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Itunes Downloaded Files LOCKED?


bountyhunter

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So, I got an Itunes gift card and finally loaded enough software upgrades to actually make it possible to use it.

I downloaded three songs. They seem to play fine on the Itunes player, but their volume level is lower than most of my other MP3 music files.

I need to be able to adjust and equalize them, but they are "locked"? How can I fix these to sound right using my PYRO software?

Exactly what the hell can these files do? Can I create a WAV file to play in my car?

Anybody know how to convert these into regular MP3 files that are not locked up?

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So, I got an Itunes gift card and finally loaded enough software upgrades to actually make it possible to use it.

I downloaded three songs. They seem to play fine on the Itunes player, but their volume level is lower than most of my other MP3 music files.

I need to be able to adjust and equalize them, but they are "locked"? How can I fix these to sound right using my PYRO software?

Exactly what the hell can these files do? Can I create a WAV file to play in my car?

Anybody know how to convert these into regular MP3 files that are not locked up?

PM SENT

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So, I got an Itunes gift card and finally loaded enough software upgrades to actually make it possible to use it.

I downloaded three songs. They seem to play fine on the Itunes player, but their volume level is lower than most of my other MP3 music files.

I need to be able to adjust and equalize them, but they are "locked"? How can I fix these to sound right using my PYRO software?

Exactly what the hell can these files do? Can I create a WAV file to play in my car?

Anybody know how to convert these into regular MP3 files that are not locked up?

PM SENT

:cheers:

Tell me too please!

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You're running into the DRM features built into the protected AAC file... ;) Methods to avoid that protection may or may not be legal... Jay's suggestion is definitely not legal.

One way you can avoid the DRM is to burn the files to an audio CD, and then re-import them. I believe that violates the download agreement on those files, though, as well... but it works. Up to you.. ;)

My current attractive method of getting digital music is to download from Amazon - $.99/song (and decent album prices). They are non-DRM MP3s, 256kbps sample rate. They seem to sound good. Then, potentially convert to AAC @ 128kbps to save some space on the ol' iPod... I haven't gone this route, yet, but am getting ready to pick up a couple of things, so...

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"iTunes Plus" versions of music you are purchasing may also be available from the iTunes music store, they DRM free and also at a higher sample rate. They are available for .99 cents now.

FYI, the first version I had to access their store wouldn't work for downloading.... it kept saying I had to update to the newer Iplus version. And, I had to get the service pack patches for my OS to allow the new Itunes plus software to load.

So, the "old apple store" isnt an option. It would not work when I tried to download music.

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You're running into the DRM features built into the protected AAC file... ;) Methods to avoid that protection may or may not be legal... Jay's suggestion is definitely not legal.

One way you can avoid the DRM is to burn the files to an audio CD, and then re-import them. I believe that violates the download agreement on those files, though, as well... but it works. Up to you.. ;)

Is the 'audio CD" just the standard CDR disc? Do you mean the regular method of making a MP3 playlist and burning it to the CDR for p[laying in a regular MP3 player?

I was surprised that would strip off the DRM coding. I thought any digital copy would keep that with it?

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You're running into the DRM features built into the protected AAC file... ;) Methods to avoid that protection may or may not be legal... Jay's suggestion is definitely not legal.

One way you can avoid the DRM is to burn the files to an audio CD, and then re-import them. I believe that violates the download agreement on those files, though, as well... but it works. Up to you.. ;)

Is the 'audio CD" just the standard CDR disc? Do you mean the regular method of making a MP3 playlist and burning it to the CDR for p[laying in a regular MP3 player?

I was surprised that would strip off the DRM coding. I thought any digital copy would keep that with it?

yep-been that way since day 1 on itunes...just rip and re-import...

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You're running into the DRM features built into the protected AAC file... ;) Methods to avoid that protection may or may not be legal... Jay's suggestion is definitely not legal.

One way you can avoid the DRM is to burn the files to an audio CD, and then re-import them. I believe that violates the download agreement on those files, though, as well... but it works. Up to you.. ;)

Is the 'audio CD" just the standard CDR disc? Do you mean the regular method of making a MP3 playlist and burning it to the CDR for p[laying in a regular MP3 player?

I was surprised that would strip off the DRM coding. I thought any digital copy would keep that with it?

yep-been that way since day 1 on itunes...just rip and re-import...

Thanks, I'll try it.

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Is the 'audio CD" just the standard CDR disc? Do you mean the regular method of making a MP3 playlist and burning it to the CDR for p[laying in a regular MP3 player?

No - I mean burning a CD of audio files, not a CD of MP3 files - like you'd put in a normal CD player, not one that has MP3 support.

I was surprised that would strip off the DRM coding. I thought any digital copy would keep that with it?

Nothing to be surprised about :) The original audio CD standards don't include DRM, so you're sort of taking the files to "lowest common denominator" that way... You obviously lose a generation of quality - its two conversions involved to burn and then re-rip, but in today's high quality digital audio world, you probably would never notice the difference. I can't hear it on a one generation copy at all...

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Is the 'audio CD" just the standard CDR disc? Do you mean the regular method of making a MP3 playlist and burning it to the CDR for p[laying in a regular MP3 player?

No - I mean burning a CD of audio files, not a CD of MP3 files - like you'd put in a normal CD player, not one that has MP3 support.

Yeah, I finally found the menu item where you change to that. Sure do love the PC software that buries everything under ten layers of menus. God played a cruel hoax on me, letting me learn to work on a MAC way back when....... I still work on one, but I have to grit my teeth and use these stinking machines too.

I was surprised that would strip off the DRM coding. I thought any digital copy would keep that with it?

Nothing to be surprised about :) The original audio CD standards don't include DRM, so you're sort of taking the files to "lowest common denominator" that way... You obviously lose a generation of quality - its two conversions involved to burn and then re-rip, but in today's high quality digital audio world, you probably would never notice the difference. I can't hear it on a one generation copy at all...

True, each rip of an MP3 or anything like it does degrade the music because the compression filters "round things off" a bit. I also don't notice any difference in sound for only a few rips, but then I listen to pop music so my ears are tin....

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I have over 6000 songs in my iTunes library and had the same problem in the beginning.

Select song you want to adjust volume.

Click the advanced tab.

Click the "Covert selection to MP3"

After it finishes, right click on "Get info"

Click on options tab.

The volume and EQ adjustments should no longer be "gray'ed out"

Try that and if it still will not let you, let me know and I can send you screen shots of the Preferences I have set and hopefully that might do the trick.

Tim

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Select song you want to adjust volume.

Click the advanced tab.

Click the "Covert selection to MP3"

Doesn't work for Protected AAC format... for obvious reasons... ;) Converting to MP3 removes the DRM, so...

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I have over 6000 songs in my iTunes library and had the same problem in the beginning.

Select song you want to adjust volume.

Click the advanced tab.

Click the "Covert selection to MP3"

After it finishes, right click on "Get info"

Click on options tab.

The volume and EQ adjustments should no longer be "gray'ed out"

Try that and if it still will not let you, let me know and I can send you screen shots of the Preferences I have set and hopefully that might do the trick.

Tim

I'll try this to see if it unlocks the file. It is easier than dumping them to a CD and then dumping them back.

Thanks....

Funny how everything on a PC involves a right click...... us MAC users look everywhere for the stupid tab we need and never think of doing that.

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I see a "convert selection to AAC" but no MP3 option in iTunes 7.6.0.

I think you have to have a MP3 encoder package. I have the Cyberlink power pack, I think it comes with my Power DVD player installation.

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Well... the track is imported from an audio cd and ended up with a .M4A file extension, and "info" says it's an AAC audio file. On a purchased "song", the extension is .M4P and "info" says it's a protected AAC audio file. No big deal to me, as I'm happy with how iTunes works; I just didn't see the MP3 option on the advanced pulldown.

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Well... the track is imported from an audio cd and ended up with a .M4A file extension, and "info" says it's an AAC audio file. On a purchased "song", the extension is .M4P and "info" says it's a protected AAC audio file. No big deal to me, as I'm happy with how iTunes works; I just didn't see the MP3 option on the advanced pulldown.

Same on mine: there is no MP3 option and not only that, if you select the "convert to AAC" it just gives the message it can not convert a protected file. The only way to unlock it is to burn it to a CD as a music file then import it back from the CD.

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I see a "convert selection to AAC" but no MP3 option in iTunes 7.6.0.

That only means the file is already an MP3

Tim

These are definitely not MP3 files. They will not play on any MP3 player, my computer has about five different players in it and none of them can recognize the file type.
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