I have downloaded (and paid for) music tracks from the MSN music store .The
downloaded tracks are in .wma format protected by DRM (Digital Rights
Management).

My media player (Squeezebox http://www.slimdevices.com/) will not play these
files - so I wish to convert them to unprotected mp3.

Using Windows Media player I have successfully burned the downloaded .wma
files to a CD and then ripped the files from the CD to mp3 format. These
files can then be played by my Squeezebox.

Thus I have achieved my objective, but my question is - why is it necessary
to burn a CD to achieve this result? Surely there must be a way of
achieving this conversion directly without going via a CD??

Answers will be awaited with interest.

If the DRM people had their way you would not be able to convert from audio CD to any other format. Since the audio CD format is not a computer file, once you have the music on a CD you are free to do whatever you want with it.


Malcolm H wrote:

I have downloaded (and paid for) music tracks from the MSN music store .The
downloaded tracks are in .wma format protected by DRM (Digital Rights
Management).

My media player (Squeezebox http://www.slimdevices.com/) will not play these
files - so I wish to convert them to unprotected mp3.

Using Windows Media player I have successfully burned the downloaded .wma
files to a CD and then ripped the files from the CD to mp3 format. These
files can then be played by my Squeezebox.

Thus I have achieved my objective, but my question is - why is it necessary
to burn a CD to achieve this result? Surely there must be a way of
achieving this conversion directly without going via a CD??

Answers will be awaited with interest.

--
Mike Walsh
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

It's either burn and rip or remain stuck with the DRM WMA monopolizers.
Just be thankful that we can still convert to "Audio CD"...for now.
It's the same for protected AAC.

Malcolm H wrote:
I have downloaded (and paid for) music tracks from the MSN music
store .The downloaded tracks are in .wma format protected by DRM
(Digital Rights Management).

My media player (Squeezebox http://www.slimdevices.com/) will not
play these files - so I wish to convert them to unprotected mp3.

Using Windows Media player I have successfully burned the downloaded
.wma files to a CD and then ripped the files from the CD to mp3
format. These files can then be played by my Squeezebox.

Thus I have achieved my objective, but my question is - why is it
necessary to burn a CD to achieve this result? Surely there must be
a way of achieving this conversion directly without going via a CD??

Answers will be awaited with interest.

You could use something like totalrecorder and record the 16bit 44KHz sound
stream that goes to your soundcard but it's all done in real time. The
CD-RW route is the cheapest and quickest.

HTH

Rolo

Thank you gentlemen for your helpful and interesting responses.

"Malcolm H" wrote in message
...
Thank you gentlemen for your helpful and interesting responses.

The fact of the matter is that you didn't get any help from those gentlemen.
They used your post as a point of departure in their attack on DRM.

My suggestion would be to convert the DRM file to wav, using a variety of
programs, to see if you can find one that ignores DRM. What you want to do
is find a program that will allow you to make a compilation in wav. Then
simply convert the file back to the compressed file you want.

Start out with dbpoweramp music converter. If that doesn't work, try CDex.
No luck? Try burrn. In every case, you should download one of the older
versions of the program; it's less likely to know about DRM.

Norm Strong

wrote:
"Malcolm H" wrote in message
...
Thank you gentlemen for your helpful and interesting responses.

The fact of the matter is that you didn't get any help from those gentlemen.
They used your post as a point of departure in their attack on DRM.

My suggestion would be to convert the DRM file to wav, using a variety of
programs, to see if you can find one that ignores DRM. What you want to do
is find a program that will allow you to make a compilation in wav. Then
simply convert the file back to the compressed file you want.

Start out with dbpoweramp music converter. If that doesn't work, try CDex.
No luck? Try burrn. In every case, you should download one of the older
versions of the program; it's less likely to know about DRM.

Norm Strong

The only one in "departure" is you. Why don't you just name a
conversion program that ignores DRM? You have to convert to CDA (CD
audio track) before encoding to WAV format. Besides converting a lossy
DRM WMA to WAV is not a good suggestion.

audiohead wrote:
Still more stupidity and ignorance from the occasionally resident
spammer

You have to convert to CDA (CD audio track)

aka "wave"

before encoding to WAV format.

One does not "encode" wave...it is what was on the CD, no change other
than a header.
IOW, "CDA" WAVE.

Besides converting a lossy
DRM WMA to WAV is not a good suggestion.

Why not? That is exactly what is done everytime it is played. However,
there is no "conversion", merely decoding.


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

wrote:
"Malcolm H" wrote in message
...
Thank you gentlemen for your helpful and interesting responses.

The fact of the matter is that you didn't get any help from those
gentlemen. They used your post as a point of departure in their
attack on DRM.
My suggestion would be to convert the DRM file to wav, using a
variety of programs, to see if you can find one that ignores DRM. What you
want to do is find a program that will allow you to make a
compilation in wav. Then simply convert the file back to the
compressed file you want.
Start out with dbpoweramp music converter. If that doesn't work, try
CDex. No luck? Try burrn. In every case, you should download one of
the older versions of the program; it's less likely to know about DRM.

Norm Strong

Norm, we offered the OP a way to do what he wants to do. You offered him
nothing useful at all - you say "find a program that does what you want".
Great advice!

Question "I'm poor, how can I be rich" Answer from Norm "That's easy, find
something that will make you rich instead of poor".

Incidentally going directly to WAV and then back to MP3 is a double encoding
that you'd what to avoid but unless there is a way that none of us knows
about to 'strip' the DRM out of the file (and I don't believe the DRM is
just in the header), any program would HAVE to do that anyway.

Good luck, Malcolm

Rolo

Norm, we offered the OP a way to do what he wants to do. You offered
him
nothing useful at all - you say "find a program that does what you
want".
Great advice!

Question "I'm poor, how can I be rich" Answer from Norm "That's easy,
find
something that will make you rich instead of poor".


Incidentally going directly to WAV and then back to MP3 is a double
encoding
that you'd what to avoid but unless there is a way that none of us
knows
about to 'strip' the DRM out of the file (and I don't believe the DRM
is
just in the header), any program would HAVE to do that anyway.


Good luck, Malcolm


Rolo


Yeah, Obviously, Norm has never converted a DRM file in his life.
And, yes..double encoding, as DadiOn also suggested, is nothing short
of imbecilic.