wma music

paulinnherts · 30-08-2005, 21:42

Hi there not sure if this place sorry if not,i am just learning about downloading music and joined tesco downloads(to be all legal)all ok on to pc but now find because it is copy protected i cannot add it to my mp3 player is there any way round this or something i have to live with,im using windows media player ten thanks...

Stuart · 30-08-2005, 21:48

If your MP3 player cannot protected WMAs, then, TBH, I don't know how you will be able to play them. The Windows Media Player Digital Rights Management System (this protects the files) has been successfully bypassed a couple of time, but when it has, anyone involved has recieved a cease and desist order from Microsoft, and the system updated fairly quickly to "fix" it.

Roy MM · 30-08-2005, 21:50

I would recomend itunes, my lad uses it no problem.

Stuart · 30-08-2005, 21:51

You still can't transfer files to an MP3 player, unless it's an iPod.

paulinnherts · 30-08-2005, 21:57

Hi thanks yes i have put it onto my ministry of sound mp3 but book says if copyed written it just goes bypasses them,is this the same on all music download sites then must be thanks anway for views as always..

Minbu · 31-08-2005, 21:42

Play the wma file and record it using Windows Sound Recorder or a program such as Audacity. This can be saved as a WAV file. Then use Cheetah Audio Converter, or a similar program, to convert the file to wma, mp3 or whatever. It's a long-winded process but the end result is a non-protected copy of the original.

Alanmelon · 31-08-2005, 21:53

On a similar issue, I have recently been using I Tunes and have come across the fact that Apple's AAC copyrighted files cannot be converted to MP3. Is it possible to burn an audio CD of these files using I Tunes then extract as MP3s after?

EDIT - Just answered my own question. Answer is yes. Wish it didn't involve the use of a CD every time....time to find a CD RW...

ntl customer · 31-08-2005, 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minbu

Play the wma file and record it using Windows Sound Recorder or a program such as Audacity. This can be saved as a WAV file. Then use Cheetah Audio Converter, or a similar program, to convert the file to wma, mp3 or whatever. It's a long-winded process but the end result is a non-protected copy of the original.

It'll lower the quality even more. Same with any of this burn to CD/rip it as an MP3 business. You are converting lossily compressed audio to another lossy format which means you get even lower audio fidelity than you started off with.

Personally I would avoid all legal download sites in the UK - the stuff they sell is of low quality, and isn't worth the money at all IMO. It's all a con and the customer is the person that gets screwed in the end by having low quality audio files which they have no control over.

Use AllofMP3.com for cheap, 'legal' downloads which are DRM free and offered in a number of compressed and uncompressed formats.

**Damien** · 31-08-2005, 22:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alanmelon

On a similar issue, I have recently been using I Tunes and have come across the fact that Apple's AAC copyrighted files cannot be converted to MP3. Is it possible to burn an audio CD of these files using I Tunes then extract as MP3s after?

EDIT - Just answered my own question. Answer is yes. Wish it didn't involve the use of a CD every time....time to find a CD RW...

There are ways to strip the DRM away

Stuart · 01-09-2005, 09:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minbu

Play the wma file and record it using Windows Sound Recorder or a program such as Audacity.

Won't work unless the sound card can record it's own outputs. The only range I know of that can do this without special software is the creative Audigy range, and I have a feeling the latest drivers disable this facility when you are playing any kind of protected music.

Atomic22 · 01-09-2005, 20:05

try downloading the latest version of dbpoweramp its free and rips just about anything,
nero will also convert and burn wma files straight to audio

Stuart · 01-09-2005, 20:08

dbpoweramp and nero will not touch protected WMAs..

Atomic22 · 02-09-2005, 17:21

ive been told that "cool edit pro" can possibly convert protected wmas to mp3 , i dont have the program (or any protected wmas) to try it though.

Shaun · 02-09-2005, 17:53

Another vote for allofmp3 here.

Stuart · 02-09-2005, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atomic22

ive been told that "cool edit pro" can possibly convert protected wmas to mp3 , i dont have the program (or any protected wmas) to try it though.

AFAIK, the only app that will read Protected WMAs is Windows Media Player.