Techsurvivors

Archives => 2007 => Topic started by: beacher on January 28, 2007, 05:38:14 PM

Title: WMA?
Post by: beacher on January 28, 2007, 05:38:14 PM
I'm pretty sure that I've seen this mentioned somewhere before, but couldn't find it, so, here's the problem.  I just bought the new John Mellencamp album, and it had a "extra" free 3.5 meg download for a tune not on the album, which I got.  Unfortunately, it's in a wma format, which, of course, iTunes wont play.  Can't find a utility that will convert it to mp3, and was wondering if anyone has a suggestion about this problem, besides buying a PC. . .biggrin.gif  T'anx in advance!
Title: WMA?
Post by: cdub1988 on January 28, 2007, 05:43:19 PM
Beacher,

Sorry, was thinking you said wmv......

You can try with some additional codecs, but I don't know that there are any.......MPlayer .

Take care, Beacher.

Chris
Title: WMA?
Post by: RobW on January 28, 2007, 06:11:24 PM
I've done fine with EasyWMA. In the link from versiontracker, you'll see some other suggestion.
Title: WMA?
Post by: FLASH1296 on January 29, 2007, 08:48:49 AM
There are numerous applications to convert sound formats. My prefernce is SoundStudio 3.
Title: WMA?
Post by: tacit on January 29, 2007, 04:09:55 PM
WMA is Windows Media Audio.

There are two basic "flavors" of WMA. One kind is unprotected; the other kind has copy protection and encryption on it.

There are several Mac programs that can play unprotected WMA files, and programs that can convert between WMA and other formats, such as AIFF and MP3. Sadly, though, I am aware of no Mac programs that will play a copy-protected WMA.

Not even Microsoft's Mac version of Windows Media Player will play a DRM-encryptted WMA file on a Mac. This is intentional; Microsoft made a big push a couple years back to get the encrypted version of WMA accepted as the standard way to distribute commercial music online, with the two benefits for Microsoft that all the recording studios would have to pay Microsoft a royalty, and that people who used Macs or Linux were out of luck--the price of admission to legal WMA music was running a Windows PC.

Didn't work so fell, and the Microsoft "PlaysForSure" campaign (which many industry insiders and tech commentators called "PlaysForSh-t") largely flopped. Microsoft even tacitly admitted as such, since the Zune does not use the DRM-encrypted PlaysForSure WMA files (it uses a different DRM system altogether). But you still occasionally see these DRM-encrypted files--most often on commerical music CDs.

So, you might be able to get those WMA files to play on your Mac, but if they are encrypted or copy protected, then you're almost certainly out of luck. Sorry...
Title: WMA?
Post by: krissel on January 29, 2007, 10:54:20 PM
OK, so how is MS's encrypted DRM system any more acceptable than Apple's? Why didn't Norway declare that their setup is illegal?

I want to know.... rant.gif




Sorry, this whole thing just makes me want to wallbash.gif
Title: WMA?
Post by: kbeartx on January 29, 2007, 11:18:45 PM
QUOTE(krissel @ Jan 29 2007, 10:54 PM) [snapback]117383[/snapback]
...how is MS's encrypted DRM system any more acceptable than Apple's? Why didn't Norway declare that their setup is illegal?

It isn't any different, in principle.  coolio.gif  dntknw.gif

My guess is that MS is still 'flying under the radar' as a small player in the online music biz, whereas Apple is Top Dog in that arena, and consequently attracts the most attention, both positive and negative.