into your computer.
  • After the CD loads, select File > Burn Playlist to Disc.
  • In iTunes 11 or later, a pop-up window will ask you to confirm the settings you want to use when burning your CD. Those settings are:
  • Preferred Speed: This controls how quickly iTunes creates your CD. In most cases, you’ll want Maximum Possible.
  • Disc Format: To make a CD that can be played in stereos, cars, and other standard CD players, choose Audio CD. To burn a disc of the MP3s of the songs so they can be transferred to another computer, but can only be played in CD players that support MP3 CDs, choose MP3 CD. To create a CD or DVD that stores only data and is only used in a computer, choose Data CD or DVD.
  • Gap Between Songs: If you choose Audio CD, you can control how much silence there is between each song. Some CDs are designed to be listened to without the short gaps of silence between songs. These “gapless” CDs are often used for classical music and concert recordings, among others.
  • Use Sound Check: The Sound Check feature of iTunes checks all of the songs on your playlist and tries to adjust them to equal volume (not all songs are recorded at the same volume).
  • Include CD Text: Some CD players, especially in cars, can display the song title or artist name for the song that’s playing. If you have one of those CD players and want this information to appear when the CD is playing, check this box.
  • When you’ve selected all of your settings, click Burn.
  • At this point, iTunes will begin to burn the CD. The display at the top center of the iTunes window will display the progress.
  • When it’s complete and your CD is ready, iTunes will alert you with a noise.

Insert a blank CD into your computer.

After the CD loads, select File > Burn Playlist to Disc.

In iTunes 11 or later, a pop-up window will ask you to confirm the settings you want to use when burning your CD. Those settings are:

  • Preferred Speed: This controls how quickly iTunes creates your CD. In most cases, you’ll want Maximum Possible.
  • Disc Format: To make a CD that can be played in stereos, cars, and other standard CD players, choose Audio CD. To burn a disc of the MP3s of the songs so they can be transferred to another computer, but can only be played in CD players that support MP3 CDs, choose MP3 CD. To create a CD or DVD that stores only data and is only used in a computer, choose Data CD or DVD.
  • Gap Between Songs: If you choose Audio CD, you can control how much silence there is between each song. Some CDs are designed to be listened to without the short gaps of silence between songs. These “gapless” CDs are often used for classical music and concert recordings, among others.
  • Use Sound Check: The Sound Check feature of iTunes checks all of the songs on your playlist and tries to adjust them to equal volume (not all songs are recorded at the same volume).
  • Include CD Text: Some CD players, especially in cars, can display the song title or artist name for the song that’s playing. If you have one of those CD players and want this information to appear when the CD is playing, check this box.

When you’ve selected all of your settings, click Burn.

At this point, iTunes will begin to burn the CD. The display at the top center of the iTunes window will display the progress.

When it’s complete and your CD is ready, iTunes will alert you with a noise.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day