CD Burning Software Review

For decades, compact discs have stored our data and played our music. Their successors, namely DVD and Blu-ray, have not obliterated CDs from use. Compact discs are still in wide use today, and the ability to burn content to them is a feature countless people use. CDs have survived two successive optical-media revolutions because they are 100-percent compatible with both DVD and Blu-ray players. Any optical media player such as DVD and Blu-ray can read any file, music track, video or other file that you burn to a CD.

CD burning software enables you to back up data, burn playlists, create rescue discs and much more. Although CDs' are too small to store data-heavy file formats like HD video, humble 15-track albums still fit quite nicely. These discs are also great for copying and preserving legacy software. Most modern CD burning software also supports DVD and Blu-ray burning, which greatly extends its practicality.

We rated and ranked the best CD burner software available on the market today. At the end of our analysis, we found that 123CopyDVD, 1Click DVD Copy and Roxio Creator are the best CD burner applications you can buy. We have also created informative articles on CD burning software in our learning center.

CD Burning Software: What to Look For

Because CDs have been around for so long, there are many options to choose from when you're shopping for CD burner software. We have narrowed the playing field and ranked the best software according to four criteria: feature set, ease of use, ease of installation and help and support. In choosing the best CD burning software for your needs, keep the following elements in mind:

Feature Set
Most DVD and CD burning applications make one-to-one copies of original discs, which is great for backing up music and movies, but the best CD burning software also supports custom disc creation. Built-in CSS decryption is another major bonus – it is necessary for copying write-protected Hollywood DVDs. If you are interested in multimedia, look for an application with file-conversion capabilities.

File Formats
We analyzed each application on our lineup to find the product with the highest compatibility with different file formats. The best burning software has complex features, settings and output formats. This can be intimidating to new users, so an intuitive interface is essential to balance out a large feature set. The software's menus should be clearly labeled, easy to locate and properly organized. Beginners should be able to create copies without worrying about learning to use features they do not need, and experts should be able to control and fine-tune the settings for each burn.

Disc Types
The best CD burner software applications have the ability to burn files and audio tracks to a wide variety of discs. The best products not only CDs, but also DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

Help & Support
Even the best CD burning software can be frustrating from time to time, and chances are good that you will spoil a few discs before you work out all the kinks. Good documentation can be a real lifesaver. Look for an application with contact information and a built-in help reference. If you encounter a problem that you cannot resolve with an appeal to the help file, it is good to have a reliable phone number or email address to contact the manufacturer for support.

Whether you want to make a backup of a DVD or rip another CD by your favorite artist, you need CD burning software. We've researched and reviewed the best options, so instead of spending hours trying to find the perfect application, you can use that time to preserve your music and movies.

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