How to burn a CD Why burn a CD?
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This article, How to burn a CD, was last updated on 13 July 2006 and is now out of date and held in our online archive for reference. Explore our latest Technology articles.
Compact discs can be put to far better use than holding a Daniel O'Donnell Greatest Hits album.
All DVD players can also play CDs
Not only are they cheap (about £9 for 50 discs) but they can hold 700MB of data – the equivalent of about 500 floppy disks – so they're a great solution for backing up important files, creating compilation music discs and even for showing off your photos on a TV.
Windows XP users will be pleased to learn that their computer can already record (or 'burn') files to a CD but if you want to create a disc that will play in an ordinary CD player, you'll have to install additional software. We've used Windows Media Player but you can also try Apple's iTunes, both of which are free to download.
Find out how to make the most of iTunes 8, including burning a CD, with our advice guide to Apple iTunes tips and tricks.
