MAC Applications - Convert Windows Media Player file to MP3?

Author

Convert Windows Media Player file to MP3?

DaveC

2004-05-14, 12:30 am

Downloaded a WMP audio file. Plays fine in WMP, but would like to downsize
the file and let iTunes play it.

Ideas?

Thanks,
--
DaveC
me@privacy.net
This is an invalid return address
Please reply in the news group

Doug Brown

2004-05-14, 12:30 am

In article <0001HW.BCC98A8400073E61F03055B0@news.individual.net>,
DaveC <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> Downloaded a WMP audio file. Plays fine in WMP, but would like to downsize
> the file and let iTunes play it.
>
> Ideas?
>
> Thanks,

If it's not a protected file (as in, if you didn't buy it from one of
the online music stores), iTunes 4.5 claims to be able to import WMA
files.

Doug

--
Doug Brown - La Grande, OR - http://homepage.mac.com/macg3/doug/
Idiot's Guide to Mac Cases - http://lightning.prohosting.com/~maccases/
If you want to reply by email, remove "pleasenospam." and ".invalid"

Roger Johnstone

2004-05-14, 8:30 am

In <macg3-7B6506.20555013052004@news.verizon.net> Doug Brown wrote:
> In article <0001HW.BCC98A8400073E61F03055B0@news.individual.net>,
> DaveC <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>
> If it's not a protected file (as in, if you didn't buy it from one of
> the online music stores), iTunes 4.5 claims to be able to import WMA
> files.
>
> Doug

It can, but only the Windows version.

And Microsoft has an interesting definition of "unprotected" WMA files!
A year or two ago I wanted to make a copy of an audio CD at work. This
CD had the commentary for a public information board for which we had
built the sound system. The Windows PC I was using only had Microsoft
Windows Media Player on it. WMP would only let me copy the CD to a WMA
file, so that's what we ended up with.

Last w

we needed to reload the commentary on to the player. Rather
than getting the customer to try and find their CD, I thought I would
just dig out the copy I had wisely made. I went to play the track in WMP,
and all it would do was start up the web browser and try and connect to
a page at Microsoft's web site. No error messages, and since that PC
wasn't connected to the Internet I couldn't even find out where it was
trying to go!

I had to try playing the track on another PC with an Internet connection
to find it was going to a web page that told me I didn't have a license
to play the content, and would I like to try and download one? I did
that and it played fine, but I had no easy way of getting the license to
the first PC and WMP wouldn't let me convert the file to any other
format. Eventually I found Quintessential Player, a freeware program
which would convert from WMA to MP3.

--
Roger Johnstone, Invercargill, New Zealand
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~rojaws/
________________________________________
________________________________
No Silicon Heaven? Preposterous! Where would all the calculators go?

Kryten, from the Red Dwarf episode "The Last Day"

Mike Rosenberg

2004-05-14, 9:30 am

DaveC <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> Downloaded a WMP audio file. Plays fine in WMP, but would like to downsize
> the file and let iTunes play it.

You can use Audio Hijack (shareware) or Wiretap (freeware) to record an
AIFF file from it, then import that file into iTunes.

--
Mike Rosenberg
<http://www.macconsult.com> Macintosh consulting services for NE Florida
<http://bogart-tribute.net> Tribute to Humphrey Bogart
Ralph Nader: Unsafe at any speed

MatFox

2004-05-14, 6:30 pm

DaveC <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> Downloaded a WMP audio file. Plays fine in WMP, but would like to downsize
> the file and let iTunes play it.

easyWMA lets you convert it into mp3 format.

--
I don't do things I don't like.

John Halloran

2004-05-14, 7:30 pm

DaveC <me@privacy.net> wrote:

> Downloaded a WMP audio file. Plays fine in WMP, but would like to downsize
> the file and let iTunes play it.
>
> Ideas?

EasyWMA will convert unprotected WMA sound files to MP3s. It is
donationware.

Doug Brown

2004-05-15, 5:30 pm

In article <20040514231748629+1200@News.Individual.NET>,
Roger Johnstone <rojaws@orcon.net.nz> wrote:

> In <macg3-7B6506.20555013052004@news.verizon.net> Doug Brown wrote:
>
> It can, but only the Windows version.

Thanks for the correction! You're right; Apple hides the "Windows only"
designation in the Import Music section on the iTunes webpage. They sure
had me tricked! You'd think both the Mac and Windows versions could do
it, even though there probably isn't a *huge* demand for Mac users
converting WMA to AAC/whatever.

Doug

--
Doug Brown - La Grande, OR - http://homepage.mac.com/macg3/doug/
Idiot's Guide to Mac Cases - http://lightning.prohosting.com/~maccases/
If you want to reply by email, remove "pleasenospam." and ".invalid"

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