Burning software - a still current format?

Streaming music, videos and other file formats has become the standard. Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that burning software has become superfluous over the course of the last few years, or at least is losing importance. However, it should not be forgotten that especially companies whose main focus is on burning software have to be in a constant state of development in order to keep up with today's demands at all. An extinction of burning software is thus actively counteracted. But in which areas is burning technology still used today and is it worthwhile to invest in appropriate software?

How can burning software support data security?

Burning software can be used to write to optical storage media such as CDs, DVDs or Blu-rays. "Burning" is the name given to the actual process of writing data to a blank disc. What only very few people realize these days is that burning software can make a significant contribution to data backup. Computer systems are often overloaded with important or individually valuable data such as photos, videos, music or text documents. Usually, data backups are made on the hard disk itself. In principle, this is not a problem, as it is an uncomplicated solution that can be carried out conveniently. Unfortunately, this does not mean that the data is protected for all time. After all, there is one crucial weak point - the hard disk itself. Over time, this can become damaged, fail, no longer be recognized by the computer, or otherwise become defective. In this case, all files stored on the hard disk are lost. Even in the case of an external attack by ransomware, which accesses and encrypts all the system's data, no countermeasures can be taken without a suitable data backup.

To counteract such data loss, the use of burning software can be recommended. All data that must not be lost can be stored on a CD or DVD, for example. If the hard disk is badly damaged, the data can still be accessed via the written optical medium.

What tasks does burning software perform?

Basically, the main task of burning software is to write various data to optical storage media. To do this, the software must be able to recognize all file formats and convert them into those formats that are readable by the target medium. Furthermore, a burning program should be able to perform the so-called ripping. Audio files contained on a CD are extracted, converted into digital file formats and implemented into the running system.

To ensure maximum functionality, burning programs must be able to recognize and convert a large number of existing formats. Although the focus of burning software is on the aforementioned functions, it is not uncommon to find additional features that help turn one's computer into a true multimedia center.

What programs are available?

Currently, the market is almost flooded with burning software. So which one is best suited? What additional features do the individual manufacturers offer and what criteria should be used to choose the best burning software in the end? A few notable examples are as follows:

Roxio Toast 19 Titanium

Roxio Toast 19 Titanium has all the standard burning features that a corresponding program must have. Numerous contents can be written to optical storage media in excellent quality, and audio data can be extracted from a CD to the computer, for example. Furthermore, Roxio Toast 19 Titanium offers the possibility to create customized user menus and to divide the content on the burned medium into several chapters, for example. Roxio Toast 19 Titanium features a user-friendly layout, through which the program can be operated on the Mac even by laymen.

Data protection is also a high priority for Roxio Toast 19 Titanium. All content burned onto the optical media can be encrypted and secured via password.

Roxio Toast 20 Titanium

Roxio Toast 20 Titanium for Mac is the continuation of Roxio Toast 19 Titanium, which comes with more additional content. Here too, of course, all the functions are available that are necessary for efficient burning of various contents to optical storage media. However, this is not just a simple burning software, but rather a complete package that turns the home computer into a true multimedia center. Areas of application include audio editing, screen recording or photo editing. For photo art, Painter Essentials 8 is used, which massively improves photo painting by using artificial intelligence.

Ashampoo Burning Studio

With Ashampoo Burning Studio, the veteran company offers an all-around great standard program that is suitable for burning CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays of all kinds. Ashampoo Burning Studio is easy to use and allows you to create complete copies of, for example, movies or other media with just one mouse click. The software also masters so-called ripping, which means that it can recognize a specific CD and its contents and save them to the computer in the desired format. Both artists and song names are copied. A disproportionately cumbersome input of song names and artists by hand is thus obsolete. Another feature of Ashampoo Burning Studio is the backup with password protection. A backup can be made of any file and this can be stored on external media. If the file is too large to be saved on just one storage medium, it is possible to distribute it over several.

Nero Platinum Unlimited

If there is one name that stands for tried and tested burning software, it is Nero. However, Nero Platinum Unl imited does not limit itself to this function - quite the opposite. Nero Platinum Unlimited is an all-around carefree package that includes an extensive collection of top Nero programs to make the dream of a complete multimedia center in the form of a computer a reality. With Nero Platinum Unlimited, you can perform professional video editing that far exceeds the standard. Furthermore, all existing media can be organized and streamed at any time. Of course, Nero's standard burning software is also included in this complete package.

Is burning software worth it?

Burning software is not just what it used to be. It has evolved, new features have been invented, and it follows the ongoing progress. So investing in state-of-the-art burning software is worthwhile.