BIN/CUE
Also known as: .bin file, .cue file, BIN CUE image, disc image
BIN/CUE is a two-file optical-disc image: the .bin holds the raw sector-by-sector data of a CD or DVD, and the small .cue is a text sheet describing the disc layout — tracks, types, and where each begins. Together they let software mount or burn an exact copy of the original disc.
- .bin = raw disc data; .cue = text track layout
- Both files are needed together
- Handles multi-track discs that ISO cannot
How the two files work together
The .bin is the bulk of the data — a raw dump of the disc, including audio tracks and data tracks. The .cue is a tiny plain-text "cue sheet" that tells software how the bin is organized: the order of tracks, their formats, and their start points.
You almost always need both files together. The .cue references the .bin by name, so renaming one without the other, or losing the .cue, can make the image unusable. Disc tools mount or burn the pair as if it were the physical disc.
BIN/CUE vs ISO and storage
An ISO is a single self-contained disc image, simpler but limited to one data track. BIN/CUE can represent mixed-mode and multi-track discs (such as game discs with audio), which is why it is common for older CD-based media.
The .bin is as large as the data it copies — up to the full capacity of the source CD or DVD — while the .cue is only a few hundred bytes. Old game and software backups in BIN/CUE can take real space; many tools can convert them to ISO.