SOLVED - Is It Okay to Burn Data to a Music CD-R?

Shaina11

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So here is my question. My local Walmart pretty much only sells Music CD-Rs, not Data CD-Rs. And I only really use CDs to burn data, such as files not music or audio.

Would there be any problem with data storage, loss of data, or longevity of data when burning it to a music CD-R instead of a Data CD-R? Please reply soon, thanks!
 
Solution
if your burner will let you then yes its just as safe as using a data cd. But with dvd's being just as cheap as cd's why not use one of those and have over 6x the space.
Always verify your burn. You dont want to find out you burned a bad disk after you deleted the original file.
See this: http://www.musicedmagic.com/music-technology/music-cd-r-vs-data-cd-r-is-there-a-difference.html

I prefer to use data CD's for both data and music - - no problems at all.

Consequently I never buy music cd-r discs. They have largely disappeared from UK shops and online UK suppliers anyway, certainly not as common as they used to be. There must have been a reason why they were called music discs, rather suggests they are not really good enough for data.

If you look at most blank cd-r boxes, it gives data capacity plus equivalent in minutes, because they can be used for both data and audio - - which is how I use them. No issues at all, so why would I bother with music discs?
 

Shaina11

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Funny, I had just read that article before I posted this. :sarcastic: However it seems as though it might work but I just don't know if it would be safe to store my data on a music CD-R. It looks to me like the only difference is the little bit of data that allows the music CD-R to be burned in a CD recorder instead of a computer.

So this would not be safe to store data on Music CDs? :??:
 

popatim

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if your burner will let you then yes its just as safe as using a data cd. But with dvd's being just as cheap as cd's why not use one of those and have over 6x the space.
Always verify your burn. You dont want to find out you burned a bad disk after you deleted the original file.
 
Solution

Shaina11

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if your burner will let you then yes its just as safe as using a data cd. But with dvd's being just as cheap as cd's why not use one of those and have over 6x the space.
Always verify your burn. You dont want to find out you burned a bad disk after you deleted the original file.

Ah, okay, thanks for the verification! And yes I always verify my writes. I use CDBurnerXP to burn my discs, might start using Imgburn too. The reason for not getting DVDs is that that would be a waste of space if I only put a few files on it. Not to mention some of my computer's can only read CDs. ;)

Just make sure you buy quality disks.

That's makes the best disks, followed by Verbatim. I think That's is Japan only though.

Is Memorex good quality? That's basically all walmart sells! :D
 

Shaina11

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Ah okay, thank you. What about Memorex DVDs though? Should I hunt for a different brand of DVDs/Blu-Rays as well?
 

Shaina11

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Advice taken lol! :lol: Thanks. :)
 

JPNpower

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Yeah, don't keep a single copy only but if you do use disks, I recommend Verbatim.

It isn't just a brand thing. Verbatim has a patent on proprietary dye technology that makes their disks (CD,DVD, maybe BL, maybe not) inherently more reliable than other brands. However, it seems that even they have QC issues. Their made in Japan disks are awesome, while their made in Korea/China disks are less awesome (but better than average still).

Staples and Memorex have yet to give me issues either, but why not buy inherently better disks if you can?
 

Shaina11

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Lol, I would buy Verbatim if my local Walmart had them, and BestBuy over-prices everything. All Walmart really carries is Memorex Discs. :p