Import songs from CDs into Music on Mac
You can import songs from CDs into your music library. Once you import songs, you can listen to them without having the original CD in the disc drive.
The default encoding format is AAC. To change formats, see Change import settings.
Choose what happens when you insert a CD
In the Music app
on your Mac, choose Music > Preferences, then click General.Click the “When a CD is inserted” pop-up menu, then choose an option:
Show CD: Music opens the CD but doesn’t play or import it.
Play CD: Music begins playing the CD without importing it.
Import CD: Music automatically imports the CD.
Import CD and Eject: Music imports the CD, then ejects it. This is a good option if you plan to import a lot of CDs.
Ask to Import CD: Music opens the CD and asks if you want to import it.
Import songs from CDs into your library
Music imports most songs in a few minutes and an entire CD in about 10 minutes.
In the Music app
on your Mac, insert an audio CD into your computer’s CD or DVD drive, or into an external drive that’s connected to your computer.If you don’t see information for the CD, select the CD under Devices in the sidebar.
Choose what you want to do in the window that appears:
Import all songs on the CD: Click Yes. Music starts importing the CD. When it’s finished, go to step 6.
Prevent certain songs from being imported: Click No and go to step 3.
When the list of songs appears in the Music window, click to remove the tick next to any songs you don’t want to import.
If you don’t see tick boxes next to the songs, choose Music > Preferences, click General, then make sure “Songs list tick boxes” is selected.
If you’re not connected to the internet or if Music can’t find the CD’s information, songs appear as “Track 01”, “Track 02” and so on. See If you don’t see songs in Music.
To add the selected songs to your library, click Import CD near the top right of the Music window.
Select your import settings, then click OK.
To cancel importing, click Stop Importing. Any songs that Music imports before you cancel importing are added to your library.
When the songs are finished being imported, click the Eject button
near the top right of the Music window.
You can continue to use Music while songs are being imported.
If you have trouble importing songs from an audio CD
In the Music app on your Mac, check the following if Music doesn’t recognise audio CDs or if you’re having trouble importing songs:
If error correction is turned on, it can take longer to import CDs. Choose Music > Preferences, click Files, then click Import Settings. If the “Use error correction when reading Audio CDs” tick box isn’t selected, select it. If it’s already selected, deselect it.
If you have more than one CD or DVD drive, try using Music with each drive.
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, then importing the songs again.
If you still have trouble importing songs, visit the Music 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.
In the Music app
on your Mac, choose Music > Preferences, then click Files.Click Import Settings, then select “Use error correction when reading Audio CDs”.
Insert the CD and import the songs again.
To prevent duplicate items from appearing in your library, delete any songs you imported before.