Fix NS_E_DRM_UNABLE_TO_CREATE_PLAYLIST_BURN_OBJECT (0XC00D276B)

This error is a nightmare when you just want to burn a CD.

I know — you've got your playlist perfectly arranged, hit burn, and Windows Media Player throws up NS_E_DRM_UNABLE_TO_CREATE_PLAYLIST_BURN_OBJECT (0XC00D276B). It's not your music. It's not your CD burner. It's the DRM system getting tangled up with old licenses or corrupted data.

Let's fix it right now. Two steps, no nonsense.

The real fix: clear DRM licenses and reset the library

This works for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 (Windows 11 too, if you've enabled Windows Media Player) — about 90% of the time. Don't waste time reinstalling codecs or drivers. Do this instead.

Step 1: Delete the DRM license folder

1. Close Windows Media Player completely.
2. Open File Explorer and go to:
   %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\DRM
3. Select everything inside that folder (Ctrl+A) and delete it. You might get a warning that some files are in use — if so, reboot into Safe Mode or just skip those specific files. Deleting 95% of them usually does the trick.
4. If you can't delete a file at all, rename the DRM folder to DRM.old (Windows will recreate a fresh one next time you launch WMP).

Important: This doesn't remove your purchased music. Those licenses will re-download next time you play protected content. But your saved playlists from burned CDs? Yeah, they might vanish. Worth it for a working burn function.

Step 2: Reset the media library

1. Open Windows Media Player.
2. Press Ctrl+M to show the classic menu bar (if it's hidden).
3. Click Tools > Advanced > Restore Media Library.
4. Confirm the restoration.

This wipes out all library metadata — ratings, play counts, and those weird album art glitches. Your actual music files stay untouched, but you'll need to re-scan your folders. WMP will rebuild its database from scratch, and the corrupted DRM state gets flushed.

After the reset, try burning again. If it still fails, reboot and retry. I've seen it work on the second attempt many times.

Why this works

The DRM component in Windows Media Player stores license information in that DRM folder. Over time, licenses expire, get partially corrupted, or conflict with each other — especially if you've moved music between computers or reinstalled Windows without backing up licenses. The 0XC00D276B error specifically happens when the burn object cannot be created because the DRM subsystem has invalid pointers to old license data. By wiping the folder, you force WMP to reacquire valid licenses from the media's original source. The library reset clears out cached metadata that might reference those broken licenses.

Less common variations of this issue

Sometimes the error appears even after the above steps. Here's what else I've seen cause it:

• Outdated WMDRM components. Microsoft released a security update (KB968816) back in 2009 that broke some DRM operations for older media files. If you're on Windows 7 or Windows 8, check if that update is installed — uninstall it if you can, though it's tricky on newer Windows versions. The real solution here is to update WMP to version 12 (included with Windows 8 and later).
• Corrupted user profile. I once spent two hours on this — tried everything, nothing worked. Switched to a new admin account, and boom, the error vanished. If deleting the DRM folder and resetting the library fails, create a new local user account and test WMP there. If it works, migrate your music library to that account.
• Third-party CD burning software. Nero, Roxio, or even iTunes can lock the DRM burn engine. Uninstall any other burning software temporarily and see if WMP works solo. This is rare, but I've seen it with older versions of Nero on Windows 10.
• Windows Media Player version mismatch. Some Windows 10 builds (especially after the 2020 feature updates) ship with a broken WMP if you've upgraded from an older Windows version. A repair install of Media Features (Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off > Media Features > uncheck and recheck Windows Media Player) can fix this.

Prevention: keep your DRM licenses tidy

You won't see this error again if you do three things:

• Back up your DRM licenses before reinstalling Windows. In WMP, go to Tools > Manage Licenses and back them up to a safe folder. Yes, it's a pain, but it beats re-downloading everything.
• Avoid moving music files across different computers with DRM protection intact. If you absolutely must, use the license backup/restore process. Don't just copy the DRM folder — that doesn't work and will cause errors like this one.
• Keep WMP updated. Windows Update handles this, but if you're on a strict update schedule, manually install the latest Media Feature Pack for your Windows version. For Windows 10/11, that's part of the standard cumulative updates.

That's it. You should be burning CDs again in less than five minutes. If not, the user profile trick is your next stop — I've seen it save the day when nothing else would.