File conversion from mp4 to mp3

[krissel]

Late to the party...

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.

[Highmac]

I tried to post this yesterday morning, but TeeEss's server was playing up....  

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

      

[Xairbusdriver]

I believe "LAME" {LAME Ain't an MP3 Encoder 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!>