Adding songs from CDs to your music library

You can add songs from your favorite CDs to the library. Songs are encoded and stored on your hard disk so you can listen to them without having the original CD. The default encoding format is MP3.

For the best performance and results, use the computer's internal CD drive to import songs.

Insert an audio CD in your Mac. After a moment, the songs on the CD are listed in the iTunes window. Click to remove the checkmark next to any songs you don't want to add to your library. Click the Import button to add the selected songs to your library. The display area at the top of the iTunes window shows how much time it will take to import each song, compared to the time it takes to listen to the song. To cancel import, click the small X next to the progress bar.

iTunes plays songs while they're being imported. Click the Pause button to stop playback; the import will continue. You can work with iTunes while songs are being imported.

For information about changing import options, such as the encoding format, click "Tell me more."

Tell me more