How do I copy/burn mp3 music from my PC onto CDs

usignuolo

Last year I purchased a Creative MP3 player and successfully copied a lot of tracks from my CDs onto it. I then purchased more tracks on line and then copied those onto it as well.

I now want to send a "compilation" CD to a friend, all tracks I legitimately own. For the tracks I have only in MP3,WMA format etc, can I burn them direct onto CD, or do I need to "decode" them first?

If so how do I do this? I have Creative Lite software on my pc and a Napster account. Do either of these have the required functionality to burn copy MP3 and WAVs from my PC etc onto a CD? I am running XP Pro BTW. Plenty of spare disk space.

lucylucky

You may legitimately own them but that does not give you the right to make a copy to give to a friend

The_Grandmaster

I'm quite certain a compilation CD is allowed. Although it may be breaking the law if it was the whole music library.

weegie.geek

I doubt a compilation CD is technically allowed, but in reality nobody cares. People have been doing it for decades.

http://cdburnerxp.se/ can be used to create an audio CD from MP3/WMA/WAV/whatever.

lucylucky

The_Grandmaster wrote: »

I'm quite certain a compilation CD is allowed. Although it may be breaking the law if it was the whole music library.

Indeed you can make a compilation CD but you cannot give (or sell) that to anyone else.

The_Grandmaster

I thought I had read an article in the newspaper about compliation CDs being allowed as it was akin to a mixtape.

tbourner

I just use Windows Media Player, set up a playlist with the tracks you want and add it to the 'burn' tab, it'll tell you if there's enough room on the blank disc and then just press the button.

usignuolo

From direct.gov.uk

"If you've bought a CD in a shop, you may want to copy the songs onto an MP3 player or make a copy of the CD. Generally speaking, you can make a copy for your own personal use, you will not be breaking the law. You can also lend the CD that you bought to your friends if they want to listen to it.

However, it is illegal to make copies of CDs and give them to your friends or to sell pirate copies of CDs for a profit."

Shimple then. I'll just lend the "mixtape" CD to my friend.

Off to try out some of the methods suggested, will let you know how I get on.

esuhl

usignuolo wrote: »

From direct.gov.uk

"If you've bought a CD in a shop, you may want to copy the songs onto an MP3 player or make a copy of the CD. Generally speaking, you can make a copy for your own personal use, you will not be breaking the law.

Unbelievable! Even the government don't understand the law! "Format-shifting" by ripping music from a legally purchased CD to put onto your MP3 player (or burning legally purchased MP3s onto a CD) is an infingement of §17 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and is therefore ILLEGAL - even for "personal use"!

If you have a CD and you want to put a track onto your MP3 player, the only legal way to do this is to buy another copy of the same track.

The_Grandmaster

If you can't copy a CD, surely that defeats the objective of the mp3 player market...

Are you sure there's no other ammendments in the law?
I find it hard to believe that apple would 'allow' people to rip CDs in itunes especially considering their previous strong beliefs in the DRM protected music, if it really was against the law. Also, Sony for instance are a music label, sell their own mp3 player and their sony programme allows rippinng of music too.

tbourner

esuhl wrote: »

Unbelievable! Even the government don't understand the law! "Format-shifting" by ripping music from a legally purchased CD to put onto your MP3 player (or burning legally purchased MP3s onto a CD) is an infingement of §17 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and is therefore ILLEGAL - even for "personal use"!

If you have a CD and you want to put a track onto your MP3 player, the only legal way to do this is to buy another copy of the same track.

It's also illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament, but I don't think those kind of laws are very strictly upheld.

Essentially, they won't chase you down and check your MP3 player to make sure you've bought all the tracks twice! Similarly they won't lock you up for copying some tracks to a CD and giving it to a friend.