How to make an image file of an Audio CD? Without a CD.

[shampistols69]

I want to make an image file of an Audio CD, not Data CD. I have WAV files in the correct format. I have done this for DVDs and VCDs. I can't figure out how to do this with an for an Audio CD.

[shampistols69]

I need a virtual burner. I can find virtual mounters but no burners. Daemon Tools can do it but the point is I'm trying to do it for free.

[Dooby]

Why, might I ask? A playlist in a media player is a simpler option.

'Use Daemon tools to mount the .cue file and you should have an Audio CD image
which is mountable and appears to be burnable (with IMGBurn or otherwise)or saveable as CD Image.'

That's from notes from some anonymous user I copied down years ago.
In the end, I never tried it (too mean to buy Daemon tools, and the urge to try had left me).

Make a cue file first. They define the sector positioning you need.

https://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/CueSheet_SW.htm

https://forum.imgburn.com/topic/5555-how-to-write-an-audio-cd-from-music-files-using-imgburn/

[Dooby]

You can do it with DVDs because they have a file structure. Music CDs are written to sectors on the disk. If the idea is to make an image file for multiple burnings to real media, burn one THEN create an ISO of it and keep it. Use rewritable media and you can create dozens for the price of one disk. I thought the same a decade ago, burn images and store them... trouble is they take up valuable space compared to mp3 files and even flac in the long run. Maybe you just want to avoid reencoding?.

Instead, I create playlists and burn discs from them. They take up virtually no space and disks can be burned from simple txt files.

https://www.anyburn.com/tutorials/copy-disc-to-iso-file.htm

https://www.freeisocreator.com/

[cholla]

I wish someone knew how.
The simple answer is you can not create an image file of an Audio CD.
And have it be an actual Audio CD.

The reason is an Audio CD is formatted with pointer or shortcut files named .cda.
These files point to the audio tracks on an Audio CD.
Usually a 1kb information file.
So that is all the image file will have. It will not have the actual audio tracks.
So there is nothing for the .cda files to point to.

You can create a Data CD with .wav files easily.
ImgBurn is one software that can do this.

Easy to tell whih is an Audio CD as it will have all .cda files as tracks.
A Data CD will have all .wav files as tracks or whichever audio format you choose to use.

[shampistols69]

I wanted to order my own custom CDs with Kunaki. Since I only wanted to make like 10 CDs, it would cheaper to do that than order CD-Rs, cases, etc. However, the service requires me to upload an ISO and a CUE file if I have over 25 tracks in my CD. I guess I'll just have to wait and get my CD-RWs in the mail, because nobody sells those in store anymore

I tried to burn the audio CD to my DVD-RW but that did not work because it's a DVD.

[johns0]

You can create cue file with image burn which will burn as a music cd.

[cholla]

I went to the kunaki web site & found this:

ISO and CUE file -- This option is used for submitting a CD audio disc or DVD disc so your product will be an exact copy of an existing CD or DVD.
You can also use this option if your CD has more than 25 tracks. You must download our PC-based utility here to create ISO and CUE files from your existing CD or DVD. Then upload your artwork and ISO and CUE files.

I could not find the download but maybe it requires registration.
I'm not interested in registering.

You can create an audio Data DVD but they will only play on a PC.
Data vs. Audio DVD: A regular "audio DVD" is a special format with dedicated audio tracks, while a "data DVD" containing audio files requires a computer to access the tracks.
An audio data CD will hold about 10 albums of .mp3s.
I used to do this but I now usually use a flash drive.

As johns0 posted ImgBurn can create a .Cue file & burn an Audio CD.
It is my preferred burner for an Audio CD.

CD-Rs are cheap & you can use paper jackets for very little.

[Dooby]

You can create cue file with image burn which will burn as a music cd.

Yes. I provided the full walkthrough in the above link:

https://forum.imgburn.com/topic/5555-how-to-write-an-audio-cd-from-music-files-using-imgburn/

[cholla]

You can create cue file with image burn which will burn as a music cd.

Yes. I provided the full walkthrough in the above link:

https://forum.imgburn.com/topic/5555-how-to-write-an-audio-cd-from-music-files-using-imgburn/

That link is how I learned to burn an Audio CD many years ago.

[Dooby]

Lol. You and me both!

[shampistols69]

The reason I made this thread is because I wanted to do this without a physical CD. As that is impossible, mine are coming in the mail now. In the past I used WMP to burn my Audio CDs because it's straightforward and comes pre installed.

[shampistols69]

This user on Reddit claims it's possible, but I don't care to figure out Python. https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/6ngtez/comment/l47n7j2/?utm_sour...t=share_button

This is the link to the Kunaki software. No installation setup, straightforward - https://www.mediafire.com/file_premium/a529616s14bs8r1/getISO.exe/file

[shampistols69]

I went to the kunaki web site & found this:

ISO and CUE file -- This option is used for submitting a CD audio disc or DVD disc so your product will be an exact copy of an existing CD or DVD.
You can also use this option if your CD has more than 25 tracks. You must download our PC-based utility here to create ISO and CUE files from your existing CD or DVD. Then upload your artwork and ISO and CUE files.

CD-Rs are cheap & you can use paper jackets for very little.

Thanks for that insight. The only reason I'm using Kunaki is because I want my CDs to have art on them. I can't do that because I don't have a printer. I would have to go to my public library for that. I want art on my CD label too and that's a whole other thing. Otherwise, if all I wanted were CDs without art, I agree with you. I would just do it myself.

[shampistols69]

Daemon tools works for the purpose. I used trial mode. However, there is no way to maintain the metadata. The file format it uses is incompatible with some other programs. So that's not worth it for me.

[davexnet]

Daemon tools works for the purpose. I used trial mode. However, there is no way to maintain the metadata. The file format it uses is incompatible with some other programs. So that's not worth it for me.

UltraISO is supposed to be able to do it, but I don't know first hand.
Free trial available also
https://www.ezbsystems.com/ultraiso/