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Drakeka's avatar
Drakeka
Brass Contributor
May 25, 2026

What is the best CD burning software for Windows 11/10?

I've recently gone back to burning CDs for archiving important files and creating audio discs for older car stereos that don't support Bluetooth or USB playback. The problem is that the CD burning fe...
Miicah's avatar
Miicah
Copper Contributor
May 25, 2026

Windows Media Player Legacy - This is likely the most obscure and overlooked method for free CD burning software for Windows 11/10. Microsoft removed the CD burning feature from the modern Windows Media Player app, but the classic "Legacy" version is still hidden on your system.

How to find and use it:

Step 1: Launch Windows Media Player Legacy and click the Burn tab in the upper-right corner.

Step 2: Insert a blank CD-R into your optical drive. (Note that some users have reported occasional issues with CD-RW discs; standard CD-R discs tend to be more reliable for car stereos) .

Step 3: Click the Burn options menu (usually represented by a small checkmark or icon) and verify that "Audio CD" is selected as the format .

Step 4: Create your burn list by dragging music files from your library—or directly from File Explorer—into the burn list area on the right side of the window. The player will show you how much space remains on the disc.

Step 5: When you are ready, click the "Start burn" button.

Windows Media Player Legacy is a functional, completely free CD burning software for Windows 11/10 that comes built right into your operating system. It requires no downloads, no installations, and no paid upgrades. For basic audio CD creation and data archiving, it gets the job done.