Gypsy -

So far as I've seen, most CD burner software allows you to select whether you want a "music" CD or a "data" CD.

You can get "music CD" blanks, that have a "copyright protection" code on them, that - among other things - verifies that you've paid for a "generic mechanical rights" when you bought the blank.

You can record just about anything on the standard "data" CDs, and they're usually cheaper, with more varieties available.

Once you record a "music CD," regardless of which kind of blank you use, it's pretty much a one-shot. You can't add something you forgot.

On a "data CD," you can add information at any time. The small file that "addresses" the data files is replaced with a new file that includes the previous stuff along with what's added.

You can also use the "R/W" or "rewritable" CDs, that work "just like a hard drive" in that you can erase stuff and put new things in place of it (up to a point). These disks are significantly more expensive, and your "burner" must be one designed to use them. All CD-R/W drives and all software for them (that I've seen) will also handle the standard "write once," audio or data CDs.

If you want to use some different format - like MP3, on your CDs, you will probably need separate software, but CD burners come only in the two kinds - with and without the "rewritable" capability.

Note the existence also of DVD burners - but that's a different subject.

John