creating an audio cd in 2025

Oh yes, we're going here. I've been going all-in with learning how to do things with optical media lately, so I went ahead and acquired some CD-R discs.

You might be asking why I would even bother with this. I'll answer that.

This is not so much for the '90s nostalgia factor (although I will admit that's a small part of it), but rather because CD is just so darned reliable. And there's another reason I'll mention in a bit.

Before getting into the audio stuff, some quick notes on data stuff first.

Out of all computer media there is, only two will last the test of time. CD-R and ultrium tape cartridges. The tape itself is really expensive, and an ultrium tape drive will instantly give you massive sticker shock.

CD-R, even at just 700MB/disc, is the best thing you could use to store important documents and photos for about 10 years if not longer. An external USB optical drive is cheap as are CD-R discs. When all the hard drives and USB flash sticks fail, CD-R will still be working.

And don't worry, there will still be optical drives in the future. There are super nerds right now successfully recovering data from storage media of the late 1970s. If they can recover data from a half-century ago, you'll still be able to read your CD-R data in 2035.

Okay, on to the audio stuff.

Published 2025 Feb 27