problem saving MP3 files to a CD

[DEgressy]

I downloaded Audacity 1.2.6 and am trying to save my music files but it saves them as a project file. How do I save my recording as MP3 or wave and put on an audio CD? I have tryed the solution below but I don't have export on the project drop down list, just import. I tryed dowloading the lame file but could not find the lame_enc.dll file that the help menu told me to click on.

After making a recording or editing a file in Audacity, follow these steps to save your work on an audio CD:

Use the “Export as WAV” or “Export as AIFF” command to save your Audacity recording in a sound file.
Use any CD-recording software (iTunes or Nero, for example) to burn this file to a CD.
To make a disc you can play in normal CD players, make sure to create a “music” or “audio” CD (not a “data” CD). Use CD-R discs, because some players cannot read CD-RW. You can burn only 74 minutes or so onto an audio CD – this is a limitation of the audio CD format.

Some CD software will burn only 16-bit, 44.1KHz stereo sound files. If your CD recording software won't open your sound file, export the file again after choosing the following settings in Audacity:

At the bottom of the Audacity window, set the Project Rate to 44100 Hz.
In the File Formats preferences, choose WAV (16-bit...) or AIFF (16-bit...).
If your project does not already contain a stereo track, choose “New Stereo Track” from the Project menu. (This will make Audacity export your recording as a stereo file.)
For helpful tips on CD burning with Windows Media Player and iTunes, and help on burning longer “data” CDs, see How_to_burn_CDs on the Audacity Wiki.

See also: How can I split a long recording into multiple tracks?

Other frequently asked questions...

[steve]

In the bottom left corner of the main Audacity window is the "Project Rate" box - set that to 44100 (if it's not on that already).

Edit menu > Preferences > File Formats tab - set the Uncompressed Export Format to "WAV Microsoft 16 bit PCM" (if it's not on that already).

Go to the "File" menu and select "Export as WAV" (just below "Recent Files...")

This will mix down your project to a 16 bit WAV file with a sample rate of 44.1kHz (exactly what you need for burning to CD)

To burn to CD you need CD burning software. It is possible on Vista to use Windows Media Player, but a much better solution is to use CDBurnerXP which is a really good, but easy to use (Free) CD and DVD burning program. http://cdburnerxp.se/

[DEgressy]

I can't thank you enough. I am not very computer savy and I really appreciate your help. Thank you very much it worked