Background
When a song is downloaded using the iTunes program, it is encoded in an Apple proprietary format with the suffix ".m4p". When the free iTunes program is used to convert these files to mp3 or any other actually usable format, an error message is displayed informing the user that "protected" files cannot be converted to mp3.
This makes it virtually impossible for the user to use the files, which have been rightfully bought and are now owned by the user, on any non-Apple device. This also restricts the user from using the files as part of a slide show, movie, or any other multimedia project which is not compiled on Apple software. This is a problem for the sensible people like me who are more concerned with system performance and usability (and thus PC owners) than bright colored lights, shiny things, creative commercials, and how 3-D and new-age my desktop looks (and thus Mac owners).
Two Methods
If you have a pile of writable cd's around that you don't care about and a bunch of time to waste, iTunes does allow the user to make music cd's with their iTunes files. Then user can then use any of the myriad of free cd ripping utilities (including Windows Media Player) to rip the music back off of the cd onto the computer in mp3 or any other format.
A better solution to this problem is to use the MyFairTunes utility. This free program creates a new music file, magically changing the encoding of your song from the protected ".m4p" format to the unprotected ".m4a" format. Once the format is changed, the user can import the ".m4a" file into iTunes and then use the built in iTunes mp3 converter without reservation.
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1 comment:
Good post Dan. However, I do think you're a tad old-school regarding Apple computers -- my experience is that Apples are preferred by professionals in design fields, not just for their "flashy lights" and clever ads, but performance issues as well. They've become competitive with PCs by specializing for creative types (rather than engineering types) and have relevant software available. Unfortunately, there's a lot of programs for PCs not available for Apples yet. But I've worked with die-hard Apple fans -- they'd slap you with a big wet noodle for impugning their computer intelligence! ;D
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