What Is a CDA File? How to Play and Convert CDA Audio Tracks?

CDA stands for CD Audio Track. Unlike common audio formats such as MP3, WAV, FLAC, or AAC, a CDA file does not store the sound from a song. It is a small index created by Windows so the system knows where a track begins on an inserted audio CD. This is why files such as Track01.cda are only about 44 bytes even when the song itself lasts several minutes.

A CDA file therefore cannot work independently from the disc it refers to. If you copy Track01.cda from a CD to the desktop, USB drive, phone, or cloud storage, you have copied only the shortcut, not the audio. To keep the music after removing the CD, you need to rip the audio CD and save the tracks as real audio files.

Strictly speaking, you do not convert a CDA file itself. You rip the audio CD and encode the real track data as MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, or another audio format. This also explains why an online CDA-to-MP3 converter cannot work with a 44-byte CDA shortcut alone: the website does not have the audio from the original disc.

Note: Rip CDs only when you have the right to make a copy. Rules for personal copying vary by country and by the content on the disc.

👉 Method 1. Rip an Audio CD with Media Player on Windows 11

The redesigned Media Player for Windows 11 supports audio CD playback and CD ripping. Microsoft’s published feature announcement lists AAC, WMA, FLAC, and ALAC as supported ripping formats. If you specifically need MP3 and it is not offered in your version of Media Player, use Windows Media Player Legacy in Method 2.

Step 1. Connect an internal or external CD/DVD drive, insert the audio CD, and open Media Player.

Step 2. The Media Player app should automatically recognize the CD and display it on the left-hand menu.

Step 3. Select the audio CD in Media Player and wait for the track list to appear.

Step 4. Open the Rip settings, choose an available output format and quality, then click "Save".

Optional. Open "Edit info" to edit the metadata for each track or click "Update album info online" to fetch the missing media info automatically.

Step 5. Click "Settings" at the lower left corner to choose an output folder, then click Rip CD.

When ripping finishes, open the output folder and play the exported audio without the disc.

👉 Method 2. Rip a CD to MP3 with Windows Media Player Legacy

Windows Media Player Legacy remains useful when you want a straightforward MP3 rip on Windows 10 or 11. On some Windows 11 systems it is an optional feature. If you cannot find it, go to Settings > System > Optional features > View features, search for Windows Media Player Legacy, and add it.

Step 1. Insert the audio CD and open Windows Media Player Legacy.

Step 2. Switch to the Player Library and select the CD drive from the left pane.

Step 3. Click Rip settings. Choose Format to select MP3, WAV, FLAC, or WMA, then choose Audio Quality if needed. You can also open More options to change where ripped music is saved.

Step 4. Clear the check box next to any track you do not want, then click Rip CD. The finished files are saved to your Music folder by default unless you changed the location.

👉 Method 3. Import a CD with iTunes on Windows or Music on Mac

Apple still documents CD importing in iTunes for Windows. On newer Windows PCs, Apple has separated music into the Apple Music app, while iTunes remains available for users who have not moved their music library to the newer Apple apps. On a Mac, the equivalent CD-import feature is built into the Music app.

iTunes on Windows: Open Edit > Preferences > General > Import Settings. Choose MP3 Encoder if you want MP3, or select AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, or WAV. Insert the CD, select the tracks you want, and click Import CD.

Music on Mac: Open Music > Settings > Files > Import Settings and choose the encoder you prefer. Insert the audio CD, select it under Devices if necessary, choose the tracks, and click Import CD. Music uses AAC by default, but MP3 is also available in Import Settings.