A compact disk (CD) is a digital optical disc storage format that was introduced in 1982. It is designed to store and play back audio, video, and other types of digital data. The data on a CD is encoded in a series of pits and lands on the surface of the disc, which are read by a laser beam in CD players or computer drives. CDs have a storage capacity of 700 MB, which allows for approximately 80 minutes of audio or 60 minutes of video. They are still used today for music albums, software distribution, and data backup purposes.