Post by: Bruce_F on November 16, 2009, 01:49:08 PM
Most of the files in iTunes are mp4 files and I don't see any easy way to make a conversion.
Thanks!
Post by: Paddy on November 16, 2009, 02:14:53 PM
However, you could take a CD-RW, and burn songs as MP3s to that and then re-import them into iTunes (or wherever) and then load them to the SD card from there. Not free, but cheap. Just time-consuming.
If there is no DRM on the music (ie: you didn't buy it from the iTunes store) you can easily convert them.
Go to iTunes Preferences->General and select import settings. Change the "import using" setting to MP3. Go back to your music library and click on any track, and under "Advanced" you should now see "Create MP3 Version." You will end up with two copies (one MP3, one original) in your iTunes library - keeping them sorted out will be interesting!
Most of my 37GB of music is from CDs I copied into my iTunes library, so I don't have this problem to any great extent. Yet. However, more and more of my purchases are made online these days, as I'm sure is the case for many others.
DRM Converter for $29 isn't all that bad a deal, if you have a LOT to do. Otherwise, I'd just use the CD-RW approach and just burn playlists and then copy them from the CD to the SD card.
Post by: Texas Mac Man on November 16, 2009, 02:22:50 PM
Post by: Xairbusdriver on November 16, 2009, 02:26:57 PM
Are you sure the files you see are really MP4? Or does iTunes list them as "MPEG Audio"? I think if you drag one of those "MPEG Audio" files to your Desktop, you'll see it's really an mp3. That's really all an mp3 is good for, anyway.Now ACC files will be a little more difficult. You'll probably have to burn them to a disk, first and then convert the AIF(F) file to mp3.
Have you Goggled " 'MP4 to MP3' 'Mac' "?
Post by: sandbox on November 16, 2009, 02:55:44 PM
QUOTE
Go back to your music library and click on any track, and under "Advanced" you should now see "Create MP3 Version." You will end up with two copies (one MP3, one original) in your iTunes library - keeping them sorted out will be interesting!
each song will take about 30 seconds....you can see the little swirly gizmo on the left side of the iTunes window converting the file.
Post by: Paddy on November 16, 2009, 05:29:53 PM
See:http://www.nch.com.au/switch/kb/1065.html
I'm sure Bruce did Google Mp4 to Mp3, Jim - as did I. The problem is that there are no FREE apps - the only ones available are $30-40. There used to be some free ones, until Apple rattled its sabers at the developers (Hymn etc.)
The issue is the DRM - converting the sound files in iTunes is a piece of cake if you didn't buy it on iTunes to begin with.
Post by: Xairbusdriver on November 16, 2009, 06:20:22 PM
Or anywhere else, for that matter...
Post by: Paddy on November 16, 2009, 07:26:12 PM
QUOTE
Do you actually have MP4 audio files in iTunes? Or anywhere else, for that matter...
Yes - 99 items I bought from the iTunes store. They're either mp4 or m4a - both of which are actually MPEG-4 files. I don't know how many Bruce has - but he's obviously got some too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4_Part_14
Post by: RNKIII on November 16, 2009, 08:17:26 PM
Or am I 'assuming' too much by assuming that you have your tunes on an iPod???
I am reasonably sure that all VWs since the early 200x's had/have an iPod jack...
No back to your regularly scheduled thread...
Bob K. rnkiii
Post by: sandbox on November 17, 2009, 12:41:37 AM
Then you can import them into iTunes and reduce the side in Advanced "Create MP3 Version."
Post by: Xairbusdriver on November 17, 2009, 09:02:55 AM
QUOTE
Yes - 99 items I bought from the iTunes store. They're either mp4 or m4a - both of which are actually MPEG-4 files.
I don't even have that many songs of my own in iTunes! 
And, as the link shows, unless there is some kind of visual source in the file, or proprietary info included, the use of that format is un-needed, although it can provide better compression and bit rate. Streaming is another value, but, again, hardly of value in iTunes. <!--begin irrational rant -->These facts, notwithstanding, his problem still remains and is totally caused by the sometimes inappropriate use of the format.<!--end rant-->Ultimately, I still hope Bruce finds a convenient and inexpensive way to over come this problem foisted on him by some corporations greed.
Post by: Paddy on November 17, 2009, 10:32:24 AM
QUOTE
MPEG-4 files with audio streams encrypted by FairPlay Digital Rights Management as sold through the iTunes Store use the .m4p extension. iTunes Plus tracks are unencrypted and use .m4a accordingly.
I have a whopping 9318 items in my iTunes library - some 25.1 days worth of music, according to iTunes. And there is some other stuff I haven't had time to sort out and import on another drive too...Little wonder that occasionally I buy a CD I already own - a problem compounded by the fact that I sold my 1300 LPs in the mid-90s to a collector in Portland, OR, so sometimes cannot recall whether a particular item got replaced on CD or not!
Post by: Bruce_F on November 17, 2009, 10:43:29 AM
I looked closer and most of the music in iTunes is m4a format.
I went to VersionTracker and found an application called "iTunes-LAME". I did a quick trial before changing the preferences and was able to change one my playlists to mp3. The files ended up right there in the iTunes library the same way they would if I did the manual method.
In the preferences, I found that I could change the destination folder. So, I'll convert the files into the remote folder and then copy that to the SD card.
Hopefully it will work. I'll have to wait until I have the time to sit and wait for the file conversion. It does take awhile.
Thankfully, iTunes-LAME is free to use!
Post by: Bruce_F on November 19, 2009, 12:25:55 AM
For some reason, iTunes kept a copy of the mp3 too. It was easy to eliminate them because they showed up as a "smart folder" or "playlist". I just selected the icon and hit delete.
Post by: Highmac on November 19, 2009, 02:19:50 AM
Off to Versiontracker right now!
Versiontracker link. I'll let you know how well it runs on a Tiger-G5.
Post by: krissel on November 20, 2009, 08:39:21 AM
The DRM Converter that Paddy linked actually makes you burn to a CD then it rips the files off.
I've used Audio Hijack in the demo mode which allows you to take DRM Apple files and rip them to mp3. But in demo mode you can only do about 3 songs before you have to quit the app and start again. After 10 minutes they add a noise to the file to make you buy the program (or restart the app). If you only had a few songs this would do the trick.
Post by: Highmac on November 20, 2009, 09:18:21 AM
Anyway, the answer is iTunes-LAME works great. A four-minute track took about 40 seconds to convert (iMac g5 running Tiger - newer machines should be faster). The Best of Chet Atkins (17 songs, 1.1 hours) in a few seconds under 14 minutes. I also converted nine tracks from Bob Seger's Against the Wind.
The Seger one came into the conversion folder properly numbered and in the right order. However, the program cached tracks on the Atkins one as it was converting and managed to change the playing order. Almost completely reversed, but not quite. Could be a bit irritating for some people.
iTunes original mp3 folder
Post by: Xairbusdriver on November 20, 2009, 09:45:00 AM
Apparently a lame (no pun intended, of course, attempt to avoid raising any attention from certain recording industries?) } is an open-source audio conversion software used by several developers to add functions to their apps. And, apparently, to create apps for special purposes. It is a 'plug-in' used in Sound Studio for converting many audio formats to mp3s that I use three times a week. Good to know that it is also available for the tasks Bruce needed! 
<All you could want (or stand{?}) to know about LAME use in software!>