iTunes gets evil

[TheLoneTerran]

I went to move my purchased music from iTunes over towards WMP so I could add them to my MP3 player, and iTunes changed the format! It's now an m4p file. Wth? And so I went onto google and yahoo to search for a converter but they are all pay to use type of stuff. Anyone use or know of an application or program I can use to get my music back? Had to dump iPod because it broke two days after warrenty and they wanted $300+ to fix.
Thanks.

[rhonnin]

Ok, to me that is just wrong, if you are going to pay for something then they should put it in a format you can use on any device or at least provide a format conversion utility with itunes. To me that seems like fodder for a class action.

[BigBossMonkey]

M4p or whatever is Apples DRM. Basically, they only want you using the music you buy from them on your iPod. If you got the music from CDs, you'll need to reburn them. Depending on the assholeishness of the company, bypassing the DRM (in anyway) can get you sued.

[Socco]

I went to move my purchased music from iTunes over towards WMP so I could add them to my MP3 player, and iTunes changed the format! It's now an m4p file. Wth? And so I went onto google and yahoo to search for a converter but they are all pay to use type of stuff. Anyone use or know of an application or program I can use to get my music back? Had to dump iPod because it broke two days after warrenty and they wanted $300+ to fix.
Thanks.

I use QTFairuse (Really long link).

(If you're using the newest version of iTunes, download the config file.)

You will now have AAC files, and I believe that WMA doesn't play nice. iTunes, oblivious now to the fact that the music WAS protected, will let you convert it to an MP3.

First, go to Edit->Preferences->Advanced->Importing.

For "Import Using", select "MP3 Encoder".
For "Quality", I would say 160 kbps.

Now, there are two ways to do this. You can remember any track you purchased (the hard way), or you can make a "Smart Playlist".

The easy way? File->New Smart Playlist.
You want "Kind" "contains" "AAC".

Now, click any song. Press Ctrl+A. That should select all. Right click, "Convert to MP3".

It sounds more complex than it is. If you need help, let me know!

[TheLoneTerran]

Thanks Socco. I'm not super literate in all this stuff so thanks for spelling it out for me. I prolly will ask questions. And I do NOT have the lastest version of iTunes. The lastest is 7.1 and I think I have just 7.0. And Rhonnin, they have had a suit under the Freedom of Information Act. Still pending last I heard.

[Socco]

Ok, to me that is just wrong, if you are going to pay for something then they should put it in a format you can use on any device or at least provide a format conversion utility with itunes. To me that seems like fodder for a class action.

Eh, not really. Most of the politicians are in bed with the RIAA/MPAA and being allowed to move stuff around like that would mean having to share it with others.

It's clearly spelled out in the license agreement.

You see, iTunes makes no profit for Apple. "What?", you may ask. But iTunes costs a ton of money to run; Apple makes around 33 cents a song, which is enough to just cover costs.

However, iPods are cheap. It costs apple ~$90 to make an $250 iPod. So, you buy your music collection in iTunes, and now you're stuck with Apple. You buy iPods, because that is what will play your music.

That's why renting music doesn't seem to be a horrible idea- you're already stuck with music, and if the service you use is no longer likeable, subscribe and redownload your music without additional charge. But, people like "owning" things. And, in order to justify the cost, you have to download an album of music a month...

QTFairUse is the only way (MyFairTunes is no longer being developed) to decrypt your music, other than burning to a CD and reripping. That's a pain and wastes CDS.

Apple has, in Europe, gotten into hot water over it, and France was the first (I believe) to pass a law about interoperability. Apple threatened to abandon the French market, and I believe that was the end of it...

[rhonnin]

So in all honesty, if you are going to spend dollars to purchase music you are still better off buying a CD.

[BigBossMonkey]

So in all honesty, if you are going to spend dollars to purchase music you are still better off buying a CD.

Or just steal it from the net, but I didn't say that.

[jediknight]

or buy a mp3 player that isnt a ipod...

[TheLoneTerran]

or buy a mp3 player that isnt a ipod...

Already done. Creative Zen 30GB w/ video and radio and all that good stuff to make a really nice multimedia entertainment piece of equipment. I absolutley love it. And, it was only $200 with 5 years of complete replacement and service warranty.