Converting Protected Wma Files

[wolfman2001]

All right,I'm sure at some point this has been addressed around here but a search brought up nothing. Any help would be appreciated as I'm at my wits end!

I just bought a new cell phone (Samsung t809) that has a built in MP3 player. Problem is that all my music files are from Napster and are in the WMA file format. I'm one of those honest types so all were purchesed legally and so are rights protected. The phone won't recognize anything but MP3 files. I've looked at a bunch of freeware and shareware programs but either they can't handle thr protected files or they only convert a small clip of the song (without buying the full version). I hate to leave the MP3 player unused but I really don't want to sink any more money into this if I can avoid it(the phone already cost me an arm and a leg).

I know this is probably a newbie question but I know someone has to have an answer even my simple mind can understand! Thanks, Norm

[HPoirot36]

IF you can burn the wma files to a CD,as audio CD not Data CD...do so. Then use Windows Media Player to rip the songs BACK to your hard drive,making sure that the WMP is set to save as MP3s.

Note: The save as MP3 is ONLY available with version 10 of Windows Media player.

Edited January 25, 2006 by HPoirot36

[iccaros]

All right,I'm sure at some point this has been addressed around here but a search brought up nothing. Any help would be appreciated as I'm at my wits end!

I just bought a new cell phone (Samsung t809) that has a built in MP3 player. Problem is that all my music files are from Napster and are in the WMA file format. I'm one of those honest types so all were purchesed legally and so are rights protected. The phone won't recognize anything but MP3 files. I've looked at a bunch of freeware and shareware programs but either they can't handle thr protected files or they only convert a small clip of the song (without buying the full version). I hate to leave the MP3 player unused but I really don't want to sink any more money into this if I can avoid it(the phone already cost me an arm and a leg).

I know this is probably a newbie question but I know someone has to have an answer even my simple mind can understand! Thanks, Norm

Welcome to DRM.. with the new vesta Microsoft is tring to close this analog hole as they call it, so you wont be able to do this.. Thank the Music Industry, if you live in the US and this bill they are passing passes.. even this will be a crime..

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004261.php

[wolfman2001]

Thanks so much for the help. if I'd just come here 24 hours ago I'd have had a lot less stress! It's not a very elegant way to transfer files but at least it works. Guess I better get to it before they plug this hole! Thanks, Norm

[fubz]

What i do is take Windows Sound Recorder, make it record my Wav Out, then start recording and play the file. Now you have it all! Just make so you mute all other sounds.

[macmarauder]

sorry i hate to be a bit of a buzz kill but technically your still using an illegal copy. the license that you get from getting the music off napster doesn't work like that. your monthly fee only rents the music from them until the end of your service. and technically you sercomventing the copyright protection by doing this. so technically it's just as illegal as if you had downloaded it illegally for free to begin with.

now that being said i personally would just use a direct sound recording like fubz suggested. it's a program that simply records all sound that is running through your system. i use one called WireTap. you can find them for free on the net.

[HPoirot36]

sorry i hate to be a bit of a buzz kill but technically your still using an illegal copy. the license that you get from getting the music off napster doesn't work like that. your monthly fee only rents the music from them until the end of your service. and technically you sercomventing the copyright protection by doing this. so technically it's just as illegal as if you had downloaded it illegally for free to begin with.

Actually,thats not even close to correct. This is directly from the Napster TOS:

"Purchased Track" is a Track that you may (1) save to the hard drives of up to three (3) of your personal computers and play back at any time, (2) burn to a CD and/or (3) transfer to a compatible portable device.

You may burn each Purchased Track to a CD an unlimited number of times, but may only burn each Purchased Track up to seven (7) times as part of any particular playlist of songs. A "playlist" is a discrete group of Purchased Tracks that are arranged together in a particular order. Once you have burned a Purchased Track to a CD, you agree not to copy, distribute, or transfer the track from that CD to any other media or device.

You may transfer a Purchased Track an unlimited number of times to two (2) portable devices that are compatible with the Service's Usage Rules and security requirements. Once you have transferred a Purchased Track to a compatible portable device, you agree not to copy, distribute, or transfer it from that device to any other media or device. You may be required to register your portable devices with Napster."

So,Original poster...you are doing nothing illagal based on te TOS that you agreed to when you joined Napster.

[macmarauder]

OOoooo they changed it. i wander when they changed the licensing agreement.

[wolfman2001]

I don't subscribe,I buy the prepaid cards and get the songs that way. I know the one program they have lets you put all you want on your portable player but only for a month at a time. At least I own the songs outright.(I think!)

Now I can get the songs onto the phone but I'm having memory issues. It never ends. Norm

[HPoirot36]

memory Issues on the phone? If so,you need to reduce the bitrate for the mp3s when you encode them. You don;t need great quality on a phone.

[HPoirot36]

OOoooo they changed it. i wander when they changed the licensing agreement.

Probably when they figured out that anyone with any sense wouldn't pay for music on those terms you mentioned.

[xxkbxx]

All that crap makes me just want to download illegal MP3's in the first place

I used iTunes, but I couldn't transfer music to my Creative Zen w/out burning and ripping

Now I use my cell phone (once again, takes MP3's a CRAPLOAD of them! I have a 1GB MS in it!)

[wolfman2001]

Well,let me give you the kicker. After almost 36 hours of fighting my new phone,turns out the damned thing is defective. I've gopt to send it back to Georgia and wait for a new one. Screw the fact that I paid to overnight it or that I've wasted all this time. T-Mobile says,"Sorry". My advice is if you want the newest and best,wait! I'm tired of screaming at people,I'm going to bed. Any advice on the PEBL?

[iccaros]

Mac is correct..

here is why

"Purchased Track" is a Track that you may (1) save to the hard drives of up to three (3) of your personal computers and play back at any time, (2) burn to a CD and/or (3) transfer to a compatible portable device.

the last part.. his player is not compatable with napster if he must change formats.

You may burn each Purchased Track to a CD an unlimited number of times, but may only burn each Purchased Track up to seven (7) times as part of any particular playlist of songs. A "playlist" is a discrete group of Purchased Tracks that are arranged together in a particular order. Once you have burned a Purchased Track to a CD, you agree not to copy, distribute, or transfer the track from that CD to any other media or device.

this gives you rights to move the song to cd.. not from cd or to another device.. in Law you say spacificly what you can do.. everything else you can't.

see the last part about not copying that cd back to the computer (transfer back) which means you can not make a cd, then make MP3's from that cd

You may transfer a Purchased Track an unlimited number of times to two (2) portable devices that are compatible with the Service's Usage Rules and security requirements.

This is the killer here.. This makes this transfer unlawful.. you can transfer to a "compatable" music device, not change formats to put on a music device, and it must keep the security requirements. which if you change formats and remove the DRM you defeted this..

Once you have transferred a Purchased Track to a compatible portable device, you agree not to copy, distribute, or transfer it from that device to any other media or device. You may be required to register your portable devices with Napster."

here once it is transfered you loose all rights to do anything eles with the music.. and you may be required to register with napster that you did move it..

So,Original poster...you are doing nothing illagal based on te TOS that you agreed to when you joined Napster.

sorry this is incorrect

so in the end the only things you can do with napster music is

1. make a CD, but not rip that cd

2. move music in its napster (drm) format to a music device that is compatable with napster.. they must have a list of what makes it compatable.

3. move music to another up to 3 of your (no one elses) computer.

[HPoirot36]

Mac is correct..

here is why

"Purchased Track" is a Track that you may (1) save to the hard drives of up to three (3) of your personal computers and play back at any time, (2) burn to a CD and/or (3) transfer to a compatible portable device.

the last part.. his player is not compatable with napster if he must change formats.

You may burn each Purchased Track to a CD an unlimited number of times, but may only burn each Purchased Track up to seven (7) times as part of any particular playlist of songs. A "playlist" is a discrete group of Purchased Tracks that are arranged together in a particular order. Once you have burned a Purchased Track to a CD, you agree not to copy, distribute, or transfer the track from that CD to any other media or device.

this gives you rights to move the song to cd.. not from cd or to another device.. in Law you say spacificly what you can do.. everything else you can't.

see the last part about not copying that cd back to the computer (transfer back) which means you can not make a cd, then make MP3's from that cd

You may transfer a Purchased Track an unlimited number of times to two (2) portable devices that are compatible with the Service's Usage Rules and security requirements.

This is the killer here.. This makes this transfer unlawful.. you can transfer to a "compatable" music device, not change formats to put on a music device, and it must keep the security requirements. which if you change formats and remove the DRM you defeted this..

Once you have transferred a Purchased Track to a compatible portable device, you agree not to copy, distribute, or transfer it from that device to any other media or device. You may be required to register your portable devices with Napster."

here once it is transfered you loose all rights to do anything eles with the music.. and you may be required to register with napster that you did move it..

So,Original poster...you are doing nothing illagal based on te TOS that you agreed to when you joined Napster.

sorry this is incorrect

so in the end the only things you can do with napster music is

1. make a CD, but not rip that cd

2. move music in its napster (drm) format to a music device that is compatable with napster.. they must have a list of what makes it compatable.

3. move music to another up to 3 of your (no one elses) computer.

Well,caught again by legalese! Technically,its not even legal to rip a copy protected CD to your hard drive. One of these days the people in Washington,the people in the music business,and the people in the Electronics industry are going to get together and make it illegal to do anything with music you buy and pay for but listen to it. Then the courts will come along and change the rules again.

Consider this:

When Radio came along,the people in the music industry said nobody would buy recordings if they could listen to them for free on the radio. They were wrong.

When TV came along, people in the film industry said nobody would pay to see a movie if they could stay at home and watch TV for free. They were wrong.

When cassette tape recorders came along,the music industry was all bent out of shape over people recording music off of the radio and not buying it. Ouch,that really hurt.

When the VCR came along,the movie industry raised hell and tried to stop it in its tracks. Then they tried to impose a tax on blank media. This was of course before they realized the potential profit in selling a movie on VHS for $90 that cost them a few dollars to produce. ( this was the mid 80's. I worked in a video store,and MOST videos back then were that high)

When recordable (stand alone) CD duplicators came along,the music industry raised hell,and managed to get a tax imposed (Fee) on blank media and insisted you needed 'music' CDs to record with. In fact.most stand alone players did need these.

And yet,after all of this....the music industry (which for YEARS screwed the artist out of what was rightfully their share of the profits) still goes on.

The film industry makes more money than ever and cries out against piracy...while at the same time wringing every last dollar they can from a film...Video (DVD) sales,pay-per-view, premium movie channels(HBO,etc) and then finally,after a year or two,sells the film to regular TV where anyone with a television can watch an edited,cut to pieces film for FREE (in between the commercial breaks).

Legal to do what the OP asked....probably not (its really a matter of interpretation of the fair use thing).

But there is a difference between what is legally right and what is morally right.

As for Napster.....they want your money,but make it impossible (under their TOS) to listen to the music you BUY on most of the portable devices that are made. Lets all make mp3 players and then sell music in other formats. Its all about greed. The consumer (me AND you) who pays the price.

To sum it all up,the OP asked how he could convert music that he LEGALLY downloaded,bought and paid for to a format that would play on his 'portable device'. His question was answered.

[robroy]

I am so sick of hearing about how we are all ripping off the music industry. If they were honest the ones who are being ripped off are the general public and the musicians,except for those that make it to the top of the ladder. I bought many albums back in the 70's which I paid full price for, then in the 80's many cassettes. If I want these on cd the recording industry says I have to go and buy the same music I already own again. My albums are still in excellent condition for the most part but I am limited to playing them only where my record player is located. The cassettes are more flexible and canstill be used in the car, but the quality is slowly degrading after 20 yrs. Why does the recording industry feel that I owe the for music I already own, if I want to put it on a cd in the same order and number of tracks that are on the original recording. If I was trying to sell the music I would agree that is illegal but for my own use??? The recording industry has ripped off many less succesful artists over the last half century with the way some of their contracts were written. I was a road manager for a band in Enland for 5 years in the 70'sand saw many instances of this happening. I am sure that they still use many of the same tricks today where they sign singers or bands to a contract and the fine print makes sure that unless the band hits the top then by the time the recording studio and the all other associated costs of producing the music are taken from any money the bandwould make. The record company still gets their share of the profit off the top.

Sorry but I had to get my little rant in here

[HPoirot36]

Well said! I have been buying music since 1964 and I'm getting tired of replacing the same albums every time a new format comes out.

Same goes for videos. This year alone I have spent maybe $1000 replacing VHS with DVD.

And who gets that money? Its not the artists,the directors,the creators of the content.

You sure don't hear the record company executives crying to congress over the poor treatment of performers. Only this week there was a story in the news about Hank and Jett Williams having to go to court to prove that they were entitled to royalties for their own father's recordings.

Give me a break! Its really nobody's business what I do with a CD after I buy it,as long as I don't copy for resale.

The truth is the record companies have the money and the clout to get laws passed that are to their advanrage and unfair to the consumer. If everything worked this way, you would buy a car and have to drive it til it quits working,then throw it away. You couldn't have it repaired,you couldn't have a new engine put into it,and you couldn't re-sell it as used.

Big Brother Is Watching US!

Edited January 26, 2006 by HPoirot36

[iccaros]

Mac is correct..

here is why

"Purchased Track" is a Track that you may (1) save to the hard drives of up to three (3) of your personal computers and play back at any time, (2) burn to a CD and/or (3) transfer to a compatible portable device.

the last part.. his player is not compatable with napster if he must change formats.

You may burn each Purchased Track to a CD an unlimited number of times, but may only burn each Purchased Track up to seven (7) times as part of any particular playlist of songs. A "playlist" is a discrete group of Purchased Tracks that are arranged together in a particular order. Once you have burned a Purchased Track to a CD, you agree not to copy, distribute, or transfer the track from that CD to any other media or device.

this gives you rights to move the song to cd.. not from cd or to another device.. in Law you say spacificly what you can do.. everything else you can't.

see the last part about not copying that cd back to the computer (transfer back) which means you can not make a cd, then make MP3's from that cd

You may transfer a Purchased Track an unlimited number of times to two (2) portable devices that are compatible with the Service's Usage Rules and security requirements.

This is the killer here.. This makes this transfer unlawful.. you can transfer to a "compatable" music device, not change formats to put on a music device, and it must keep the security requirements. which if you change formats and remove the DRM you defeted this..

Once you have transferred a Purchased Track to a compatible portable device, you agree not to copy, distribute, or transfer it from that device to any other media or device. You may be required to register your portable devices with Napster."

here once it is transfered you loose all rights to do anything eles with the music.. and you may be required to register with napster that you did move it..

So,Original poster...you are doing nothing illagal based on te TOS that you agreed to when you joined Napster.

sorry this is incorrect

so in the end the only things you can do with napster music is

1. make a CD, but not rip that cd

2. move music in its napster (drm) format to a music device that is compatable with napster.. they must have a list of what makes it compatable.

3. move music to another up to 3 of your (no one elses) computer.

Well,caught again by legalese! Technically,its not even legal to rip a copy protected CD to your hard drive. One of these days the people in Washington,the people in the music business,and the people in the Electronics industry are going to get together and make it illegal to do anything with music you buy and pay for but listen to it. Then the courts will come along and change the rules again.

Consider this:

When Radio came along,the people in the music industry said nobody would buy recordings if they could listen to them for free on the radio. They were wrong.

When TV came along, people in the film industry said nobody would pay to see a movie if they could stay at home and watch TV for free. They were wrong.

When cassette tape recorders came along,the music industry was all bent out of shape over people recording music off of the radio and not buying it. Ouch,that really hurt.

When the VCR came along,the movie industry raised hell and tried to stop it in its tracks. Then they tried to impose a tax on blank media. This was of course before they realized the potential profit in selling a movie on VHS for $90 that cost them a few dollars to produce. ( this was the mid 80's. I worked in a video store,and MOST videos back then were that high)

When recordable (stand alone) CD duplicators came along,the music industry raised hell,and managed to get a tax imposed (Fee) on blank media and insisted you needed 'music' CDs to record with. In fact.most stand alone players did need these.

And yet,after all of this....the music industry (which for YEARS screwed the artist out of what was rightfully their share of the profits) still goes on.

The film industry makes more money than ever and cries out against piracy...while at the same time wringing every last dollar they can from a film...Video (DVD) sales,pay-per-view, premium movie channels(HBO,etc) and then finally,after a year or two,sells the film to regular TV where anyone with a television can watch an edited,cut to pieces film for FREE (in between the commercial breaks).

Legal to do what the OP asked....probably not (its really a matter of interpretation of the fair use thing).

But there is a difference between what is legally right and what is morally right.

As for Napster.....they want your money,but make it impossible (under their TOS) to listen to the music you BUY on most of the portable devices that are made. Lets all make mp3 players and then sell music in other formats. Its all about greed. The consumer (me AND you) who pays the price.

To sum it all up,the OP asked how he could convert music that he LEGALLY downloaded,bought and paid for to a format that would play on his 'portable device'. His question was answered.

all great points.. I was mearly pointing out that the license is restritive.. but look at me I run linux, which means every DVD, every DRM cd is illegal to play on my Os of choice.. This is why I use Linux.. I got tired of people tellign me what I can and can't do with my computer.