External DVD drive issues with MacBook Air

Verify that the drive works correctly on a desktop PC which can supply enough USB bus power to operate it correctly.

If it does operate correctly on a desktop PC, the drive may need more current than the MacBook is able to output through it's built-in USB-C ports. In this case you need a powered USB-C hub. The Mac's power supply (or other adequately powered USB-C power supply) plugs into the hub (the correct port is usually marked with a lightning bold or similar), then the Mac and other devices (like an external USB optical drive) plug into the hub. The hub then distributes the power to the hub's USB ports.

If I try to use my external LG DVD-ROM drive (USB-A) without the hub (plugging the drive directly into the Mac's USB-C port), the drive powers on but is non-responsive and will not spin up the disc. Using the powered hub solves this.

Powered USB-C hub at Amazon

dwb wrote:

full disclosure I’ve not tried burning a disc with my MBAir but in my experience burners that fail don’t have enough power to spin up the drive, burning isn’t the issue.

+1. The simple process of not spinning up the disc will be a good indication that the drive will not work without a powered USB hub.

My external DVD-burners are an LG from 2017 (mini-USB output from the drive to a USB-A cable) and the internal Apple optical drive pulled from a Late 2011 MacBook Pro (using the appropriate adapters). Both of these drives work well on my MacBook Air M1 and M2 but they require the use of the external powered hub I mentioned. They do not spin up at all when used without the hub (the activity LED will light however on the LG but no response otherwise).

I researched the drive you purchased (read some Amazon reviews) and it's considered a "frequently returned item" and many of the low review ratings state that it simply "doesn't work". It also should not need a powered USB-C hub (as I suggested above) since it states that it's "USB-C powered and does not need a power adapter". If you can not get it to work properly on your system, I would set up a return (depending on where/when it was purchased) while you still can, if possible.

I’m using an LG DVD burner which I purchased from Amazon. I’ve used it with both my M2 MBA and my mini. It doesn’t need to use a hub for reading but full disclosure I’ve not tried burning a disc with my MBAir but in my experience burners that fail don’t have enough power to spin up the drive, burning isn’t the issue. And I used a similar burner from LG with my Intel MBA and burned quite a few discs.