iTunes backup on CD - how does it work?

If you want to backup your iTunes library, you can burn a backup onto blank CDs. We'll show you how it's done.

iTunes backup on CD

As of iTunes version 10.4, the program no longer offers backup by CD. You can either back up your data in a cumbersome way yourself or use one of the following two alternatives:

• Backup on CD: Create several playlists on iTunes so that all songs can be found in at least one list. One album per playlist makes the most sense. You can now burn this as a CD. Detailed instructions can be found here. Since iTunes only creates music CDs, however, only 70 minutes fit on the data carrier - a large waste of space for a pure backup. Alternatively, you can create a data CD using a burning program such as CDBurnerXP.
• Mac users can conveniently back up using the Time Machine. However, your data is only stored on your computer and not externally.
• ITunes backup to a USB stick or hard drive is more suitable. We show you how this works in this practical tip.