Problem Burning CD-Rs Using New iMac

[Wick98]

My family recently purchased a new iMac to replace our archaic/piece of garbage PC. It's only been hooked up for a month or so, but today was the first time that I tried to burn a .mp3 CD (using files from iTunes, which I copied off of a new CD I bought two days ago.)

Since I've imported the CD, I've listened to it twice, without any issues whatsoever. However - when I burned the files to a CD-R (twice, actually, using two moderately different methods,) the two CD players I tried listening to it in both couldn't read the disc. The first disc (in a car CD player) showed one track and it was silent. The second one I burned kept making a popping noise and also only showed one track, in a regular CD player/radio.

I've owned a MacBook Pro for about 4-5 years now and have burned music and data CDs using it. I always went to Finder, selected the files and asked it to burn them by either compiling them in one folder or highlighting them and then right clicking/asking it to burn the selected files.

The first time I tried to burn it today, I went to iTunes (through the Finder) and right clicked the folder, then asked it to burn it to disc.

The second time, I highlighted all 13 songs in that folder and then right-clicked/asked it to burn all of the highlighted files.

Both times, it burned surprisingly fast (I only selected 16x, which isn't the fastest speed available.)

Any idea of what the issue could be? I called the company I bought the computer from (it's a company that deals with the government to sell computers to families with special needs children,) and the guy said he burns things the same way without any issues. I'm to call tech support after the long weekend.

I was just hoping to have the CD to listen to on vacation, which is kinda frustrating. I don't really want to take the original to risk it getting damaged.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[bigmacman]

I don't know how to fix the iTunes burning problem, but since you have the original music CD, you can transfer the contents to your hard disk (not ripping it), and then burn it onto a CDR.

 

[jrcsh6]

are you sure the files you are trying to burn are mp3's? itunes doesn't sell mp3's. if they are aac files the're not playable on most cd players.

 

[btbrossard]

Check the iTunes import settings and make sure your importing mp3s from your cd. If you're importing using the default settings (aac), it's not going to make a MP3 cd that is readable in CD players.

If indeed your importing MP3s into iTunes and all you want is an MP3 cd, drag the files from iTunes to your desktop (this will copy the files to the desktop) and use the finder to burn a data CD with the MP3s in it.

If you were importing aac files, you'll need to either convert them to MP3s or delete the aac files and re-import your CD as MP3 files.

 

[btbrossard]

Other troubleshooting:

-Does the burner work outside of iTunes (data disks from the finder)?

-Did you use a different brand of media? I've had some brands of cds not work in car stereos and such. Using a different brand solved the problem.

 

[Wick98]

Thanks for the replies.

1) The files I ripped seem to be the standard Mpeg-4 that iTunes imports to. I can't remember ever having a problem burning/listening to these files before. I've been using iTunes (Windows XP, Mac OS X Tiger, Leopard and now Snow Leopard.)

2) I didn't know about the hard disk transfer. I may end up having to try that. Thanks.

3) I've used tons of different types of CD-Rs in the past, made by several different companies. I ran out of the discs I had in a spindle and needed a couple, so we just picked up a couple that came in plastic (protected though.) It was a two pack for a few bucks and is made by JVC ('High Speed 52x Special Value 2 Pack.') The packaging is sitting beside me.

4) I haven't burned any other type of file to a disc. We just got this computer not too long ago and have next to nothing on it (two CDs, a few Word documents and a few programs I downloaded or bought.) I haven't had the need to burn anything else. Plus, I'm out of discs now.

I'm incredibly confused with what the issue could be. It's possible that it could be the discs, but I don't really think it is. They're made by a good company and, when I looked at the underside of the discs I made, it looked like the burner had only burned on a very small portion of the disc (an inch to an inch and a half from the centre.) The burning process took next to no time, which is one thing that surprised the Hell out of me.

EDIT:

I checked the files the other day and they were listing as mp4 files. They still are, actually...but, when I go to the 'Get Info' option for one of the songs, it shows it as an AAC file. So, that could definitely be it.

However, it doesn't really explain why the burner only burned a very small portion of the disc. That still confuses me. I mean, all it said when the prompt came up was, "Burning Track 1," then it seemed to go from that to the finalizing stages. That couldn't be to do with AAC, could it?

 

[swiftflo]

My experience of the imac to burn to CD is nothing but frustration. I tried all sorts of disks and found the only one I could burn to generally but not always are Verbatim.
I still cannot believe how much I paid for this imac for only to have these problems. I know I did not have cd burning problems with a pc.