Convert CCD to CUE

Many emulators and burning applications accept CUE/BIN images but do not open CloneCD image sets directly. In most cases, the needed result is a CUE sheet that describes the existing raw image data; no large data file needs to be rewritten.

CCD format and companion files

CCD is CloneCD’s text-based disc-layout descriptor, created by Elby/CloneCD. A CloneCD image normally uses matching filenames: disc.ccd contains track, session, and index information; disc.img contains raw CD sectors; and optional disc.sub contains raw subchannel data.

A .ccd file alone is not a usable disc image. Keep the matching files together, and do not rename only one file; CloneCD-style tools locate companions by their shared filename stem.

CUE format and its use

CUE is a plain-text cue sheet that identifies one or more image files and defines track types, indexes, and pregaps. It is commonly paired with a raw .bin file, but a CUE sheet can usually reference a CloneCD .img file directly with a line such as FILE "disc.img" BINARY.

CUE/BIN is supported by many CD emulators, burning utilities, and archival tools. The sheet is editable, so a filename mismatch can be corrected without changing the image data. A CUE file contains no disc data and does not reduce the size of the accompanying .img or .bin file.

Create a CUE sheet locally

ccd2cue is the appropriate direct converter: it reads CloneCD layout data and writes a CUE sheet while retaining the existing raw image. On Debian and Ubuntu systems, install it with sudo apt install ccd2cue; the common command syntax is:

ccd2cue disc.ccd disc.cue

1. Put disc.ccd, disc.img, and any disc.sub in the same directory.
2. Run ccd2cue disc.ccd disc.cue from that directory.
3. Open disc.cue in a text editor and check its FILE line. It must exactly match the companion image filename, including letter case on Linux and other case-sensitive systems.
4. Open disc.cue, not disc.img, in the destination program.

If the target program insists on a .bin extension, make a backup, rename disc.img to disc.bin, then change the CUE sheet’s FILE line to FILE "disc.bin" BINARY. Renaming is sufficient only when the program accepts the raw sector layout already present in the IMG file.

For a graphical fallback, IsoBuster can inspect CloneCD images and extract readable tracks as raw data when the source set is damaged or a target rejects the original layout. Use this route only after preserving the original set, because extracting tracks can omit disc-level details that a direct descriptor conversion retains.

Online conversion is not recommended for CloneCD sets: providers must receive multiple related files, images are often large, and reputable services do not reliably preserve raw-sector and subchannel details. Use a local tool rather than uploading disc images.

Compatibility limits

CUE can represent normal data tracks, audio tracks, mixed-mode discs, indexes, and many pregaps. It has no standard way to carry CloneCD raw subchannel data from .sub, and support for multi-session layouts varies between CUE readers.

This matters for discs with copy-protection data, unusual subchannels, or software that depends on exact session structure. Keep the original .ccd, .img, and .sub files after creating the CUE sheet.

Do not substitute ISO for CUE/BIN when audio tracks, mixed-mode content, or original CD track timing must be retained. An ISO stores a filesystem rather than the complete CD track layout and normally discards audio and other disc-structure information.