What is CD-R?
CD-R is a recordable CD that holds 700 MB (about 80 minutes of audio) and is write-once — permanent once burned. In short, it's write-once; the best choice for audio CDs and any disc that must play everywhere, and a good choice for audio CDs, small backups and any disc that must play everywhere.
Knowing this helps you pick the right disc and settings the first time, so your burns read everywhere and last. When you're ready, cdBurner applies sensible defaults automatically.
Quick facts
- Capacity: 700 MB (about 80 minutes of audio)
- Family: recordable CD
- Reusable: no — write-once
- Best for: audio CDs, small backups and any disc that must play everywhere
- Write-once; the best choice for audio CDs and any disc that must play everywhere.
Good to know
- Once the concept is clear, the burner handles the rest — open cdBurner and it picks sensible defaults for you.
- Not sure which disc to buy? Compare capacities in CD vs DVD vs Blu-ray.
Why cdBurner is different
cdBurner is the only disc burner that runs entirely in your web browser — there is genuinely nothing else like it online.
- 100% free — no trial, no watermark, no nag screens.
- Private — files are written locally and never uploaded to a server.
- No bloatware — one small signed helper, not a heavy install.
- Built on Windows' native IMAPI2 engine, so your discs read everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install software to burn discs?
Not a heavy program. cdBurner runs in your browser and only adds a tiny one-time burn agent so the page can reach your drive.
Which disc should I use?
It depends on size: a CD for audio and small jobs, a DVD for video and backups, a Blu-ray for large archives. See CD vs DVD vs Blu-ray.
Is cdBurner really free?
Yes — completely free and ad-supported. No trial, no watermark and no paid tier.