iTunes 12 for Mac: Import songs from CDs
You can import songs from CDs into your iTunes library. Once you import songs, you can listen to them without having the original CD in the disc drive.
iTunes imports most songs in a few minutes, and an entire CD in about 10 minutes.
The default encoding format is AAC. To change formats, see Choose import settings.
Import songs from CDs into your iTunes library
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Insert an audio CD into your computer’s CD or DVD drive, or an external drive that’s connected to your computer.
If you don’t see info for the CD, click the CD button
near the top left of the iTunes window. -
Do one of the following:
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Import all songs on the CD: Click Yes in the window that appears. iTunes starts importing the CD. When it’s finished, go to step 6.
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Prevent certain songs from being imported: Click No and go to step 3.
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When the list of songs appears in the iTunes window, click to remove the checkmark next to any songs you don’t want to import.
Note: If you’re not connected to the Internet or iTunes can’t find the CD’s information, songs appear as “Track 01,” “Track 02,” and so on. For more information, see If you don’t see song information. -
To add the selected songs to your library, click Import CD
near the top right of the iTunes window. -
Select your import settings and click OK.
To cancel importing, click Stop Importing.
Any songs that iTunes imports before you cancel importing are added to your iTunes library.
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When the songs are finished importing, click the Eject button
next to the CD’s name.
You can continue to use iTunes while songs are importing.
Join CD tracks
When you import songs from a CD into iTunes, you can group songs so they always play together (even when you’re shuffling songs).
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Insert an audio CD into your computer’s CD or DVD drive (or an external drive that’s connected to your computer), and click No in the window that appears.
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When the songs on the CD appear in the iTunes window, hold down the Shift key to select the ones you want to join.
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Click Options
near the top right of the iTunes window, and choose Join CD Tracks.
Choose what happens when you insert a CD
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Choose iTunes > Preferences, then click General.
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Click the “When you insert a CD” pop-up menu and choose an option:
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Import CDs: iTunes automatically imports the CD.
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Import CDs and Eject: iTunes imports the CD, then ejects it. This is a good option if you plan to import a lot of CDs.
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Begin playing: iTunes begins playing the CD without importing it.
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Show CD: iTunes opens the CD but doesn’t play or import it.
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If you have trouble importing songs from an audio CD
If iTunes doesn’t recognize audio CDs or if you’re having trouble importing songs, check the following:
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If error correction is turned on, it can take longer to import CDs. Choose iTunes > Preferences, and click Import Settings. If the “Use error correction when reading Audio CDs” checkbox is not selected, select it. If it’s already selected, deselect it.
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If you have more than one CD or DVD drive, try using iTunes with each drive.
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If it’s taking a long time to import a song (more than 10 minutes) from an audio CD, the CD may be dirty or scratched. Try cleaning the CD with a soft, lint-free cloth, and then importing the songs again.
If you still have trouble importing songs, visit the iTunes Support website.
If imported songs don’t sound right
If you hear popping or clicking noises when you play songs imported from a CD, your disc drive may not have read the CD correctly. Try turning on error correction and then importing those songs again.
To turn on error correction when importing songs from CDs:
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Choose iTunes > Preferences.
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In the General pane, click Import Settings.
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Select “Use error correction when reading Audio CDs.”
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Insert the CD and import the songs again.
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To prevent duplicate items from appearing in your iTunes library, delete any songs you’ve imported again.