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Author Topic: File conversion from mp4 to mp3  (Read 5430 times)

Offline Bruce_F

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« on: November 16, 2009, 01:49:08 PM »
Does anyone know of a cheap (FREE) app that will convert iTunes files to mp3 files? I just bought a new VW. The radio in this car will accept an SD memory card but the only file type it reads is mp3.

Most of the files in iTunes are mp4 files and I don't see any easy way to make a conversion.

Thanks!
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Offline Paddy

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2009, 02:14:53 PM »
Bruce, I can't find any free way to do it, if you're talking about stuff you purchased from the iTunes store - most of the programs that will do it are $29-39.

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.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2009, 02:21:35 PM by Paddy »
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Offline Texas Mac Man

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2009, 02:22:50 PM »
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2009, 02:26:57 PM »
Although I don't have many songs, they're all MP3, AIFF, ACC. I've only seen MP4 files used to include video. dntknw.gif 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. dntknw.gif

Have you Goggled " 'MP4 to MP3' 'Mac' "?
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Offline sandbox

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2009, 02:55:44 PM »
I agree with Paddy.
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.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2009, 02:58:04 PM by sandbox »
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Offline Paddy

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2009, 05:29:53 PM »
Tom, DRM-protected files are not converted by Switch. MP4 files aren't even on the list of files that they support. sad.gif 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. dry.gif
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2009, 06:20:22 PM »
Do you actually have MP4 audio files in iTunes? dntknw.gif Or anywhere else, for that matter...
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Offline Paddy

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #7 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. wink.gif

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4_Part_14
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Offline RNKIII

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2009, 08:17:26 PM »
As an 'off-shoot' of this thread......   Bruce, I thought VW was one of the 'first adopters' of an iPod plugin/adapter??  
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
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Offline sandbox

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2009, 12:41:37 AM »
If you want to convert DRM files you first burn them to a CD and then drag them back to the desktop from the CD.
Then you can import them into iTunes and reduce the side in Advanced  "Create MP3 Version."
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #10 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.
laugh.gif I don't even have that many songs of my own in iTunes! rofl.gif 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.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2009, 09:04:56 AM by Xairbusdriver »
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Offline Paddy

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2009, 10:32:24 AM »
Lest anyone think this is Apple's fault, it is not. The DRM was imposed on them by the record companies - it is only recently that they have backed off requiring it and Apple has been providing DRM-free (iTunes "plus") downloads. They cost more, of course.

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! tongue.gif
« Last Edit: November 17, 2009, 10:41:23 AM by Paddy »
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Offline Bruce_F

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2009, 10:43:29 AM »
Thanks everyone for replying!

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!
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Offline Bruce_F

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2009, 12:25:55 AM »
I finally got a chance to really try out iTunes-LAME and it works great! After changing the destination folder the mp3 files showed up there just fine. I'm impressed how good the music plays on my VW stereo!

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.
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Offline Highmac

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File conversion from mp4 to mp3
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2009, 02:19:50 AM »
Thanks for that Bruce - I had been wondering about converting my (non-DRM) AAC files in iTunes into mp3s to put some music on my mobile phone thumbup.gif

Off to Versiontracker right now! smile.gif

Versiontracker link. I'll let you know how well it runs on a Tiger-G5.
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