Depending on how Nero is configured (see 'The Nero CD database') the database dialog box appears on many different occasions, such as when copying Audio CDs or saving audio tracks to harddisk. This is done to get information about titles and artists on the CD and its tracks. This is then used to create CD Text information or to generate meaningful filenames when tracks are saved. The database dialog box first tries to get CD Text information about the loaded CD from the source drive. If this information is available, the dialog box is not opened. If CD-Text information cannot be obtained (for example because the CD contains no CD-Text or the source drive does not support CD-Text), then the dialog box is opened. It now searches in the Nero CD database (if installed), in the user database (if installed) and in the Internet database if required. Another feature is that it searches through the database of the Windows CD player which can also manage a list of CDs that have already been detected.
The search results are then shown in a list. The dialog box may find several different entries or none at all. There can be several different entries when different CDs have the same 'fingerprint'. This 'fingerprint' is obtained from the start positions of the individual tracks, the number of tracks and the playing time of the CD. It is obvious that CDs with the same number of tracks, the same playing time and the same track start positions will also have the same 'fingerprint'. Neither Nero nor the Internet database can tell them apart. There will be different entries for an existing CD. It will be down to the user to select the correct entry. Other errors can be caused by the fact that many older recorders did not have the 'Disc-at-Once' mode. Without this mode the start positions of the tracks on the CD can 'slip'. If an inaccurate CD copy like this is used for uploading, then there will be duplicates of CD entries, or CDs that are actually in the database will not be found. This is a problem you will unfortunately have to live with in the CD database.
If there is no entry in the list of possible CDs and if no suitable entry can be found in the Internet database either (Access Internet Database button), then the only solution is to define your own entry. You can create this entry by clicking Create A New CD Entry. Don't forget to enter the title and artist for every track. This is particularly important if you intend to upload your CD entry to the Internet at a later time. There is no sense in 'burdening' the Internet database with incomplete entries.
However we recommend that you only make newly created CD entries available to the general public on the Internet for purchasable original CDs. Likewise, there is no sense in uploading descriptions of CDs you have compiled yourself as they will only clog up the Internet database and in any case no other user should own this special CD. Please remember too that you can only upload entries in ASCII characters to the Internet database. This database does not support special characters such as German 'umlauts' or special Asian characters. Special characters should therefore be written out in ASCII notation, e.g. 'Marius Mueller Westernhagen' instead of 'Marius Müller Westernhagen'.
The selected entry is used by Nero as a source of information for artist and title entries and entered in the user database where it can be used for future access to the CD. If you do not wish to use an entry, click Cancel.