How to Create Custom DVD Menus with DVD Menu Makers

When you put a DVD into a player, the first thing you see is the DVD menu, which is an interactive screen. It is saved on the CD in specific VOB and IFO files. These files commonly have backdrop video or graphics, text titles, and buttons for controlling playback. Making a DVD menu makes it easy to control playback and helps the whole disc look more professional and finished. 

This article will show you 6 best DVD menu makers. They fall into two categories. One group has a lot of templates for beginners who want rapid results, and the other group has a lot of customization choices for advanced users who like to make their own menus from scratch. 

How to Choose the Best DVD Menu Maker for Your Needs

To choose the right DVD menu creator, you need to focus on a few core factors that directly affect how the final disc looks and behaves. Beyond just basic usability, it is worth checking how well the DVD menu maker creates IFO navigation data, what kinds of menu templates it offers, how flexible the customization options are, and whether it includes reliable DVD burning features.

1. IFO integrity of the created DVD menu
IFO integrity is critical. Navigation information in the menu, such as button positions and jump logic, is stored in the corresponding IFO files. If the burner makes incorrect or illogical IFO data, menus may not display correctly, and when you click a button it may jump to the wrong title.

2. Template availability
Built in templates save time, especially for beginners. Good authoring software should offer themed layouts, background music and button styles so you can create a consistent disc without design work.

3. Customization level
If you care about customizing your DVD menus, check how flexible the customization options are. Advanced tools let you import images, edit button shapes, adjust fonts, reposition items and freely build the motion menus you imagine.

4. Burning capability
Since your goal is making a playable disc with menu, pay attention to burning features. Reliable software should support input video formats, verify data, control burning speed and handle dual layer discs.

3 Template-First DVD Menu Makers: Best for Quick Menu Creation

DVDneXtCOPY DVD Creator

DVDneXtCOPY DVD Creator is a powerful and user-friendly DVD authoring tool that can create DVD menu. It is designed to help users make high-quality DVDs from various video formats. Whether you want to back up personal videos, convert digital movies, or compile home videos onto a DVD, this tool provides an efficient solution with advanced features.

The menu creation philosophy of this software is to make the most high-end DVD menus with the fewest possible steps. It comes with multiple professional-looking DVD menu templates in different themes, so beginners can simply pick one and use it right away. You can also customize these templates by changing the background image, menu fonts, button positions, and more.

We also examined the menu data it generates. We used this DVD menu creator to burn the movie 8 Mile from an MKV file to a DVD disc, added menus, and then opened the created IFO files in the professional tool IFOEdit. The navigation logic proved to be accurate: the commands in the root menu PGC all jumped correctly to their corresponding titles. We further verified the result on a standalone DVD player, where the menu displayed clearly and button operations were responsive with no noticeable delay. Taken together, we consider DVDneXtCOPY DVD Creator an ideal first choice for users who want good results without too much hassle.

Compatible OS: Windows 

How to Make a DVD Menu with DVDneXtCOPY DVD Creator

Step 1: Download & Install

• Visit DVDneXtCOPY DVD Creator's official website (or click the "download button") and download the software.
• Install it on your Windows PC (check system requirements if needed).

Step 2: Launch the Software and Add Files

• Open DVDneXtCOPY DVD Creator.
• Select "DVD Creator" mode (or similar option, depending on the version).

• Click "+" or drag and drop your video files (MP4, AVI, MKV, etc.) into the program.
• Arrange clips in the desired playback order.

Step 3: Customize DVD Menu (Optional)

• Choose a pre-designed menu template or create a custom one.
• Edit menu text, background, and buttons if needed.

Step 4: Adjust DVD Settings and Start the Conversion

• Select DVD type (DVD-5 for 4.7GB or DVD-9 for dual-layer 8.5GB).
• Choose video quality (higher quality takes more space).
• Set aspect ratio (4:3 for standard or 16:9 for widescreen).

• Click "Burn" and wait for the process to complete.

Freemake DVD Menu Creator

Freemake DVD Menu Creator is actually a built-in feature of Freemake Video Converter. When you use Freemake to burn digital video files to DVD, you can choose to add a DVD menu. It also offers several differently styled DVD menu templates, but in the free version only two templates are available. To unlock all templates, you need to upgrade to the Freemake Mega Pack. Compared with DVDneXtCOPY, which also provides multiple templates, Freemake offers much less customization: you can only change the background and edit the text.

Compatible OS: Windows

How to Make a DVD Menu with Freemake Video Converter

Below is the step-by-step on how to use the Freemake DVD Menu Creator to create DVD menue:

Step 1: Download and Install

• On your Windows PC, download and install Freemake Video Converter.

Step 2: Import Videos

• Following installation, launch the software.
• Click the + Video button to add videos you want to burn to a DVD.

Step 3: Choose a DVD Menu Template

• To open the Edit Menu window, select DVD from the format bar..
• On the right side of the window, browse and select one of the free DVD menu templates.
• To use a custom background, check the Use custom background option and upload an image.
• Click OK to save changes and exit the Edit Menu window.

Step 4: Burn the DVD

• Insert a blank DVD into the computer's DVD drive.
• Click the "Burn" button to start creating your DVD with the custom menu.

DVD Flick

DVD Flick is also a free DVD menu maker that offers several built-in menu templates. It can be used to turn video files into a DVD while creating a menu with navigation features. In the Menu settings, DVD Flick provides six classic menu styles: Mosaic, Orange LED, Plasma Sphere, Simple Black, Simple White, and The Party. 

These menus are quite capable in terms of navigation: besides controlling title playback, they also allow you to select subtitles and audio tracks. We also verified the IFO jump logic with IFOEdit, and the commands in the generated IFO files worked correctly. The downside is that these templates look somewhat dated and offer virtually no room for customization.

Compatible OS: Windows

How to Make a DVD Menu with DVD Flick

Step 1: Add your video files

• Launch DVD Flick.
• Click Add title and choose the video files you want on the DVD (AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, etc.). Each file becomes a separate title in the project.

Step 2: Open the Menu settings

• On the right side or top toolbar, click Menu settings.
• This opens the DVD menu configuration window for your project.

Step 3: Choose a menu template

• In Menu settings, select one of the six built-in templates: Mosaic, Orange LED, Plasma Sphere, Simple Black, Simple White, The Party. If you don't want any menu, choose None.
• Still in Menu settings, you can:
• Enable Auto-play menu, so the menu shows first when the disc is inserted.
• Optionally choose Show subtitle menu first or Show audio menu first if you have multiple subtitles / audio tracks.
• Click Preview (if available) to see the menu in action, then Accept to save the settings.

Step 4: Create the DVD

• When your titles and menu are ready, click Create DVD.
• DVD Flick will encode the videos, generate the VIDEO_TS structure with your chosen menu.

3 Flexible-Design DVD Menu Makers: Best for Customization

DVDFab DVD Creator

DVDFab DVD Creator makes it simple to create DVDs and build professional-looking custom DVD menus. It supports converting many popular video formats to DVD, such as MP4, MKV, and MOV. During authoring, you can add a DVD menu and choose from a wide range of ready-to-use menu templates that are regularly updated. 
More importantly, it also offers strong customization options. You can pick a template and replace its background, and there are multiple built-in font styles, so you can adjust the navigation text, style, and color. Button positions and button styles can also be modified. With these tweaks, your DVD menu can look more polished, personalized, and better aligned with the theme of your video.

Compatible OS: Windows & Mac

How to Make a DVD Menu with DVDFab DVD Creator

Step 1: Launch DVDFab DVD Menu Creator and Load Video Sources

• Download and launch DVDFab DVD Creator.

• Import your video files (batch DVD burning is supported by the software).
• Once your videos have been loaded, the interface will display input-output information as well as customization choices.

Step 2: Customize Your DVD Menu Using Free Templates

• Click the "Menu Settings" button to choose from a number of templates.
• The default background is a "starry sky" template, but you can also choose from various themes like kid-friendly, school, or movie menus.
• Customize the menu by changing the font, size, and color for the navigation text.
• If you want a blank template, simply remove the text and shapes. You can also upload a custom background image for personalization.

• Go back to the main interface to choose subtitles and audio tracks. If needed, add external subtitles and click the "Play" button to preview your video.
• In "Advanced Settings," you can change the output size, quality, menu properties, and playback mode.

Step 3: Start Creating the DVD Menu

• Place a blank DVD in your computer's optical drive or save it as an ISO file or folder to your hard drive.

• Click the "Start" button to start to make a DVD and create your DVD menuthe DVD menu. DVDFab will complete the task 30X faster than other software.

DVDStyler

DVDStyler is an open-source DVD burner that lets you make professional-looking DVDs with personalized menus. It has an intuitive UI and supports multi-core processors for improved performance. This free DVD menu creator supports a range of video formats, including AVI, MPEG, MOV, WMV, MP4, and OGG. Once you've designed your menu, you can easily import and burn unprotected videos with a simple drag-and-drop process.

The biggest highlight of this DVD menu maker is that its level of customization goes much deeper than most other tools. With DVDStyler, you can easily import background images and freely position text, images, buttons, and other elements on your DVD menu. It also supports customizing navigation using DVD scripting, which means that in DVDStyler you're not limited to basic actions. Instead, you can write low-level DVD commands to make your menu navigation smarter and more complex.

Compatible OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux

How to Make a DVD Menu with DVDStyler

Below is the step-by-step on how to use the DVDStyler to create DVD menu:

Step 1: Create a New Project

• Select Create a new project from the welcome dialog or click the New button.
• Enter a disc label.
• Choose the DVD capacity: 4.7 GB (Single Layer) or 8.5 GB (Double Layer).
• Choose a video format: NTSC (North America and Japan) or PAL (other areas).
• Click OK.
• Enter the DVD menu's title and select a template.

Step 2: Add Movie Clips

• Click the File browser tab on the left panel.
• Navigate to the folder containing your movie clips; icons will appear on the right.
• Drag and drop the clips you want onto the Titleset Manager at the bottom.
• Alternatively, use the file dialog or drag files from a file manager such as Windows Explorer.

Step 3: Design a DVD Menu

• To change the menu background, select the Backgrounds tab and double-click a picture.
• Add a menu title:
  • In the Menu Editor, right-click and choose Add > Text. Then add the title.
  • Adjust its position using handles, then change the font or size in the text properties dialog
• Add buttons:
  • Select the Buttons tab and drag a button into the Menu Editor.
  • Double-click the button to edit properties (e.g., action, title, color, font).
  • To apply the changes, click OK and return to the Menu Editor.
• Edit button properties (action, title, color, and font):
  • Double-click the button in the Menu Editor.
  • Change the settings you want in the properties window.
  • Click OK to apply the changes and return to the Menu Editor.

Step 4: Save the Project

• To save your project, simply click the Save button.

Step 5: Burn the DVD

• Click the Burn button.
• Check the preview box before burning the DVD.
• Insert a blank disc, select a drive, then click the Start button.
• If Preview is enabled, it will play before the burning process begins.

ConvertXtoDVD

ConvertXtoDVD is an all-in-one DVD authoring and burning tool for Windows. It can handle almost all mainstream video formats, convert them into DVD-compliant structures, and then either burn directly to DVD media or output a VIDEO_TS folder and ISO image. On the menu side, the software provides multiple themed menu templates, and you can further expand the styles with official template packs.

In terms of customization, you can change the menu background image, add background music, adjust title layout, modify buttons, and insert custom text. It also supports dynamic menus by importing an MPEG-2 video as an animated background. However, we do not recommend using this option in most cases: although motion menus look more impressive, they are essentially looping low-resolution MPEG-2 clips, which significantly increase encoding load and authoring time, and can sometimes lead to unstable burns or higher CPU usage during playback. For most projects, we suggest prioritizing stable static menus instead.

Compatible OS: Windows

How to Make a DVD Menu with ConvertXtoDVD

Step 1: Add your video files

• Open ConvertXtoDVD and drag your video files into the main window (or click the File > Add video file). Each file will appear as a separate title on the DVD.

Step 2: Enable and open the menu editor

• Select the DVD project in the left panel, then click Edit menu to open the Menu Editor. 
• To customize a menu for your current project, you should use an existing theme. Select the structure and theme you want to employ, then click Advanced Edit.

Step 3: Edit the background

• If you want to change the background, click Edit Background, then click folder icon to upload your own image (or video, if you really want a motion menu) and optionally add background music.

Step 4: Edit text and buttons

• Click on the title text and buttons to change their labels, fonts, colors, and positions.
• Adjust or add buttons for Play, Chapters, or individual titles so viewers can easily navigate your DVD.

Step 5: Preview and burn

• Use the built-in Preview to test the menu navigation.
• If everything looks good, click Convert / Burn to create your DVD, or output an ISO or VIDEO_TS folder for further testing.

Best DVD Menu Creator: Which One Is Right for You

Choosing the right DVD menu maker can be tricky, so we've created a comparison table to highlight each tool’s features:

Conclusion

Creating a custom DVD menu enhances the viewer's experience and gives your DVD a professional touch. We've introduced six DVD menu makers: some focus on offering rich template libraries, while others provide advanced customization features. If you care mainly about efficiency, we recommend DVDneXtCOPY DVD Creator, which makes it easy to build menus while burning your DVDs. If you want highly personalized menus, we recommend DVDStyler or DVDFab, which let you start from templates and then customize them in depth. Now it's time to bring your creativity to life and create stunning custom menus that elevate your DVDs!

FAQs

Can I add my own music or videos to the DVD menu?

Yes, most DVD menu makers let you personalise your menu by adding your own music or videos. You can also customise further by uploading images, changing the background and adding motion effects to the menus.

Can I create multiple menus for different sections of my DVD?

Yes, DVD Menu Creators allow you to create multiple menus for organizing different sections or chapters of your DVD. These tools enable you to structure your content hierarchically, making it easier for viewers to navigate through various parts of the DVD.

Are DVD Menu Creators compatible with all types of DVDs?

Yes, most DVD Menu Creators are designed to support a wide range of DVD formats. They allow you to create menus compatible with both standard-definition and high-definition DVDs. So that your menus work seamlessly across various playback devices.

Do DVD Menu Creators allow for animation or dynamic effects?

Yes, many DVD Menu Creators allow you to incorporate animation or dynamic effects into your menus. Some tools enable you to create both static and animated menus, with the ability to set chapter marks with frame-by-frame precision. Others offer a wide range of pre-designed static and dynamic templates that you can customize to fit your content and style preferences, adding a professional and engaging touch to your DVD menus.

Can I preview the DVD menu before burning it?

Yes, most DVD Menu Creators let you preview the menu and chapters before you burn. So you can check the design, navigation and functionality before you finalise the DVD.