I just downloaded the newest .exe version and I’m using Windows 7. Following the instructions on the tutorial about recording streaming audio, I recorded a test file from a radio station on the internet, converted it to a .wav, moved it to my Windows Media player and tried to burn a CD. All I get when I put it in my CD player and play it back is a loud hum. I’m thinking I know so little about what I’m doing that this may be impossible for me to do, but I’m trying, so please be patient. It took me an hour and a half just to get this far. Thanks. Judy
At that point, did you try playing it in Audacity? Did it play correctly?
Yes, it did.
I think I just figured it out with lots of help from Google. I used a CD-R Music, didn’t burn it right the first time, got a hum, and so that’s still on there, right? I didn’t realize I couldn’t record over it. That brings up another question then. If I record a radio program and put it on a CD-R, that’s it for that disc, right? But I just read that a CD-RW isn’t good for playing music. What I’m trying to do is record radio programs, play them in the CD player in my car, and then go back and record some more.
You should first get the basic process down with CD-R like you’re supposed to, then try it with a CD-RW and see if it plays in your car. If it does, then you can do that forever – or until the little magnetic domains wear out, or you scratch it.
It’s not that CD-RW isn’t good for music. It’s CD-RW doesn’t always get along with everybody’s CD player. Do Not send of of those to your mum. Use the standard CD-R.
Koz
So the CD-R with the 30 secs of hum is trash. Seems like I could go through a lot of CD-R’s trying to get it right. I knew this was gonna be frustrating. Guess I know even less than I thought. Bummer.
Yes. CD-R is write once, read forever – or until the dye layer fades out, which it will eventually do. CD-R works by burning holes in a dye layer with a laser. The dye has similar characteristics to color photography. Once you put the holes in the dye, that’s the end of the story. CD-RW works by an amalgam of magnetic particles and other magic. I never got much into it because it didn’t do anything I needed, but you could change it later.
It’s not recommended, but you can burn a CD-R as fast as the burner will scream. Burn a 60 minute show in 2 minutes. That’s slow. It may not play very well if you do that, but you can. CD-RW needs to clear the old show and then burn the same spot repeatedly, so if you got used to the other process, CD-RW will seem like watching cheese age.
Koz
How are you burning your CDs? Windows Media should let you play the whole disk as a preview before it fires up the laser. There’s no excuse for burning, as we call them, beer mats or cocktail doilies. If Windows Media won’t help you, free iTunes for Windows certainly will.
Koz
I would reverse Koz’s advice. Do all your test burns on your computer using one re-writeable media (CD-RW). Once you have got the content as you want it and playing on your system. Then burn the CD-R(s).
Then burn the CD-R(s).
But that leaves you with a pile of old CD-Rs under the seat in the car. I thought the goal was to use one CD-RW and continually update it as new shows came out. It’s not a dreadful idea if you have the time and the disks work.
The CD-Rs at the beginning is just to get it all to work. If you start with the CD-RW and it fails, you never know what failed, the disk or the process.
Koz
And that’s why folk connect their iPods up to their car radios … 
I’m waiting for Apple to make a car radio/iPod that will slot into the standard radio slot in a car/truck and integrate with the iTunes library on my computer (the one that feeds my hand-held iPod) - but I think I’ll be waiting for a very, very long time 
WC
And that’s why folk connect their iPods up to their car radios …
Perfectly correct, but that wasn’t the question. I still make Music CDs for friends who routinely connect their iPhone to their car, but are squeamish about four-time-zone file transfer and iTunes management. I can hit them over the head with it, or I can just make the disks and everyone will be happy. I got as far as opening a Drop-Box account, but I started to get longer and longer pauses in the emails (you want me to do … what, now?), so I realized this was uphill.
Probably eventually. In my case, my truck (lorry) is aggressively resistant to the idea of plugging anything in and I accidentally got a much fancier “factory” sound system that doesn’t appear in the wiring books. That takes care of trading out the system. “Cool. I wonder where that harness goes?”
Koz