MP3 into audio CD

[goodear]

I haven't seen an accurate answer to this question anywhere. I have MP3s on my iTunes and I want to convert them into a format that is playable on a CD. How is this done? I have an iMac, system 10.6. My iTunes is version 10. Many thanks.

[Xairbusdriver]

Most CD players use ".aiff" formatted files. iTunes has the capability to convert/save/export/burn with that format but you will need to change the settings in the prefs. Strangely enough, they are in the "Import Settings!" iTunes->Preferences->General->Import Settings. The default is "AAC Encoder". You probably have changed yours to "MP3". Simply select the "AIFF Encoder" choice and you can now burn  playlist using that format. You will probably also want to change the "Setting:", in that same dialog, to "stomach" and select "44.1 kHz" for the Sample Rate and "16-bit" as the Sample size. You can probably leave the Channels on "Auto".

I tend to use the "gear" icon at the bottom of side bar to select "Burn Playlist to Disc" option. However, you should now see the "Audio CD" as the Disc Format, otherwise, be sure to uncheck "MP3 CD" or you'll be back to the wrong CD Player format!

[goodear]

Thanks but I still am not getting it. Here's what I did. As you suggested I went to iTunes Prefs, General, and changed import settings from MP3 encoder to AIFF. Then I dragged the tunes from iTunes into the CD icon. I burned it, then put the CD into my CD player and no sound came out.
Now I don't know if this has anything to do with it but there is also now a folder on the desktop "untitled CD" with a faded "fallout shelter" emblem on the icon. This folder also contains the songs. Three of them are labelled as M4a audio and one as MP3 audio. The CD icon also contains the same. So maybe it means they weren't changed into AIFF? Perhaps I missed some important step here. Does "import" mean other than iTunes MP3 into CD format? or does it mean when I'm loading the song into my iTunes playlist in the first place? Please clarify? Thanks!

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Sep 19 2014, 09:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Most CD players use ".aiff" formatted files. iTunes has the capability to convert/save/export/burn with that format but you will need to change the settings in the prefs. Strangely enough, they are in the "Import Settings!" iTunes->Preferences->General->Import Settings. The default is "AAC Encoder". You probably have changed yours to "MP3". Simply select the "AIFF Encoder" choice and you can now burn  playlist using that format. You will probably also want to change the "Setting:", in that same dialog, to "stomach" and select "44.1 kHz" for the Sample Rate and "16-bit" as the Sample size. You can probably leave the Channels on "Auto".

I tend to use the "gear" icon at the bottom of side bar to select "Burn Playlist to Disc" option. However, you should now see the "Audio CD" as the Disc Format, otherwise, be sure to uncheck "MP3 CD" or you'll be back to the wrong CD Player format!

[chriskleeman]

Hi goodear,

If you organize the mp3's you want to burn into a playlist, you should be able to select the tune at the top of the playlist, go to the edit menu, hit "select all", then under the file menu, "burn playlist to disc" and then a dialogue box should open up with the various options to burn a CD. "Audio Disc" should be one of those options. iTunes should convert the files to CD format automatically in the burn process, I believe.

This is in iTunes 11.x, but I think it's pretty similar in most earlier versions. I'll go start up the ol' G4 and see what version of iTunes is in there and see if it is indeed similar.

HTH,

Chris

[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

Then I dragged the tunes from iTunes into the CD icon.

You just used the OS (actually, Finder) to burn a CD. That's pretty much just a Data disk.

A CD player needs to "see" other info that gets burned to a music CD (track number, title, length of track, format of file, etc.). That's why you should use iTunes to do the burning. One way is to use the method Chris mentioned, the other way is to use the method I suggested. Either way, you must create a Playlist as we both suggested.

[chriskleeman]

And if goodear has a working version of Toast, it's even simpler, just open it up, select "Audio CD" and start dragging tracks into the Toast window!

Chris  

[goodear]

I have tried this unsuccessfully. Here's what happens:
I choose from File/"Burn playlist to disc."
Disc format: Audio CD
"Please insert a blank disc." (I did that.)
Action (choices): Open Finder, Open iTunes,
Open Disc Utility. I chose "Open Finder."
But it keeps saying "Please insert a blank disc" even though I did it.
----

QUOTE(chriskleeman @ Sep 20 2014, 11:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi goodear,

If you organize the mp3's you want to burn into a playlist, you should be able to select the tune at the top of the playlist, go to the edit menu, hit "select all", then under the file menu, "burn playlist to disc" and then a dialogue box should open up with the various options to burn a CD. "Audio Disc" should be one of those options. iTunes should convert the files to CD format automatically in the burn process, I believe.

This is in iTunes 11.x, but I think it's pretty similar in most earlier versions. I'll go start up the ol' G4 and see what version of iTunes is in there and see if it is indeed similar.

HTH,

Chris

[Xairbusdriver]

Please see if you have a setting in iTunes Prefs allowing you to set "When a CD is inserted:". Mine is set to "Show CD". Set yours to that, if it isn't, and see if that helps.

There is also a pref in Finder that should not be affecting/causing this, but you might want to be sure you are allowing "CDs, DVDs, and iPods" to show on your desktop. There is a button beside the choice that will also confirm that your settings are "AIFF Encoder".

Finally, there is a "CDs & DVDs" System Pref, there is a setting for what to do when you insert a blank CD. I have mine set to "Open in iTunes". Probably best to not have that set to "Ignore"!

[krissel]

Unless you plan to play the CD on a really old player you don't need to convert to AIFF, mp3s will play on most CD players made in the last 10 years or so. I burned lot of them to play on my car CD player (2005) and all sound great. You just need to follow the correct steps.

Anyway, here are a bunch of links with descriptions (and some with pictures) showing the steps:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ph1748

Take note:
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH1714?viewlocale=en_US



http://www.wikihow.com/Burn-a-CD-Using-Mac-OS-X

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-...c-os-x-sno.html

If you are ripping music from commercial CDs to burn your own, this is suggested for best quality:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2239

[goodear]

QUOTE(goodear @ Sep 20 2014, 02:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have tried this unsuccessfully. Here's what happens:
I choose from File/"Burn playlist to disc."
Disc format: Audio CD
"Please insert a blank disc." (I did that.)
OK, I have found the solution, and I reprint it here for the benefit of others too:

TO BURN AUDIO CD FROM ITUNES

Open iTunes (the tune is already in iTunes as an MP3).
Select the tune from Playlist, not Library
Insert blank disc
CD: Open Finder,
File/Burn Playlist to disc
Disc Burner: (Do not use M4PtoMP3) use: OPTIARC; (The choice of Optiarc I do not understand but it works.)
Disc Format: audio CD
Burn.

Action (choices): Open Finder, Open iTunes,
Open Disc Utility. I chose "Open Finder."
But it keeps saying "Please insert a blank disc" even though I did it.
----

QUOTE(chriskleeman @ Sep 20 2014, 11:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi goodear,

If you organize the mp3's you want to burn into a playlist, you should be able to select the tune at the top of the playlist, go to the edit menu, hit "select all", then under the file menu, "burn playlist to disc" and then a dialogue box should open up with the various options to burn a CD. "Audio Disc" should be one of those options. iTunes should convert the files to CD format automatically in the burn process, I believe.

This is in iTunes 11.x, but I think it's pretty similar in most earlier versions. I'll go start up the ol' G4 and see what version of iTunes is in there and see if it is indeed similar.

HTH,

Chris

[tacit]

There's a lot of confusion about how to burn an audio CD, and throughout the years a great deal of misinformation has crept into common understanding of how audio CDs work.

An audio CD does not contain AIFF files, MP3 files, or any other file format. It contains no files whatsoever. Instead, it is just a stream of bytes, and those bytes represent 16-bit, 44.1kHz sound.

The popular misconception that audio CDs contain AIFF files is likely due to the fact that many of the first CD ripping software out there would write AIFF files when it read an audio CD. But audio CDs have nothing we would think of as a disk directory and no files or file names; it's just a stream of byts with a primitive table of contents that shows where each song begins in the stream.

When you record an audio CD, it doesn't matter what kind of file you use. The program that records the CD will take the music files you have and convert them into a simple stream of bytes.

Dragging song files onto a blank CD in the Finder won't work. If you do that, you don't get a music CD, you get a Macintosh CD that happens to have music on it. Music CD players can only read music CDs.

Run iTunes. Tell it to create a music CD. Put in your CD. If you get a dialog that asks what to do, don't say "open in Finder." That tells the computer, "I want to make a Macintosh data CD by dragging files onto it." Instead, say open in iTunes, because it is iTunes that will be writing the CD.

[goodear]

Thank you. What would you consider the best burn speed to use when quality of sound is the most important thing? I would assume it's the slowest speed but I might be wrong. Thanks.

QUOTE(krissel @ Sep 20 2014, 09:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unless you plan to play the CD on a really old player you don't need to convert to AIFF, mp3s will play on most CD players made in the last 10 years or so. I burned lot of them to play on my car CD player (2005) and all sound great. You just need to follow the correct steps.

Anyway, here are a bunch of links with descriptions (and some with pictures) showing the steps:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ph1748

Take note:
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH1714?viewlocale=en_US



http://www.wikihow.com/Burn-a-CD-Using-Mac-OS-X

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-...c-os-x-sno.html

If you are ripping music from commercial CDs to burn your own, this is suggested for best quality:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2239

[krissel]

Most of the CDs I made were done on my old Digital Audio which was upgraded to a 1.4 G processor and has 1.5 G RAM and running Leopard 10.5.8. I used the fastest setting available that my external burner allowed. You are running Snow Leopard so I assume your setup is probably as good or better? Often the reason CDs don't burn well on a fast setting (aside from the buffering/cache issue) is due to the brand or poor quality of the CD blank. Since they aren't all that expensive, I'd try one of the fastest first and see how it does, unless you don't mind waiting through the slow setting time which would technically be "safer".

[tacit]

QUOTE(goodear @ Sep 22 2014, 04:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you. What would you consider the best burn speed to use when quality of sound is the most important thing? I would assume it's the slowest speed but I might be wrong. Thanks.

Doesn't matter. CDs are digital; either the bits are written correctly or they aren't. If the burner is capable of writing the bits correctly, then the CD will be exactly the same regardless of burn speed.