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Help converting iPod AAC files to MP3

Discussion in 'Audio' started by disneycjd, Mar 6, 2004.

  1. disneycjd

    disneycjd Guest

    All

    If anyonbe can give me some help I would be grateful. I havce spent many months adding some 600 CD's to my iPod iusing the standard settings. Therefore they have all encoded using AAC files which is fine for the iPod and my home pc. However, our new car has a mp3 player in it and so I wanted to play the iPod music in there. But the MP3 player will not play AAC files.

    So, without wanting to recovert all of my iPod stuff, is there any porogram that will convert an AAC file to a MP3 one? Hopefully in batches or folders?

    Many thanks

    Craig
     
  2. tigre

    tigre Moderator Staff Member

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    Transcoding from one lossy format to another will decrease quality, but since it's for use in the car, most likely you won't be able to hear a difference.

    Free programs that are capable of doing this:
    dbPowerAmp - easy to use, rightclick -> convert to ... sollution
    foobar2000 - Advanced software with many options.
    I haven't tested any other programs for this task, but I'm sure there are many more (e.g. Nero Burning Rom/Wave Editor/Mix/Media Player with lame mp3 plugin from http://neroplugins.cd-rw.org should be able to do it, GermaniX Transcoder, ...)
     
  3. disneycjd

    disneycjd Guest

    Thank you very much for a prompt reply - I will try these out.

    Thanks
    Craig
     
  4. disneycjd

    disneycjd Guest

    Sorry - but I still cannot get it to work. I have tried Foobar 2000 but this doews not let me convert to MP3 only wav. DBPower comnverter does not regognise the M4a iPod AAC files amd my version of Nero that came with my burner (5.05 does not recognise the m4a iPod AAC's - am I being thick or doing soemthing wrong?

    Thanks
    Craig
     
  5. tigre

    tigre Moderator Staff Member

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    In case you want to give foobar2000 another try (it works ;): Get special installer from here: http://www.saunalahti.fi/cse/foobar2000/foobar2000_0.8.exe
    or here: http://foobar2000.blogsite.org/

    You can also just download the necessary components from the 2nd link, I'm not completely sure (I've got special installer ;)), probably you need foo_lame only: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze559m7/foo_lame.zip

    Put it to fb2k components folder; now you should be able to Choose "MP3 (LAME)" in Preferences -> Components -> Diskwriter -> Output presets. In LAME decoder submenu you can choose the encoder settings you want (-> see sticky thread here "List of recommended LAME settings).
     
  6. disneycjd

    disneycjd Guest

    Thanks again - I will try all of this!
    C
     
  7. disneycjd

    disneycjd Guest

    OK, so I am either too stupid to own a computer or I am doing soemthing very wrong.

    Here is the message I get when I try to convert one of my M4a's fromt he iPod
    INFO (CORE) : startup time: 3578 ms
    INFO (foo_lame) : MP3 encoding settings: --alt-preset standard
    INFO (foo_lame) : Source file: file://C:\Documents and Settings\Craig\My Documents\My Music\Converted\Avril Lavigne\Let Go\02 Complicated.m4a
    INFO (foo_lame) : Destination file: file://C:\Converted Music\001 02 Complicated.mp3
    ERROR (foo_lame) : Unable to start lame.exe
    INFO (foo_lame) : Encoding failed
    ERROR (foo_diskwriter) : Error converting file.

    I am sorry to keep bugging you but nay idea?

    C
     
  8. Londor

    Londor Guest

    Get iTunes 4.2 for Windows (Free download). Transfer all the music on the iPod to the computer. Open iTunes preferences and select the Importing tab. In "Import using" select MP3. Now select in the library all the tunes you want to convert to MP3 format. Press advanced in the iTunes bar and select convert selection to MP3. Mac rules.
     
  9. disneycjd

    disneycjd Guest

    Wow wee. I have to say thank you very very much for that - what a great tip! Now I have two versions of everything which is fine as once the Mp3's are ripped I can move them out of the old ITunes folder.

    Thanks very much guys

    Beers on me
     
  10. Londor

    Londor Guest

    I live in London (UK) and I am waiting for those beers.
    Live is a lot easier and better when you use a Mac. Make a switch!!!
     
  11. guillen

    guillen Member

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    I just tried to convert all my Itunes music files to mp3, because I too have an mp3 player in my car, not an aac player. Every time that I try to convert I get an error message telling me that this is a protected file and cannot be converted. I have Itunes version 4.2.0.72 and I did it the way that you said to do it, but it's not working for me. please help me.
    Signed,
    Brian
     
  12. disneycjd

    disneycjd Guest

    Hi Brian

    I did get it to work, have you checked to see if the AAC files are write pototected ? Make sure they are not by right clickin gon your iTunes folder and checking the properties.

    iTunes does rock!

    Craig
     
  13. guillen

    guillen Member

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    Yes, they do say that they are protected files. But, why would I pay a buck a song if I couldn't burn them in a format that I could play in my car? Why don't they understand that?
    I'm just frustrated with the whole thing.
     
  14. disneycjd

    disneycjd Guest

    so these are songs bought from the iTunes music store. Emm, I do not have any of these as mine are all burnt from my CD collection. Did you try uncehcking the box to see if that worked?

    Also, I presume you have selected the library and not your iPod and then hit convert???
     
  15. guillen

    guillen Member

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    I don't have an Ipod. I did it just how londer said to do it and it gives me an error message saying that the songs are protected. It won't convert the aac files to mp3's.
     
  16. mobrien

    mobrien Member

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    You can thank the beloved RIAA for that... Music files purchased from iTunes have Apples flavour of DRM (Required by the RIAA and their compadres). These files cannot be converted into any other format. So in other words you pay a buck for a song but you can only use it in the AAC format, you cant convert it to listen to it on your MP3 player or any other device accept for the iPod. Doesent this sound a little like communism?? I think the RIAA patterns its business model after Stalinist Russia, complete with tight control, greedy leadership, propaganda and intimidation tactics!
    I agree that iTunes ROCKS! Out of all the music services available iTunes has been able to offer the least restrictions on its music.
    _X_X_X_X_X_[small]data-boy[/small]
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2004
  17. hotrodn

    hotrodn Member

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    you should be able to burn these files to a CD and they will convert to WAV or AIFF, once on the cd import them into Itunes as an MP3 from the CD...
     
  18. u009599

    u009599 Member

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    I use iTunes and have my music on some of my CD's converted to AAC in iTunes. If I want to make a CD to play in my truck I create a new folder in iTunes add any pieces I want to play in the truck. I have under the drop down of Edit, select preferences and make sure on the tab Burn that you have it selected to Audio Cd and it will burn using the normal CDA format of a CD. Works well in the truck, that I can make any combo of music on a CD. If you have and iPod get the attachment to send it through your radio.
     
  19. guillen

    guillen Member

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    dude, you guys rock!!! I finally figured out how to burn it in a format that I can play in my car...Thanks a bunch Newbie, all I did was added songs to my playlist and then burned them thru iTunes onto cd and they burned in CD format so I can actually play them in my car...This so makes it so I will keep buying songs from iTunes
     
  20. switchdr

    switchdr Member

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    Thanks for all the to and fro on this thread, i'm now visably chaffed...
    No really, thank's,! Had I not surfed for "convert from itunes to other format" from google, I never would have found this thread or much less save an incredible amount of time looking as dumb as the rest of you blokes! Thanks for asking all of the really good ones...

    now I can burnem and spinem in style!!

    Gr-rooovy!!
     

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