Convert M4P to MP3

[Unregistered]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

I wrote a program in .NET to convert M4P to MP3. Does anyone know if there are legal issues in making it available to the general public?

Thanks,
Alex

[Unregistered]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

Also, this program uses a combination of Lame, Faad, and Hymn to do the conversion. Are there issues in distributing these programs with my application?

Thanks,
Alex

[SiWilli]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

I followed the link to HYMN earlier in this thread, and found iOpener (for windows) I dowloaded it, and installed it. You hit one button, and it goes through you whole iTunes library and converts all m4p to m4a in seconds. It even updates your playlists so they point to the new file.

No hassle, no effort.

[SiWilli]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

Doh, I meant to leave you guys the link:

http://hymn-project.org/download.php

[Unregistered]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

All you people talking about real player, command line things, and such, please just do what people are doing about 6 posts up! It works and it's the fastest thing to do and easiest. I'll spell it out for you..again.

Download and extract the HYMN program and it's files to a folder. Then do a search on your computer for m4p files (native itunes files with their DRM protection). *COPY* all of them, then go to the HYMN folder and paste them there (i did a batch of 60 songs named with spaces, hyphens and parenthesis..doesn't matter what the file name is). Then take those freshly pasted m4p files, and drag them to the HYMN.EXE file...you'll see a command prompt (dos style window) and you'll only see a cursor blinking..that means HYMN is converting your M4p files to M4As (unprotected, DRM free songs). When the command prompt window (dos style window) dissappears, hit F5 to refresh the view of that folder (HYMN folder), and you'll see an M4A copy of each M4P song!

If you wish to then convert those to MP3, get your free copy of dbPowerAmp and then convert those M4As to MP3!

it's a freakin joke how easy it is. Links above have the dbpoweramp and hymn download location..i downloaded the latest version of hymn on their page (near the bottom).

[Semysig]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

All of this is way too complicated. Just write the m4p to a CD and then import all the tracks to your music library with Realplayer - which will automatically save them as mp3 although it'll get the names of the tracks completely wrong!

The hymm thing is EASIER than that, if I'm understanding it right.
Plus, I think you'd likely have to use Realplayer on the same computer as iTunes since it no doubt checks the damn DRM.
That's all peachy if you only use one, but I completey agree with the other guy and the makers of Hymm that DRM is just WRONG.
I hope they keep generating more and more animosity amoung thier potential customers and they ALL start pirating with Kazaa and the like!
Only way you can vote is with your $, so stop buying protected music files!
Boycott all RIAA member recording co's - unfortunately that's almost all of them, so again - Kazaa! (unless anybody knows a service that sells songs unprotected).
Anyway, JM2C.

[Unregistered]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

>and just wanted to tell you that is illegal.

The part you quoted was not illegal, Apple allow CD burning. If you have paid for the m4p file then you can burn it and delete the original, apple does not force you to keep the original files.

Once you realize that any resemblance between the law and right&wrong/justice is purely conincidental, you come to the conclusion that all that matters is not getting caught

IOW, do what's right, use what you paid for however you damn please, and try not to get caught by the scum with power who tell you otherwise!

[Unregistered]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3 - quality loss?

I've been hearing bantered around that converting one format to another creates loss, and more so to do one of the work arounds for this thread (burn to CD then rip back to MP3).
Is there any truth to this? I mean, it's digital to digital, there should be no generation loss like back with anolog, copying tapes, etc. right?

Especially if you were to go lossy (MP3 or 4), to uncompressed or lossless format, then to other lossy.
The 1st lossy should equal the 2nd shouldn't it, assuming no inherent loss due to converting to a lossier format/bitrate, etc.

Anybody know more about this?

[usefulhint]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

http://www.Tunebite.com offers a tool to convert m4p to mp3 with rerecording.

[xoas]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3 - quality loss?

Especially if you were to go lossy (MP3 or 4), to uncompressed or lossless format, then to other lossy.
The 1st lossy should equal the 2nd shouldn't it, assuming no inherent loss due to converting to a lossier format/bitrate, etc.

No, the first lossy will not equal the second (in fact). Your second lossy will only be a somewhat less than perfect copy of the first. Burning to cd might introduce other new imperfections depending on the quality of the burn and the various factors that enter into that (burner, software, media, system). Otherwise, converting from lossy (say mp4) to lossless (say wav or FLAC) to lossy (mp3) should be indistinguishable from converting from the first lossy to the second.
But practically, you might not find the difference to be perceptable or worth fretting about. That you need to decide for yourself.
Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[Unregistered]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

You guys are retards. Just use Hymm then open up itunes with the mp4 you converted then right click and click convert to mp3 then delete the mp4

[semysig]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

You guys are retards. Just use Hymm then open up itunes with the mp4 you converted then right click and click convert to mp3 then delete the mp4

I think he's saying that will produce loss, just like I was talking about.
But, going lossy to lossless, to 2nd lossy will yield a perfect copy of the original but in the new format. Right?
I don't really get why though.
BTW, how is FLAC, etc. on size compared to WAV at the same audible sound quality.
Also, I hear most people can't discern the diff. between 192 and anything higher for MP3's (IOW, making that the max bitrate you'd want to archive at). That true, or can you hear the diff. on a good syst.?

Eventually, I'm going to want to rip my entire CD collection to some big HDD's and/or DVD's, and I want to do it in a format & rate that will have no perceivable loss - even on a very high end system (like my old Polk Audio $1400/pair tower speakers
Getting a little OT here though..

[semysig]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3, Hymn

Weeeell, tried Hymn. Didn't work. Said it needed iTunes, I assume on the computer the song was bought on, to convert to MP3.
My friend who's song I was trying to listen to can't run Hymn on his computer (unless there's a Mac version) and I can't get iTunes on this (long story involving ancient artifacts, i.e. my computer).

Is there anything that won't require that, short of burning to CD, then ripping back to MP3?

[Unregistered]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

Does anyone know how to convert M4P to MP3? There has to be a way, I don't give a damn if it's legal or not, I paid for the music file, it's mine, I should be able to do whatever I want with it right? I have been told that "Toast" will do the trick, but does "Toast" work on Windows 2K? All I found was for Mac.

Toast will work with Win2K. You might have to use the XP version which is back-ward compatible with Win2K. Good luck!

[xoas]

Re: Convert M4P to MP3

going lossy to lossless, to 2nd lossy will yield a perfect copy of the original but in the new format. Right?

Wrong. It will create a lossy copy of the original lossy (just like going from lossy to lossy would).

BTW, how is FLAC, etc. on size compared to WAV at the same audible sound quality.

A lossless codec will produce a file generally .4 to .6 times the size of the original wav file assuming they are the same frequency and number of channels, etc.

Also, I hear most people can't discern the diff. between 192 and anything higher for MP3's (IOW, making that the max bitrate you'd want to archive at). That true, or can you hear the diff. on a good syst.?

I generally discern differences up to about 240 kbs in mp3, Ogg or mpc. But this really is a matter between your ears, your equipment, your music and your listening environment (listening in my car 192 is fine and I am not sure I could distinguish between 192 and 240 kbs or between 128 and 192 kbs in my car).

Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen