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11 Best Free CD Burning Software | Top CD Burners [inc. DVDs]
The need to burn a CD may seem like a thing of the past, but this task still has some functionality in 2022. Copying music, pictures, and videos to CDs is an excellent way to place these large files in an easily portable format. It also lets you keep essential data in a physical location that is not vulnerable to data breaches and hacking.
However, many computers no longer come with a built-in CD burner. As a result, you may need to download free CD burning software.
Thankfully, many high-quality, reliable CD burners are available for free across the web — you just need to know where to find them. Read on to learn the top eleven free CD burning software and how to burn a CD using our top choice.
- Snapshot of Our Top 3 Free CD Burning Software
- How to Choose the Best Free CD Burning Software
- 11 Best Free CD Burning Software | Top CD Burners [inc. DVDs]
- Power2GO - Best Overall
- Ashampoo Burning Studio - Best for Music Lovers
- Nero Burning ROM - Best Sound
- True Burner - Best for Erasing Discs
- CDBurnerXP - Best for All Kinds of Discs
- BurnAware - Best Data Recovery
- Burn - Best for Custom Menus
- AnyBurn - Best for Converting Image Files
- Express Burn - Best for Fast Disc Burning
- Roxio Easy CD & DVD Burning - Best for Digitizing Audio
- DeepBurner Free - Best Portable Software
- Best Free CD Burning Software Comparison Chart
- How to Burn a CD
- Download the Best CD Burning Software for Free
- Free CD Burning Software FAQ
Snapshot of Our Top 3 Free CD Burning Software
1. Power2GO - Best Overall
With Power2Go, you can not only burn a CD but also burn and author DVDs and Blu-rays. The CD burning software packs its impressive features into a user-friendly, accessible interface. Detailed Review >
2. Ashampoo Burning Studio - Best For Music Lovers
Ashampoo Burning Studio lets you copy and burn CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. It comes with advanced CD burner features and includes ripping cover artwork and metadata. Detailed Review >
3. Nero Burning ROM - Best Sound
This CD burning software actually enhances the audio it burns for superior sound quality. It also comes with a variety of data protection tools. Detailed Review >
How to Choose the Best Free CD Burning Software
No two CD burning software are alike. Here are some things to look out for when choosing the right CD burner for your needs:
Compatibility - Check the System Requirements of any software before downloading it to your desktop. Besides making sure it is compatible with your OS, make sure it will work with your version (for instance, just because something is compatible with Mac, doesn’t mean it will work on your new M1). Also, check that your computer has enough RAM and hard drive space for the software to function properly.
Format Support - Are you only in the market for a CD burner, or do you need to burn DVDs and Blu-rays as well? And what about ISO files? Does the software support burning to/from MP3? Make a list of the types of discs and formats you handle and make sure the CD burning software you choose can support them.
Features - Will you only be burning, or do you need authoring tools as well? Do you like to make custom DVD menus, or want to see album covers on your digital dashboard? Do you need data protection or converting tools? The CD burning software on our list covers a wide range of tools and features, so you should be able to find the perfect fit.
11 Best Free CD Burning Software | Top CD Burners [inc. DVDs]
1. Power2GO - Best Overall
Compatibility: Windows
TechRadar Rating: 4.5/5
Format Support: 5/5
Price: Free
*Premium version available for $69.99
Key Features
- Intelligent Smart Detect output settings
- Mount, view, and burn ISO files
- TrueTheater audiovisual enhancements
Who It’s For
Power2Go is an incredibly user-friendly, versatile CD burning software suitable for anyone looking to burn data to a disc. This program includes all the features you need to create music CDs, burn DVDs/Blu-ray discs, and back up/protect your data. Once you download Power2Go, you’ll never need another CD burner again.
Why We Picked It
Along with allowing you to burn a CD, Power2Go includes professional movie authoring tools to create impressive DVDs. For example, you can edit the menu that appears when someone inserts your disc, add background music to the menu, and even choose from free menu templates.
Power2Go also includes conversion and transferring features to convert your media to a format suitable for mobile devices. You can seamlessly back up your Windows data to a disc using this CD burning software and feel confident in its security.
Bottom Line
Power2Go packs its impressive features into an easy-to-navigate interface suitable for beginners and professionals. In addition, this program is free to download, updates regularly, and includes features you won’t see in other CD burning software. Altogether, we highly recommend Power2Go for all of your burning needs.
Download Power2Go today by clicking the link below and burn a CD with ease.
2. Ashampoo Burning Studio - Best For Music Lovers
Image from Softwareload.
Compatibility: Windows
TechRadar Rating: 4.5/5
Format Support: 4.5/5
Price: Free
*Premium version available for $49.99
Key Features
- Rip CDs to include cover artwork and metadata
- 1800+ presets and profiles for all car radios
- Password-protected backup technology
Who It’s For
Ashampoo Burning Studio is CD burning software that lets you copy and burn CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. This program features an intuitive interface suitable for beginners, and a wide range of tools professionals will appreciate. This program excels for music lovers, including several advanced audio-burning features. For example, you can create different types of audio discs, extract songs from ripped CDs, and automatically label tracks.
Why We Picked It
If you’re looking to burn movies to a disc, you’ll enjoy Ashampoo Burning Studio’s extensive disc authoring toolset. You can create movies and slideshows, add beginning and ending credits, and include custom animated menus.
Bottom Line
However, Ashampoo Burning Studio has a difficult download process. Also, if you want to burn Blu-ray or utilize any of the advanced features listed above, you will have to pay for the premium version.
3. Nero Burning ROM - Best Sound
Image from Malavida.
Compatibility: Windows
Capterra Rating: 4.5/5
Format Support: 4.5/5
Price: 15-day free trial, then $55.95
Key Features
- Cover Designer
- Supports editing CD-Text in multiple languages
- SecurDisc 4.0 technology
Who It’s For
Nero Burning ROM is CD burning software for beginners and professionals to burn, rip, copy, and protect data files. It automatically enhances and improves the audio when you burn a CD. This CD burner uses Gracenote® technology to keep original album covers, song titles, and album info intact to see on your computer screen, or on the digital screen of your car.
Why We Picked It
With Nero, you can also create and burn ISO files, DVDs, and Blu-rays. It also comes with adjustable data redundancy so even scratched discs can be played. And 256-bit encryption and password protection ensure your data will be protected.
Bottom Line
All of our top three options for best free CD burning software include features for both beginners and advanced users, and all can burn CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs. However, while Power2Go and Ashampoo offer free versions of their software, Nero Burning ROM only offers a quick free trial with limited access to features.
4. True Burner - Best for Erasing Discs
Image from GloryLogic.
Compatibility: Windows
Softpedia Rating: 4/5
Format Support: 4.5/5
Price: Free
Key Features
- Drag-and-Drop functionality
- Burns standard and multisession discs
- Create new folders for files
Who It’s For
True Burner is a completely free CD burning software for anyone who needs to erase rewritable media. It can erase CD-RW, DVD-RW, DD+RW, and BD-RE. It can also create MP3, BDMV, and AVCHD discs, and burns bootable CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, and ISO images.
Why We Picked It
You can verify files after burning to make sure they burned properly. This CD burning software will also check the amount of disc space needed before burning so you don’t run out of room.
Bottom Line
With True Burner you can easily burn, verify, and erase discs of any kind. It is simple to use but lacks the robust feature set found in our top 3 options. Also, this freeware tries to bundle third-party offers during the installation process.
5. CDBurnerXP - Best for All Kinds of Discs
Image from Softonic.
Compatibility: Windows
TechRadar Rating: 4/5
Format Support: 4.5/5
Price: Free
Key Features
- Simple cover printing
- LightScribe integration
- Buffer-Underrun protections
Who It’s For
CDBurnerXP is an entirely free CD burning software that allows you to burn various disc types from your computer. This program can burn CDs and DVDs, including HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs. This program also allows you to create ISOs and bootable discs with ease.
Why We Picked It
CDBurnerXP is a relatively simple program that uses a standard Windows-based interface. You can switch the interface between several different languages, improving accessibility. Its burning tools include several helpful features, such as allowing you to burn audio CDs without gaps between each track and enabling you to verify data after the burning process.
Bottom Line
CDBurnerXP doesn’t include many advanced features, such as disc authoring or data backup. For these features, try our top CD burning software, Power2Go. Still, it’s an excellent simple program for people who solely want to burn discs.
6. BurnAware - Best Data Recovery
Image from SoftKing.
Compatibility: Windows
CNET Rating: 3.8/5
Format Support: 4.5/5
Price: Free
*Premium versions available for $29.95 for Premium and $39.95 for Professional
Key Features
- Extract audio tracks from DVDs
- Built-in video converter
- Support for double-layer discs and M-discs
Who It’s For
BurnAware is CD burning software for Windows users. Its streamlined interface is easy for beginners to navigate. We found this CD burner can recover data from unreadable discs. Besides burning and data recovery, you can also use BurnAware for backup, verification, image creation, disc copying, and erasing.
Why We Picked It
This CD burning software has built-in presets for various data types, making the burning process easy enough for first-time users. You can also create disc images and bootable discs, and erase discs with a few clicks.
Bottom Line
BurnAware has three tiers of software to cover every type of user, from the simple free version for beginners to advanced features for commercial use. It is lightweight on computer resources, however, the installer tries to bundle extra software. And while it has excellent format support, it is not as feature-rich as the top options on our list.
7. Burn - Best for Custom Menus
Compatibility: Mac
SourceForge Rating: 4.2/5
Format Support: 4/5
Price: Free
Key Features
- MP3 tag editing
- CD-Text option
- Copy/Recreate discs
Who It’s For
Burn is a free and open-source CD burning software for Mac. With this CD burner, you can burn DivX discs, Video-CD, Audio-CD, DVD-Audio, and DVD-Video. It is simple to use for beginners but has some advanced features as well. With Burn, you can easily create interactive menus, either by choosing a pre-made theme or creating one from scratch.
Why We Picked It
Even though this CD burning software is exclusively for Mac, anything you burn with this program can be shared with different operating systems. Burn also converts video and audio files to the correct format, and you can customize the size and quality.
Bottom Line
Burn has few features, especially compared with Power2Go and other top options on our list, however, the smaller feature set makes it a simple CD burning software for beginners. In our test, we were able to burn an audio CD and play it back on a range of devices, but some user reviews report difficulty with playing back burned DVDs.
8. AnyBurn - Best for Converting Image Files
Image from mitblog.
Compatibility: Windows, Linux
TechRadar Rating: 3.5/5
Format Support: 4.5/5
Price: Free
Key Features
- Burn folders, files, and images
- Create a bootable USB drive
- Supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows
Who It’s For
AnyBurn is a completely free CD burning software with wide format support. With this CD burner, you can create, edit, burn, and convert all image files from CD, DVD, and Blu-ray. It is a good option for professionals on a budget, as it is available for commercial use.
Why We Picked It
Backup files, or copy and erase discs with this CD burning software. You can also create and rip audio CDs from/to a long list of popular formats and copy discs using a sector-by-sector method.
Bottom Line
AnyBurn is simple and effective and does exactly what it promises. It will quickly burn a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray, but does little else. We recommend Power2Go if you want an efficient CD burner with more features.
9. Express Burn - Best for Fast Disc Burning
Compatibility: Windows, Mac
CNET Rating: 3.4/5
Format Support: 4.5/5
Price: Free
*Premium versions available for $40 for Express Burn & CD Burner, $60 for Express Burn, CD Burner & DVD Authoring, and $70 for Express Burn, CD Burner, DVD Authoring, & Blu-ray Authoring
Key Features
- Adjust volume and pause length between tracks for CD burning
- Burn recordable/re-recordable discs
- Record video files to PAL or NTSC
Who It’s For
Express Burn from NCH Software is one of the fastest, most straightforward CD burners on the market. The program uses a lightning-fast disc-burning process, allowing you to burn CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs within minutes. It also has a range of other features for both beginners and professionals.
Why We Picked It
Express Burn includes several DVD authoring tools that you can use to create a professional-looking DVD. You can choose from over 20 menu templates, create your own menu, add images, and more.
Bottom Line
This program also makes it easy to back up data to discs. You can easily burn data as ISO/Joliet, Hybrid, or UDF files. However, you’ll need to purchase the premium version of Express Burn to use all of its features. It also lacks conversion tools found in other CD burners such as Power2Go and Burn.
10. Roxio Easy CD & DVD Burning - Best for Digitizing Audio
Image from Softonic.
Compatibility: Windows
BestBuy.com Rating: 3.9/5
Format Support: 4/5
Price: 30-Day free trial, then $29.99
Key Features
- Batch converter
- Video editing features
- Back up files across multiple discs
Who It’s For
If you have old cassettes and LPs but no way of listening to them, then Roxio Easy CD & DVD Burning is for you. Roxio can digitize audio from a variety of sources so you can play it back on your PC, or smartphone, or burn it onto a CD.
Why We Picked It
Roxio has tools to author DVDs, such as customizable menus and chapters. And like Nero Burning ROM, you can add artist metadata and album covers to your CDs with Gracenote® technology. With this CD burning software, you can also burn photos to a disc, and create and burn ISO image files.
Bottom Line
Roxio Easy CD & DVD Burning is beginner-friendly and has tons of useful features. However, its free version is only a free trial. It also lacks a Blu-ray burner, so if you need a CD burner with both DVD and Blu-ray capabilities, try Power2Go.
11. DeepBurner Free - Best Portable Software
Image from azofreeware.
Compatibility: Windows
TechRadar Rating: 3/5
Format Support: 4/5
Price: Free
*Pro version available for $24.95 for Personal and $29.95 for Business
Key Features
- Autorun Wizard for making autoruns of CDs
- High-Performance file/disc caching
- Overburn function
Who It’s For
DeepBurner Free is a CD burning software for anyone who needs to burn discs away from home. It is available on Windows PC and also as a portable app on your smartphone. It can even be carried on a USB to use on any device.
Why We Picked It
This CD burning software can burn a CD, a data CD, a DVD, and a bootable disc. It can also burn multi-session CDs. With DeepBurner Free, you can create custom covers, booklets, and case inserts.
Bottom Line
We recommend splurging for the paid versions of this CD burning software because they are affordable and offer much better tools than DeepBurner Free. However, even if you spring for the Business version, you won’t get Blu-ray support or any DVD authoring tools. The company offers a DVD authoring tool but it is a separate software and additional cost.
Best Free CD Burning Software Comparison Chart
| Software | OS | Beginner-friendly | Disc Authoring | Convert & Transfer Capabilities | Backup & Protect Capabilities | Free Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power2Go | Windows | Yes | Engaging DVD menu tools, free background music, premium menu pack, background music adjustments, clip trimming, and previewing | Encoding and decoding, TrueTheater enhancements, video, photo, and audio format conversions, Smart Detect for converting to mobile | USB system backup, military-grade encryption, YouTube 4K, HDR, and Vimeo backup | |
| Ashampoo Burning Studio | Windows | Yes | Custom animated menus, closing credits, auto-play settings | No | Smart backup tools to back up data from tablets and cell phones | Download |
| Nero Burning ROM | Windows | Yes | Cover Designer, song titles and album covers incorporated in audio file | Convert files for PC, smartphone or MP3 player | SecurDisc 4.0 technology, 256-bit encryption, digital signature password protection | Download |
| True Burner | Windows | Yes | None | No | No | Download |
| CDBurnerXP | Windows | Yes | None | No | No | Download |
| BurnAware | Windows | Yes | None | No | Backup discs | Download |
| Burn | Mac | Yes | Interactive menus, pre-made themes | Convert video and audio files into the correct format | Customize file permissions | Download |
| AnyBurn | Windows, Linux | Yes | None | Convert disc image files to various formats | File backup | Download |
| Express Burn | Windows, Mac | Yes | All-inclusive DVD authoring toolbox, 20+ template menu screens, custom images | No | Burn ISO images and create backup discs through typical disc-burning features | Download |
| Roxio Easy CD & DVD Burning | Windows | Yes | DVD menu tools with 20 themed menu templates, create DVD chapters, DVD editing tools, editable artist metadata for audio CDs | Batch convert audio, video, and photos to popular formats | Bakup files across multiple discs | Download |
| DeepBurner Free | Windows | Yes | Create CD/DVD albums, create covers or case inserts | No | File backup | Download |
Power2Go
vs
OS
Windows
-
Beginner-friendly
Yes
-
Disc Authoring
Engaging DVD menu tools, free background music, premium menu pack, background music adjustments, clip trimming, and previewing
-
Convert & Transfer Capabilities
Encoding and decoding, TrueTheater enhancements, video, photo, and audio format conversions, Smart Detect for converting to mobile
-
Backup & Protect Capabilities
USB system backup, military-grade encryption, YouTube 4K, HDR, and Vimeo backup
-
How to Burn a CD
If you’ve never tried to burn a CD, you may be a little intimidated by the process. Thankfully, Power2Go makes burning CDs easy and accessible for beginners. It also includes the powerful features professionals look for in their go-to CD burning software.
Here is a step-by-step tutorial for how to burn a CD with Power2Go. Download the software for free by clicking the link below and follow along:
- Insert a blank disc into your computer’s disc drive.
- Open the Power2Go program.
- In the Power2Go main menu, select the type of disc you would like to create.
- Select the type of music disc you want to create: Audio CD, WMA CD, or WMA Disc.
- Select the audio files you want to add to your CD from the Media Pane.
- Drag your desired files to the Disc Content Pane or select Add Files.
- Right-click each file in the Disc Content Pane, then select Edit CD Text to add the song and composer names.
- Once you’re finished adding files to your CD, click Burn Now.
- The Settings/Information Panel will open to enable you to adjust settings. Once you’re ready, you can click Burn to begin the burning process.
You can typically locate the program by navigating to your computer’s Start Menu and searching for it. However, you can create a desktop shortcut to streamline your process.
You can choose Data Disc, Music Disc, or Video Disc. For this tutorial, we will describe how to create a Music Disc.
Power2Go will then open your workspace. At the top, you’ll see the Media Pane full of the files you have on your computer. Below is the Disc Content Pane, which displays the data you have placed into your disc.
Download the Best CD Burning Software for Free
It doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming to burn a CD. You can use several free, robust programs to burn a CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, or HD DVD right from your home computer. Better yet, most of these programs do not require any previous experience or knowledge to master.
However, of all of the top-tier CD burning software on our list, Power2Go is the best. This program features a broader selection of features, allowing you to delete all of your other burning tools. It’s also very user-friendly and free to download.
Click the link below to download Power2Go today and begin burning discs and backing up data within minutes.
Free CD Burning Software FAQ
1. What to Look For in CD Burning Software?
Here are a few features to look for when choosing the best CD burning software:
- Burning features for CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs
- Support for ISO files
- DVD authoring
- Media conversion
- Backup features
- Customizable menus
- Free background music
- Smart detect output settings
- Desktop burning gadgets
- User-friendly navigation
Most of the CD burners on our list include several of these features. However, if you’re looking for CD burning software that checks all of these boxes, we recommend Power2Go.
2. How Do I Burn a CD on Windows 10?
You can burn music on a CD the same way you would add data files to data discs. Power2Go makes it easy to burn any type of data to your disc:
- Select the type of disc you would like to burn, then drag and drop your music files from your library to the Disc Content Pane.
- When you’re finished adding files, click Burn Now.
3. What Speed Should I Burn a CD?
Some CD burners allow you to choose the speed at which you transfer the data from your computer to the disc. Most computers can handle speeds between 20x and 24x.
If you burn a CD at these higher speeds it can support data storage, but it may also impact your audio quality. As a result, we recommend keeping your burning speed between 8x and 10x.
4. How Do I Burn a DVD?
You can burn a DVD in a few simple steps using Power2Go. First, you’ll need to have the movie or video file that you would like to add to the disc saved on your computer.
- Insert your blank DVD into your disc drive
- Select Video Disc in the Power2Go menu, and upload the video file into your Disc Content Pane.
5. How Do I Burn a Blu-Ray Disc?
You can also burn a Blu-ray disc with Power2Go. Once you open the program, select Data Disc, then click Blu-ray Disc beneath it. Power2Go will optimize your data and burning process for a Blu-ray disc.
6. What Are ISO Files?
ISO files or ISO images are archive files consisting of an exact copy of an entire disc. These files are smaller than the files contained on the original discs, allowing you to conserve memory while storing them.
If you’d like to burn data from one disc to another but do not have a blank disc available, you can first convert the original disc into an ISO file and store it on your computer. Then, once you obtain a blank disc, you can burn the ISO file to the disc.
7. Can a DVD-RW Drive Burn CDs?
Most DVD-RW drives can also burn a CD. However, you’ll want to refer to your computer’s manual to ensure that burning a CD with your DVD-RW drive will not harm the disc or your computer.
8. What Is the Best Software for Burning Music CDs?
The best CD burning software for music is Power2Go. It is filled with features and it’s user-friendly. Power2Go comes with a convenient Desktop Burning Gadget, so you can easily drag and drop files and burn them instantly. It supports all the latest audio formats, converts audio into different formats, transfers your music so you can listen on any device, and protects your data.
It also delivers superior sound quality, so wherever you listen to music, it will sound the very best.
9. Does Windows 10 Have CD Burning Software?
Windows 10 has 2 options to burn a CD, a default built-in DVD and CD burner in File Explorer, and in Windows Media Player.
10. Do You Need Special Software to Burn a CD?
Yes, you need to use CD burning software to burn a CD. Fortunately, there are default burners on some computers and many free options, as found in the above list.
11. How Do I Burn a CD For Free?
You can burn a CD for free using any of the options found in this article.
12. Do New Computers Have CD Burners?
Some new computers and even laptops still have disc drives, but they are becoming harder to find. Brands like HP, Acer, and Lenovo still provide this functionality, but the last Mac to have a disc drive was released in 2012.
If you want a computer with CD burner capabilities, make sure to get one with a CD-RW or DVD-RW disc drive. A CD-ROM drive will not burn a disc.
If your current computer is missing a disc drive, there are external drives you can buy that will allow you to burn a CD.
13. How Do I Burn a CD Without Windows Media Player?
You can use the options on our list to burn a CD. However, if you are looking to burn a CD with another Windows default CD burner, try Windows File Explorer.
- Insert a blank disc into the disc drive.
- Open File Explorer and right-click on the files you want to burn.
- Choose Send To and choose the Disc Drive.
The Burn a Disc window will appear. Here you can choose your burning settings.
14. Should I Burn a CD as MP3 or Audio?
Audio or WAV files sound better than MP3 because MP3 is compressed. MP3s are best for reducing large files, but the sound quality will suffer slightly.
15. Do Burned CDs Last?
Burned CDs have a limited lifespan, which is why backing up your data is so important.
You may find that discs you burned in the 90s and early 00s are becoming unreadable. This is because CD-Rs and DVD-Rs are burned with a layer of dye that can break down over time. Hot temperatures cause the breakdown to happen more quickly, so if you are storing your CDs in a hot car or attic, think about backing them up before it’s too late.
16. Is It Illegal to Burn CDs From YouTube?
If you are a paid subscriber to YouTube Music, you can download and burn a CD of the music for personal use. The same is true if you purchased the song from the artist, or have the artist’s permission.
However, it is not legal if you use it for business or commercial use.
17. Is Burning CDs Pirating?
There’s no “legal right” to burn copyrighted music onto a CD, but it’s an accepted practice as long as it remains for personal use only, and the copy is from an authorized original that you paid for. So go ahead and make that mix tape for your new beau!
To learn more about what constitutes piracy, visit The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Related Articles:
- Best Playback
- Setting Up a Home Theatre
- Best Media Player for Windows
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