- Categories
- Computers and Electronics
- Software
- Media Software
- Media Players
Download Article
A quick and easy guide to copying music from a CD to your computer using Windows Media Player
Written byDarlene Antonelli, MA
Last Updated: May 21, 2024Fact Checked
Download Article
- Copying a CD |
- Burning a CD |
- Video |
- |
- Tips |
- Warnings
This wikiHow teaches you how to use Windows Media Player to copy (or "rip") an audio CD's files onto your computer, as well as how to burn files onto a CD using Windows Media Player. For this to work, your computer must have Windows Media Player and a CD/DVD disc drive. Windows 10 is the only version with Windows Media Player; Windows 11 users can use Windows Media Player Legacy.
Quick Steps
- Insert the CD you want to rip and open Windows Media Player on Windows 10.
- Click Organize > Options > Rip Music.
- To burn a disc, insert an empty CD or DVD, then select Burn.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
Copying a CD
Download Article
1
Insert the CD into your computer's CD/DVD drive. Place the CD from which you want to copy files face-up in your computer's CD or DVD player.
- If Windows Media Player opens when you insert the CD, skip the next two steps.
- If an autorun window or a different program opens, close it before proceeding.
2
Open Start
. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. The Start menu will pop up.Advertisem*nt
3
Open Windows Media Player. Type in windows media player and then click the orange, blue, and white Windows Media Player icon at the top of the Start menu.
- If you don't see Windows Media Player at the top of the Start menu, it isn't installed on your computer. Windows Media Player doesn't come installed on some versions of Windows 10, though clean-installing Windows 10 can add Windows Media Player to your computer.
4
Select the CD. Click the CD's name on the left side of the window.
5
Change the rip location if needed. If you want to change the folder into which the CD copies its files, do the following:
- Click Rip settings at the top of the window.
- Click More options... in the drop-down menu.
- Click Change... in the upper-right side of the window.
- Select a new folder, then click OK at the bottom of the pop-up window.
- Click OK at the bottom of the window.
6
Click Rip CD. It's at the top of the window. Doing so will prompt Windows Media Player to copy the CD's files onto your computer.
- Ripping can take as long as a minute (or more) per standard song.
- To stop the CD from ripping at any time, click Stop rip at the top of the window.
7
Click OK when prompted. This signifies that the files have been ripped from your CD onto your computer.
- You can view the CD's files by opening the folder into which you ripped the CD, double-clicking the artist's name (or Unknown artist), and double-clicking the album folder.[1]
Advertisem*nt
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
Burning a CD
Download Article
1
Insert a blank CD into your computer's CD/DVD drive. This must be a brand-new CD-R or CD-RW (or, if you're creating a storage CD, a brand-new DVD).
See AlsoHow to Burn Cd in Windows 10 Without Any Software?How to Rip CDs in Windows 10 - dummiesThe Common LawCD Burning Service - DiscMasters- If Windows Media Player opens when you insert the CD, skip the next two steps.
- If an autorun window or a different program opens, close it before proceeding.
2
Open Start
. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. The Start menu will pop up.3
Open Windows Media Player. Type in windows media player and then click the orange, blue, and white Windows Media Player icon at the top of the Start menu.
- If you don't see Windows Media Player at the top of the Start menu, it isn't installed on your computer. Windows Media Player doesn't come installed on some versions of Windows 10, though clean-installing Windows 10 can add Windows Media Player to your computer.
4
Click the Burn tab. It's on the upper-right side of the window.
5
Select a CD format. While you'll usually want to use Windows Media Player to create an audio CD that you can play in a car or CD player, you can also use Windows Media Player to create a data storage CD:
- Click the "Burn options" checklist icon at the top of the "Burn" section.
- Click Audio CD for a playable audio CD or Data CD or DVD for a file storage CD.
6
Add songs to the CD. You can add up to 80 minutes of audio to a standard audio CD, so click and drag your preferred songs from the main window into the "Burn" section.
- If you're creating a data CD, you can also add videos and photos to the CD.
7
Arrange the songs in your preferred order. Click and drag the songs up or down to set a play order.
- Skip this step for a data CD.
8
Click Start burn. It's at the top of the "Burn" section. Doing so will prompt Windows Media Player to burn selected songs (or files) onto the CD. Once this process is completed, the CD will be ejected from your computer.
- The burning process will take several minutes, depending on the selected CD format and how many songs you're burning.
Advertisem*nt
Video
Community Q&A
Search
Question
Where is the ripped CD located on my computer?
Community Answer
Look in your Music Library; it should automatically be there with the title of the CD, or called "Unknown" with the date you ripped it, if the CD did not have a title embedded.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHowYesNo
Not Helpful 8Helpful 17
Question
What should I do if my burned audio CD will not play in my car's audio player?
Community Answer
There might be a defect in the disc, or your car's audio player doesn't support the audio file type. Most of the time, .wav and .mp3 file types work.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHowYesNo
Not Helpful 16Helpful 22
Question
I have an audio CD of someone speaking. Can that be copied to another CD, and if so, what is the easiest and fastest way? I have a Windows 10 laptop with one CD/DVD thing only. Or I can pay to have it done if there is somewhere that does it?
Community Answer
Copy the contents of the CD to your desktop. Remove the CD and insert the other CD. Copy the contents from your desktop to the empty CD. Done.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHowYesNo
Not Helpful 22Helpful 16
See AlsoHow to Rip Cds in Windows 10?
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Advertisem*nt
Tips
When selecting a new folder in which to store the ripped CD files, you can select a base folder (e.g., Desktop) and then click Make New Folder on the left side of the pop-up window to create and choose a new folder as the storage location.
Thanks
Helpful0Not Helpful2
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Submit
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisem*nt
Warnings
Selling burned CDs constitutes piracy, which is illegal in most regions.
Thanks
Helpful0Not Helpful4
Advertisem*nt
You Might Also Like
Advertisem*nt
References
About This Article
Written by:
Darlene Antonelli, MA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene Antonelli is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. This article has been viewed 1,160,167 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 37
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views:1,160,167
Categories: Media Players
Article SummaryX
1.Insert the CD you want to copy.
2.Open Windows Media Player.
Did this summary help you?
In other languages
- Send fan mail to authors
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,160,167 times.
Reader Success Stories
Isabella Twilight
Jun 22, 2016
"This article on copying/burning cds is very clear and concise, even a novice can follow it. I appreciate the..." more
More reader storiesHide reader stories
Is this article up to date?
Advertisem*nt