The following howto comes straight from Ben Ross's page

If you are interested in a more detailed FAQ, check out Andy McFadden's CDR FAQ

1a.Which burner should I buy?

Picking out a CD burner can often be a complicated and overwhelming task. There are many to choose from and many different options. However, when it really comes down to it, most burners are pretty similar. Every burner that I have used has had the potential of burning perfect clones. However, what kind of software you use, and how your computer is configured will make the difference as to whether or not you burn perfect clones.

1b. Internal or External?

The first decision you will need to make is whether you want an internal or an external CD burner. An internal burner is installed in an open bay in your computer (like installing a disk drive), whereas an external drive hooks into your computer through a parallel port (the same thing you use to hook up your printer most likely). The main advantage internal drives have over external drives is that they are cheaper. The advantage of an external drive is that it's fairly simple to move it from computer to computer. If you have a friend who wants to burn a large quantity of CD's from you, you can simply let him borrow the burner for a week or so. If you have a laptop computer, you will have to buy an external drive, because to my knowledge nobody has made an internal CD burner for a laptop yet.

1c. What speed burner should I buy?

Now days most burners are listed with multiple speeds (i.e. 24 by 8 by 4). The only speed that is really important is the write speed. The read speed is basically irrelevant, because you will be using your CD-ROM, not your CD burner, to run programs and do your extracting. A 1x write speed burner will write a disc in real time, which means a 70 minute CD will take 70 minutes to write. A 2x write speed burner will take half that time, a 4x speed burner will do it in a quarter the time, and so on.

2a. Why does it matter what software I use?

CD trading, when done correctly allows you to copy a recording without causing any generational loss at all. In other words, if I have a CD, I can make a friend a copy, and both discs will be exactly the same. However, most CD burning software packages sacrifice perfection for speed. Often you won't notice these errors because they normally take the form of tiny pops which are not always audible. The problem is that as the CD's go down the generations (i.e. you copy it for a friend, he copies it for his friend, etc.) the pops get louder and more annoying.

2b. Why do most software packages cause errors on CDrs?

The simple answer to this is that most people do not use their CD burners to collect live music that may be umteenth generation copies. As I indicated above, often errors do not become apparent until a couple generations down the line. Therefore, if you are copying a regular store-bought CD (which I do not advocate because it's illegal), you probably won't notice any problems. Because of this most software manufactures have sacrificed perfect quality for speed. 99 percent of these errors are caused during the process of digital audio extraction (DAE). DAE is the process by which your computer reads the data from a CD and converts the music on the CD into .wav files (.aiff files if you use a Mac). This is a tough process for your computer to handle, and often a bit here or there is missed when reading from the CD. The spot where the bit is missed will often lead to those annoying pops.

2c. What software package should I use to extract .wav's to my hard drive?

The only program which is capable of producing perfect DAE all the time is Exact Audio Copy (EAC). Unlike other software packages, Exact Audio Copy checks over CD multiple times to make sure that all of the data is extracted correctly. You can download it for free at the Official EAC website. For additional information and EAC troubleshouting, check out Dick's Unofficial EAC Page.

2d. What software package should I use to write .wav's to CDR's?

Unlike DAE, writing .wav's to CDR's is a relatively perfected process, provided you take all the necessary precautions listed in the burning section of this FAQ. Most programs are capable of writing .wav's to CDR's without causing any errors. The most popular one is CDRWin. Another commonly used one is Adaptec Easy CD Creator. If you are using Adaptec EZCD, make sure your version is upgraded to 3.5c. You can download the free upgrade at the Adaptec Homepage.

3a. What brand of CDR's should I buy?

Unlike tapes, where the Maxell XL-2 has been the standard for years, there is no brand of CDR which has emerged as the clear-cut favorite among CDR traders. The general consensus among many traders is that Mitsui discs are the best, however, I have used many other brands of CDR's and never had any problems, including Kodak, TDK, Memorex, Verbatim, and Sony. The CDR's you want to stay away from are Maxell, and generics (i.e. CompUSA brand).

3b. What makes some CDR's better than others?

Unlike an analog tape, the actual sound quality will never vary depending on what brand of CDR you use. The main variable which makes some CDR's better than others is their compatibility with different CD players, CD-ROM drives, and burners. For example, many older CD players, as well as many newer car CD players and portable CD players, will not play Maxell discs. Because of this CD traders will often refuse Maxell CD's in trades. The same holds true for generics. Another problem with some discs is that DAE does not work well off of them. If you try to copy a show which is recorded on a sub-par brand CDR, often you will end up with a copy that has annoying pops and crackles on it.

3c. Should I write on my CDR's?

There has been a lot of dispute over this question. Writing on CDR's won't cause any immediate problems (provided you don't write on the side with the music on it), and some companies have actually begun selling CD Writing Pens. However, since CDR's haven't been around for too long, the long-term effects of writing on CDR's is rather uncertain. Some people hypothesize that the ink will over time bleed through the CD and cause damage to it. The best way to be certain your CDR's won't be damaged is to write on the clear plastic ring in the center of the CD where no data is stored.

3d. What's the deal with CDR stick-on labels?

There are quite a few computer programs which will print out stick-on labels which attach to the top of your CDR's and give them a snazzy, professional look. Although they look cool, there are some potential problems they can cause which you may want to consider before dressing up your entire collection. I have heard of incidents from people where the labels have come off while the disc was playing and have jammed up CD players. This mostly occurs in car CD players. Another problem which arises with the labels that don't cover the entire CD is that they may cause the CD to become unbalanced which will cause it to not play in some CD players. Flawless DAE is also impacted by these labels. I would aviod using these if you ever hope to make copies of your CDs later

3e. How should I take care of my CDR's?

The most important thing to realize if you want your CDR's to last a long time is that they are much more fragile than regular CD's. CDR's scratch very easily (much easier than regular CD's), and therefore they should always be stored in their jewel cases. Additionally, CDR's should be kept away from extreme temperatures, and especially away from sunlight. It can take less than 10 minutes of direct sunlight to fry a CDR.

3f. How much music can I put on to a CDR?

Currently CDR's come in two lengths. 74 minute and 80 minute. If you are putting MP3's directly on a CDR, you can put much more music on them, however they will only play on your computer, not your CD player, and the audio will not be CD quality.

3g. How long will my CDR's last?

One of the biggest advantages CD's have over tapes, records, and even DAT's is that they last much longer, and do not easily deteriorate. Because of this many people see CDR as a great media for archival purposes because they last so long. However, CDR's are not constructed the same way as CD's, and this has caused some speculation on the issue. Some studies say CDR's will last 100 years. Some say 500 years, and some say only 10 years. Will CDR's last until the next century? Really the only way to know is to wait 100 years. The only thing that is known for sure is that CDR's will not last long if they are not properly adequately cared for.

3h. What's the difference between CDR and CDRW?

CDR stands for "compact disc recordable." CDRW stands for "compact disc rewritable." Data (or in our case music) can only be written onto a CDR once, which means once you've recorded onto one, you can't erase it, and you can't add to it. Unlike CDR's, the information on a CDRW can be erased and new information can be written in its place. However.......most CD players cannot read CDRW's. Some can, but for the most part CDRW's can only be read by CD-ROM drives. Because of this, you should never use CDRW's in trades. Even if they will play on your CD player, chances are they will not play in the CD player of the person you are trading with. Additionally, CDRW's are more expensive than CDR's.