12-30-2006, 09:56 PM

So after downloading my first 50 or so songs from iTunes ...

It seems I can't convert them into MP3s to listen on my car stereo (which reads MP3 CDs)?

Doh. :eek:

12-30-2006, 09:58 PM

d'oh!

i think there's some sort of conversion tool.

or you can use emusic.com - they sell only regular mp3 files

12-30-2006, 10:00 PM

this should help

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93123

12-30-2006, 10:01 PM

aren't itunes music files mp4?
can you just convert those 'protected' files that easily?

12-30-2006, 10:03 PM

take a look at this

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93071

12-30-2006, 10:24 PM

those won't do it.

one burns a backup of mp4 files and the other burns an actual audio cd.

he basically needs a data cd of mp3 files since, as my car mp3 cd player does too, it will only read mp3 files (or regular cd audio and some read wma too).

12-30-2006, 10:41 PM

eric is right, that won't do what I was hoping. But, it's a **** sight better than wasting the files altogether. At least now I know I can make regular CDs out of them even if I can't put everything onto one MP3 disc. Thanks, kodorsean.

Does emusic.com mesh with iTunes (the app) as well as iTunes (the store) does?

12-30-2006, 10:46 PM

Ok, here's the deal.

Files downloaded from iTunes Music Store can not be converted to another format except CD Audio (i.e ripped to an Audio CD). This is part of the licensing agreement and the DRM on the songs. You can rip them BACK to MP3 after you burn them to an Audio CD.

e-Muisc works fine with iTunes, their songs have no DRM and no restrictions.

12-30-2006, 10:57 PM

baggss -- I am slow; please allow me to ask for clarification.

Is it possible to do the following, in sequence:
(1) Download from iTunes (the store) into iTunes (the app)
(2) burn to Audio CD
(3) rip from this Audio CD into iTunes (the app) as MP3
(4) take the MP3's and use them to burn an MP3 music CD
?

So it's just a matter of being patient and jumping through the hoops?

Second question: do iTunes AAC files take up more or less space when burned to an Audio CD compared to the same album purchased commercially?

12-30-2006, 11:02 PM

you should be able to do exactly what you detailed there. it will just be a slow process.

you might fit 15-20 or so songs on an audio cd.
you can fit 100-150 or so on an mp3 cd.

you do the math - that is, if you have a lot of songs you want to burn to mp3 cd

edit:
you may also have to edit the id3 tags on the re-ripped songs, as they may be lost going from itunes to audio cd and back to ripped mp3 cd

12-30-2006, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by ToddG

baggss -- I am slow; please allow me to ask for clarification.

Is it possible to do the following, in sequence:
(1) Download from iTunes (the store) into iTunes (the app)
(2) burn to Audio CD
(3) rip from this Audio CD into iTunes (the app) as MP3
(4) take the MP3's and use them to burn an MP3 music CD
?

So it's just a matter of being patient and jumping through the hoops?

Second question: do iTunes AAC files take up more or less space when burned to an Audio CD compared to the same album purchased commercially?

The answer to 1 - 4 is yes.

They will take up the same amount of space on the CD. When you burn them to an Audio CD, you are converting them back to the CD Audio Format.

You should be able to get about 128 MP3 files on a standard 650Mb CD when you burn an MP3 (data) CD. That assumes a bit rate of 128k to 160k or so.

Also you should know that when you burn them from AAC to CD Audio there will be some loss of quality and there will be even more when you rip them back to MP3. How noticeable this will be will depend on you. I have never noticed it, but I know people who do notice. Either way, the quality of the Audio CD you rip from iTunes will be less than that of a purchased CD since the AAC quality, while good, is not a lossless format.

12-30-2006, 11:25 PM

Danke, baggss and eric!