[First posted at RamblingLibrarian.blogspot.com, 10 Jun 06]
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING STEPS WORK ONLY FOR NON-PROTECTED FILES
Here’s something I learnt — how to convert MP4 audio files to MP3 using iTunes version 7.x (OS X):
[The screens are for iTune versions 7.x. on a Mac. For iTunes version 8, the Import settings has been moved to the “General” pane in “Preferences”. You should see a “Import Settings” button, and then a “Import Using” options. Or check out this post.]
Background: I’d created my Saturday In May in GarageBand and it was saved as an MP4 audio file. Apparently some of my friends were unable to play in that format so I searched for a way to make the conversion. Kevin described broadly how it could be done via iTunes.
I’d also found this freeware called Switch (www.nch.com.au/switch), which worked quite well but I realised iTunes, while a bit cumbersome compared to using a software convertor, allowed more control over the conversion (e.g. setting the bit rate and overall sound quality). So here’s a step-by-step process of how a conversion could be done using iTunes (click on the images for larger sizes):
#2 – At iTunes, select the song you want to convert. In this case, I’ve selected “Saturday In May” among my other song titles:

#3 – Go to your iTunes menu bar, select Preferences (or you can press ‘Command’ and ‘comma’ keys, i.e. “⌘,”):

#4 – At the Preferences window, select the ‘Advanced’ option:

#5 – At the ‘Advanced’ section, click on the button that says ‘Importing’ and then for the part on ‘Import Using’, choose ‘MP3 Encoder’:

#6 – Under Settings, choose ‘Custom’ (you can choose any of the options there, but ‘Custom’ settings ensures you set the right bit rate as you will see in step #7):

#7 – If you’ve selected ‘Custom’, you’ll see this window; just check that your Stereo Bit Rate and Sample Rate are to your desired settings (sorry, I can’t give through explanation on audio settings. I just know that it’s safest to set the Sample Rate at 44.1 khz or else the audio file you upload might playback with a Sped-up High-pitched Chipmunk effect)

#8 – Close the Preferences window; here I’ll just double check that I’ve selected the right song

#9 – At the iTunes menu, select Advanced -> Convert Selection to MP3 and the conversion would start (note: If you’ve selected something else in Step #5, you’ll see that respective option. E.g. if you’ve selected ‘AAC Encoder’ under ‘Importing’ at Preferences earlier, you’ll see Convert Selection to AAC instead)

#10 – Once iTunes has completed the conversion, you should now see TWO songs of the same title, like so:

#11 – To confirm, select that song title and press the ‘⌘’ and ‘i’ keys to view the file information, and you should see a new window with the file details:







11 June, 2006 at 5:54 pm |
hi there
thx for your comment on my blog
http://edwardcrosbydesign.blogspot.com/
i havent updated it for a while but intend to do more
yes my girls probably look more japanese
i lived there for a few years
cheers
Eddie
20 August, 2006 at 1:49 am |
This no longer must work. because after following your directions exactly it says “could not be converted because protected files cannot be converted to other formats.
21 August, 2006 at 5:10 pm |
Hello Imb, I think the issue is that your file is protected by some Digital Rights Management or something. Copyright control etc.
2 September, 2006 at 8:26 pm |
This works perfectly on non-copyright controlled tunes. If you add ‘kind’ to your title list you can easily see the converted types even though they have the same name. Excellent work – thanks.
13 September, 2006 at 11:01 am |
You are awesome!!!!!! I just got a phone that only plays mp3s & all my songs were mp4s. You have put an end to my stress.
Thanks much.
23 September, 2006 at 4:58 am |
You saved the day. Someone needed a voice over for an audition. I was able to use your info to change this to an MP3 file easily. Thanks SO much.
1 October, 2006 at 10:10 pm |
It didn’t work because the file is protected. Is there a way around that? Your explanation on how to do this was excellent. Thanks for the help.
1 October, 2006 at 10:54 pm |
Hi Ginger, it only works for non-protected files. I’ve amended the post to avoid any confusion. Cheers.
29 November, 2006 at 3:22 am |
I just got my 2000t and all of my songs are skipping in iTunes, and I cant figure out why. If someone could help me out and tell me how to fix this I would really appreciate it because its driving me crazy. Thanks for the replys.
13 December, 2006 at 8:15 am |
do you know how to convert them with itunes v4 on a pc? at the top all it says is file-edit-controls-etc… and i can’t find “prefrences” in any of them. do i need a newer version of itunes? thanks
21 December, 2006 at 2:31 am |
Hi Jonny, I’ve not tried on a PC before. The equivalent of the “Preferences” would be “Options” or maybe it could also be “Preferences ” under one of the menu item. Good luck.
28 December, 2006 at 8:53 am |
There is a way to get Itunes protected files from M4P to MP3!
Burn the M4Ps to a CD, load the same files from the CD back into the Itunes playlist, go to the folder where the Itunes music is stored, open the folder and there will be two sets of each file. Sort the folder by file type and you now have M4Ps and MP3s of the same files.
At least it works unlike any available software.
8 January, 2007 at 9:48 am |
Thank you so much. I was beginning to get really frustrated. Thanks!!
16 January, 2007 at 7:43 pm |
thank you soooooooooooooooooooooo much CMurph – that was so simple, can’t believe I didn’t try that myself. you’re a lifesaver!
As for the other option of going into Preferences, my computer (privately owned – used @ home) itunes says i don’t have enough access priveleges (administrator) or something. weird.
17 January, 2007 at 5:34 pm |
To convert protected music files to MP3 format, there is a software named “NoteBurner” from http://www.noteburner.com can help to convert protected music to MP3 File by using a virtual CD-RW burning method. It works as a virtual CD-RW burner, after selecting “NoteBurner” as default CD burner, then the software will convert all the music files in playlist easily.
21 February, 2007 at 8:53 am |
trial version has a 3 minute limit! UNLESS you buy the full version.
22 February, 2007 at 9:29 pm |
So simple when you know how! Cheers – youre a diamond!
19 March, 2007 at 8:54 pm |
YOU HELPED ME SOO MUCH… THANK YOU !!!!… IVE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR HOURS TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT… YOUR WEBSITE HELPED ME OUT HEAPS…..
THANKS
20 March, 2007 at 8:56 am |
for anyone having trouble with converting m4a files to mp3 on a pc using iTunes. It’s pretty simple but easily missed, so here goes… all you have to do is go into edit, then preferences. When the preferences screen appears, click on the advanced tab and you should see a drop down menu called Import Using: click on this and scroll down to “MP3 Encoder”, click ok iTunes should automatically make the changes. To change the song to MP3 all you have to do is right click on your chosen song(s) and click “Convert Selection to MP3″ iTunes should automatically change the file to MP3 (It makes a copy of the song, one as an M4A file and the other a MP3)
Hope this helped!
20 March, 2007 at 8:56 pm |
you little genius! i’ve been really struggling with mp4s and what not and now can change em into mp3s easily. thanks so much!
6 April, 2007 at 12:47 am |
Thank You so much!!!!!!
I downloaded Virtual DJ and it changed all my songs in Itunes to MPeg4 and I tryed everything. I spent days just getting them to open in Itunes.
10 April, 2007 at 6:05 am |
How do I do the same thing but using Windows XP and iTunes 7????
18 April, 2007 at 9:26 am |
Im using Windows XP, i dont know which version of iTunes and it works for me, but i really wish i could copy the music i buy from the music store. I want the Grindhouse sound track on my PSP since my Ipod broke… anyone know of any freeware, option, or trick that can do this?
18 April, 2007 at 10:38 am |
Hehe, im replying to my own comment but it may help others. For protected music bought of the iTunes music store you can use C murph’s trick which is burning your music to CD, then once it comes up on the side bar in itunes you can use Anon’s trick and it will let you convert them to MP3’s, a little troublesome but worth it.
19 April, 2007 at 11:08 am |
for those who can’t burn or open copy protected music on ITunes what you have to do is follow the directions on top instead of burning a MP3 file burn a wav file then burn to your hard drive then convert it there to MP3’s then place it back on ITunes its a way but it works
19 April, 2007 at 11:55 am |
one more thing to cut corners if you us roxio to copy tracks to hard drive you can encode them in MP3’s to a folder. then all you have to do is copy them to a playlist in ITunes I hope this help all of you especially you Goldio and linda . By the way Anon I did try what you said it would not convertto any format. Try this !
20 April, 2007 at 8:47 pm |
thanks heaps!!! i have been wondering too long how to convert mpeg4 to mp3 files. thanks again for posting this
25 April, 2007 at 5:40 pm |
NoteBurner can do this easier. It installs an virtual drive on your computer and then you can use the program with iTunes together. No matter unprotected or protected, Noteburner can help you burn them on virtual CD abd then rip back tp your hard drive.
26 April, 2007 at 10:19 pm |
thanx sooooo much for that…it helped incredibly…i appreciate it!
8 May, 2007 at 3:24 am |
should this work with vids, cause i have a nano and i was getting standup comedy clips of the internet in mp4. i just want to get the audio from it. if not is there another way?
4 June, 2007 at 11:01 am |
Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to tell us about this. Now I can listen to the program that I purchased with ease thanks to your tutorial.
Have a grat evening.
Lindy
20 July, 2007 at 5:28 am |
thanks so much for helping us all out! very grateful =)
28 July, 2007 at 4:16 pm |
DUDE thanks sooo much that got me oot of shit creek i tell ye lol. Cheers
31 July, 2007 at 7:15 am |
I have Vista and I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. It says I cannot convert protected files. I bought everything from iTunes though. Any extra help with that? Should I get the newest version of iTunes?
3 August, 2007 at 5:02 pm |
helped alot !
thanks x
7 August, 2007 at 10:52 pm |
I love you, I wouldn’t have known what to do without your site. Thanks!
27 August, 2007 at 10:03 am |
Thank you! You made it sooooo much simpler!!
31 August, 2007 at 4:58 am |
tried all this, including noteburner and burning to disc and re-introducing it. Still NOTHING, I cannot even play the protected files in itunes without the password from the machine onto which the music was downloaded from itunes. There must be a way round this?
21 September, 2007 at 4:50 am |
Thanks for help.. I was able to get it to work perfectly.
2 October, 2007 at 2:28 am |
You have no idea how much this helped me. about 2 weeks ago I was grooming my horse and listening to my iPod when I got called away from her, I wasnt thinking when I set it in her feeder and when I came back she had chewed up my earphones and crushed the ipod with her foot. at the time I didnt have the $150 to buy a new one so I bought an MP3 player instead and none of my songs would transfer because they were all MP4’s. You dont know how much trouble you have saved me. thank you SOOOO much!
6 October, 2007 at 11:24 pm |
thanks for giving the information
18 October, 2007 at 4:11 pm |
actually, this can be done by many programs, such as NoteBurner(http://www.noteburner.com) mentioned by Wooden. Besides, I know NoteCable(http://www.notecable.com) can also do this by recording music virtually. You can simply open the program and then add your iTunes music to it and then start to play the music. The music can be recorded and converted to plain mp3 format
28 October, 2007 at 11:35 am |
okay, this worked for me and it was really easy too. I have a mac os x and itunes 7 and i just recently got the new verizon wireless Juke that only plays mp3s and all of my music was mp4s. If the song is not protected and is a AAC audio file you can drag and drop it on the desktop and then double click to change the name and change it from mp4 to mp3 and a window will pop up asking if you want to change it to mp3 click yes and you now have an mp3 without going through all the itunes windows. Now i have a question, I can change my protected audio files to mp4 and i can get them onto my phone but they dont play because the phone doesn’t read the bitrate does anyone know how to make them play on the Samsung Verizon Wireless?
1 November, 2007 at 4:13 pm |
Babe, thanks so much, it was really helpfull. Cause i has this album with all these songs that really wanted on my mp3 and my downloading thing wasn’t working so this was a really huge help.
Thanks babe xoxo
7 November, 2007 at 4:03 pm |
hi, once i have channged my file from mp4 to mp3 on itunes do i change the format back. The stuff i changed in prefrecnces etc.
30 November, 2007 at 11:19 am |
So that didnt work
4 December, 2007 at 6:58 pm |
yeah it did i was just wondering if i had to change all the formats back.
Thanks
16 December, 2007 at 3:20 am |
Thanks for the work. I am putting a Xmas video together with Windows Movie Maker and after following your steps, the music was converted! The internet is amazing!
16 December, 2007 at 9:17 am |
I can not change my protected songs from walmart or itunes to use in photostory. I tried all the above things in itunes …ie changing preferences etc. it still will not open in photo story. I am so frustrated. Where can I get music to use in my photostory?
22 December, 2007 at 4:00 am |
I just released a drag and drop conversion utility for Windows (we also have a OS X version) that makes this process very simple:
http://www.dekorte.com/projects/shareware/SoundConverter/
Since we just released we are still looking for people to give us feedback! I would be glad to give anyone that mentions this article a free license
just email me – richcollins@gmail.com
28 December, 2007 at 3:42 am |
I just gave away my first license to someone that mentioned this page. I can give away 19 more! Email me and I will give you one
richcollins@gmail.com
28 December, 2007 at 8:10 am |
try this website:
http://www.m4p-mp3.com
download and convert with a free trial copy for 14 days!! worked for my PROTECTED itunes mp4 files!! i can use them in my editing software! if the above hasn’t worked, try this!
31 December, 2007 at 12:33 pm |
This was very quick to download and it is easy just click and drag, for files over 500K you need a license, but it will convert to mp3 files.
I didn’t have the license so I was not able to try it.
31 December, 2007 at 3:29 pm |
A NEWBIE PROBLEM: bought songs from iTunes with gift of iPod touch; bought a few songs for gf (she has a Zune; buying songs off iTunes on touch is easy, simple and entertaining once account on the computer running iTunes is set up; you’ll need a credit card or paypal account) and found out songs are rightfully PROTECTED in the AAC mp4 format, as converting files to MP3 generate errors due to protection.
SOLUTION: Insert blank CD-R or RW while iTunes is running and it’ll ask if you would like to burn tracks onto the CD. After creating a playlist with songs, initiate burn (very easy). Once done, load CD back onto computer and Zune player (or any in general) can rip it back as MP3, which can then be loaded onto the Zune player (or any other players, including iPods).
Hope this helps…
31 December, 2007 at 11:12 pm |
I downloaded the Sound Converter from Rich Collins. It took no time to download. Unfortunately all my files are more than allowed for free. It has many options available for file conversion though.
15 January, 2008 at 4:19 am |
THANKS so much this was so dumby proof that even I was able to figure it out!!! thanks!!!!
15 January, 2008 at 8:56 am |
I’ve converted files from .ma4 to .mp3. (Thanks for the help!). HOWEVER, they are now stuck in ITUNES. I am trying copy them onto a 2GB SD Card for use in my GPS Nav system. Any suggestions?
17 January, 2008 at 3:40 am |
absolutely smashing, thank you! x
18 January, 2008 at 6:12 am |
Wow thanks so much I was getting really stressed! it worked amazingly!
10 February, 2008 at 8:40 pm |
If if leave the settings the way they are will all the new songs I download be mp3 format? Or will I always have to convert them manually?
10 February, 2008 at 9:55 pm |
Hi TK, the iTunes settings will remain until you change them. So no, you don’t have to go through the steps each time.
11 February, 2008 at 9:16 am |
This was a huge help to me. Thank you!!!!
13 February, 2008 at 3:41 am |
Is the 2nd one the MP3 copy?
Thanks soooooo much!
15 February, 2008 at 12:41 am |
[...] shows you step by step how to convert your music into mp3 files through itunes. Just my 2 cents How to convert MP4 audio files to MP3 using iTunes My Right Brain __________________ [...]
17 February, 2008 at 1:26 pm |
u are the man, just solved my issue for putting a song onto a slideshow software that did not accept mp4! thanks.
21 February, 2008 at 12:38 pm |
Is there a way to do this for the sole purpose of converting the files and not having the new files show up in my library or is there an easy way to get them out once there? I’m converting my CD’s all to my digital library, burning them into lossless files. I’ve used this method to then convert MP4 files to MP3, storing them in another location, but I’m stuck with both copies in my original library. I’m just testing the method now, so with low numbers it’s not a big deal, but with 300+ CD’s this would be very cumbersome to manually delete. Thanks!
22 February, 2008 at 11:11 pm |
thanks big help
23 February, 2008 at 9:18 pm |
hi thanks it realy helped
28 February, 2008 at 1:54 pm |
You’re a star!!!
2 March, 2008 at 2:01 am |
thanks
3 March, 2008 at 5:19 am |
i am in the process of trying to create more space on my hard drive. i realized that i have over 7,000 songs in Mp4 format, which at 5 MB per song, adds up quickly!! is there any easy way to locate them all in my library, convert them to mp3, and get rid of the mp4 files?…or will this be my project for the next month and a half?! any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!
3 March, 2008 at 5:55 am |
Hi this does not work for protected tunes? how can i get them to convet to mp3?
8 March, 2008 at 2:21 am |
Hey Thank You Very Much For Your Help I was Simply Searching For Softwares To convert the Songs N No its so easy To do it the way u shown
Thans Alot Once Again
19 March, 2008 at 7:08 am |
This was very helpful. You made my day.
22 March, 2008 at 4:59 am |
Thanks! This help me out a lot…
27 March, 2008 at 2:52 pm |
dude, you rock- thanks for taking the time to post this. SERIOUS props.
28 March, 2008 at 7:29 am |
Thanks seems to work for me you rock
8 April, 2008 at 11:33 pm |
Thanks 4 this, even though I don’t have a mac : ( , i was still able to convert my mp4 files 2 mp3, thanks very much (Btw, Preferences should be under Edit, and is the bottom selection in the PC version of iTunes!)
14 April, 2008 at 2:43 am |
Is there a free virtual cd software for mac? like alcohol 120% in windows?
29 April, 2008 at 5:18 pm |
The most powerful conversion software is TuneCab. It converts DRM-protected and unprotected music, films, video clips, audio books for playing on PCs, mobile phones, MP3 players, MP4 players and iPods, PDAs, PSPs and other devices. http://www.tunecab.com
29 April, 2008 at 9:57 pm |
Thanks may God almighty bless u, this help me a lot i was able to convert from mp4 to mp3 thanks
4 May, 2008 at 11:34 am |
dude thx!
10 May, 2008 at 2:19 pm |
aaaaaahh. You are awesome! Seriosly!
lol. Thank you oh so very much!
11 May, 2008 at 5:19 am |
You are a HUGE life shaver!! Thanks so much!!!
24 June, 2008 at 9:57 am |
thank you soooooooooo much .
24 June, 2008 at 6:05 pm |
You rock. I went to about 100 different sites. All they said was “get the iSync, its easy and fast”. So i tried downloading.. It took for a 100 years! Mann! Then i stumbled across your site and thought, i like the look of it… I think I’ll read it.. And BAM! I am now a very happy person. Other sites don’t make sense. You will be bookmarked and recommended to all my friends! Thank you so much, for your help! Of course it will take time converting it, but it’s better than sitting around, waiting for a program to download and get disappointed in the end. Also, the instructions are SO clear. Lol, sorry, but i’m really happy now! Thanks again;) -I think I’ll stop writing here, otherwise I’ll be rambling on about this forever-
24 June, 2008 at 10:50 pm |
LOL, thanks Happy Person. Your comment made my day.
26 June, 2008 at 11:48 am |
You are the best!
I thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again!
Binh P.
29 June, 2008 at 12:01 pm |
Great tip!
7 July, 2008 at 7:34 am |
ok, ok, i get it. this will not work on “protected files” is there anyway to Un-protect them? i just blew about $20 on music i can’t use.
11 July, 2008 at 12:16 am |
Thanks for you help! I’ve been struggling with this problem for a while and you just solved it for me!! You rock!
14 July, 2008 at 7:13 am |
thank you so much! i was cutting songs and making them into ringtones on itunes. it created them as m4ps and i thoughti was lost. this is actually much easier than some of the softwear you can download, and i dont have to worry about the saftey of the downloads. love you!!
17 July, 2008 at 1:16 am |
First of all thanks for the play by play instructions… in HUMAN terms so I can follow it easily!
I really appreciate the time you took to show each tiny step, and not assume we knew anything. I do have one question though, I did convert my mp4’s to mp3’s, one at a time successfully, but is there a way to do it continuously, without me having to do one at a time.. is there a way to let it just go one after another til the list is finished? I hope my question is clear enough, not quite sure how to word it. Anyway thanks for all your help so far, and btw, it’s also so great to be able to change my bit rates
big plus! Thanks again. Christina
17 July, 2008 at 2:30 pm |
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19 July, 2008 at 3:56 pm |
wow thatnks alotmy samsungmedia studio wouldlet meplay my faveourite bandnowi can
24 July, 2008 at 7:02 pm |
thank you very much for your help!
31 July, 2008 at 8:50 am |
That was exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!
10 August, 2008 at 8:56 am |
Thanks I needed to know that
15 August, 2008 at 4:48 am |
I just used this process on Win xp and it worked great thanks
18 August, 2008 at 7:31 am |
Thanks a lot mate you just saved my life
28 August, 2008 at 3:40 am |
Really easy to follow instructions that work a treat! Thx a mill.
13 September, 2008 at 8:11 am |
Many, many thanks for sharing the instructions on how to convert files to MP3s
You have made this process so much more rewarding and fun.
I was totally lost.
Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Banjo Bonnie
18 September, 2008 at 1:05 am |
my files are protected how can i make them unprotected so i can convert them to mp3 format
18 September, 2008 at 7:44 am |
YOU ROCK! I live and breathe by iTunes and iPod, but my 6-year old son is too young for one, so I bought him a cute little SanDisk Sansa Shaker MP3 Player. Your easy-to-follow instructions made it a breeze to convert his favorite songs from MPEG4 to MP3. I am eternally grateful, I assure you, and so is my son!
1 October, 2008 at 12:07 am |
Thank you so much i was able to copy my songs to a cell phone that would only accept, .MP3 thankyou so much!!!!!!!!!
5 October, 2008 at 2:26 pm |
You freakin’ rock!!
8 October, 2008 at 7:03 pm |
Doesn’t work – there is no ‘Import Using’ button in the Advanced pane of Preferences. (iTunes 8.0 for Mac).
24 October, 2008 at 5:03 am |
Graham is right. This method USED to work with previous versions of iTunes, but not with the latest version. Too bad. I need to convert vid files to sound files.
25 October, 2008 at 3:40 am |
Yeah, the current version doesn’t have the importing option
10 December, 2008 at 4:30 pm |
iTunes 8 has moved it to the “General” pane in “Preferences”. You should see a “Import Settings” button, and then a “Import Using” options.
28 October, 2008 at 3:27 am |
ive done everything but the last 2 directions the second song hasnt come up and when i click info on the first one it still says aac file – its non protected from a cd, ive tried again but it still doesnt work?! could someone please help me been trying for age!
28 October, 2008 at 8:56 am |
Gr8 job. You have saved me going looney!
28 October, 2008 at 3:52 pm |
I can get it onto windows movie maker but when i play it no soind comes?
4 November, 2008 at 8:19 am |
did not work. how do you unprotect a file?
7 November, 2008 at 12:44 am |
So once I get to the advanced menu there is no “Importing” button anywhere to be found. Do I have too old/new of a version. I’m running on a Mac. Please help!
15 November, 2008 at 7:31 am |
Thank you very much, it’s a very good tip.
16 November, 2008 at 7:07 pm |
I LOVE YOU!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH A MILLION AND A HALF.. you made my life! if you want to see the little clip i did and the song i added with your help go to kinneyklan.blogspot.com it’s a very meditatively moving moment to watch…enjoy (just basic, but thanks to you it’s done!)
19 November, 2008 at 4:05 am |
dat really helped me. im so happy. thank you soooooo much
25 November, 2008 at 10:43 pm |
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26 November, 2008 at 8:54 pm |
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2 December, 2008 at 4:27 am |
Thaaankyou so much! My mp3 player only plays mp3s which is a pain in the ass and everyone was telling me i couldnt convert my files unless i had windows media player..anyway thank you so much
x
9 December, 2008 at 5:04 am |
this is great. i am converting about 1,500 songs. It seems that the conversion doesn’t replace the mp4 with an mp3, rather it generates another copy, leaving me with both and then having to delete the mp4 files one at a time. Is there a way to delete the mp4 files all at once? Some way to group them and delete them?
Thanks.
10 December, 2008 at 4:23 pm |
Hi Robert, not that I know of. You’d have to manually delete all the MP4 files. Cheers.
14 December, 2008 at 9:24 am |
Hi, I’ve got tTunes 8.02, which I’m beginning to think was a mistake…I can find the import settings button in General, but there’s no ‘import using’ option. If I click on the import settings button, the only options are to do with the quality of the import from a cd. As far as I can tell there are no import using options anywhere. Can anyone help me here?
Fi
14 December, 2008 at 9:28 am |
Oh. I see. There’s no option on the latest iTunes. Why would they do that? That’s so mean. I’ll certainly think twice about downloading new software.
Are there any other ways round it? Would the ‘burning the cd’ thing work for me, do you think? Seems like a huge waste of resources.
14 December, 2008 at 11:32 am |
Okay! Guess what? I’ve (my friends) have found a solution for itunes 8. It’s completely doable, just a very different path.
On PC, it’s: Preferences>General>Import Settings… Choose MP3 192kbps. Then right-click on song, “Create MP3 Version”.
For Macs, it’s Preferences>General>Import Settings…select import using MP3 encoder. Then select your song. Then go to the advanced button on the toolbar, and click ‘create mp3′.
And now we can all get some sleep….
24 December, 2008 at 2:34 pm |
Thank you to the last poster! You rule and saved me hours of searching.
24 December, 2008 at 8:04 pm |
[...] to convert CD/ MP4 audio files to MP3 using iTunes 8 As an update to this post, here’s how you convert your audio files to MP3 format using iTunes version 8 (hat-tip to [...]
25 December, 2008 at 12:50 am |
Helped me sooooooo much! Thanks!
26 December, 2008 at 12:36 pm |
thanks. with your tips I was able to convert in itunes 8.0 then download to my garmin
29 December, 2008 at 2:37 pm |
this was great i really appreciate u doing this it helped a lot
30 December, 2008 at 1:43 am |
GREAT directions! Thanks so much!
3 January, 2009 at 5:23 am |
all instructions for latest i tunes followed…still unable to convert because file is “protected”?? what the heck does that mean,do the artists sign an exclusive w/apple to only allow mp4 ????…i’ve been emailing itunes for help since christmas day!!! guess i’ll just drop my account & let them know why!!!
best of luck to you guys but i’m done “working around” these people..if apple and microsoft and dell and etc. etc. etc. can’t be bothered to make things we can actually use, then i can certainlly live without them.
hope you all have a great new year
21 January, 2009 at 10:33 am |
The iTunes instructions work perfectly, however when I load the new mp3’s on my DS Lite they cannot play. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
22 January, 2009 at 8:38 am |
AHA! It does work on the DS – it just says on the screen file not found, but it does play
10 February, 2009 at 5:41 pm |
prefer to use MelodyCan – http://melodycan.com/
1. easy to use, only a few clicks to put files into my iPod
2. very fast conversion which saved me lots of time – [b]50x[/b]
3. had a good balance between file size and output video quality
4. Support 64 bit OS
5. Nice site + useful information
good discount
19 February, 2009 at 2:28 am |
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! YOU ARE SUCH A GREAT PERSON FOR PUBLISHING THIS!!!! I WAS HAVING SUCH A HARD TIME FINDING A CONVERTER, FINALLY FOUND IT AND HAD TROUBLE WITH ALL THE FAKENESS OF THE COMPANY THAT JUST TOOK MY MONEY BUT DIDN’T WANT TO ACTIVATE IT FOR ME. AND NOW VOILA!!! I CAN GET MY MUSIC WITHOUT HASSLE!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4 March, 2009 at 10:40 am |
wow. thank you soooo much. this was the most helpful thing i think ive ever read on the internet. this was so easy and made my life a lot easier. i have to give you your props. thank so much,,,,again O.o
4 March, 2009 at 12:19 pm |
THANK YOUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
=D
saved my day.
6 March, 2009 at 9:19 am |
Thank you so much. If I couldn’t figure out how to do this conversion myself then I”m probably not a computer geek, just a geek. Dumb enough to buy a “non compatible” mp3 player, but thanks to this website I converted the songs I could and can use said mp3 player. THANKS
6 March, 2009 at 10:43 am |
Hi Mike, we can’t know everything. I think what’s important is we share what we know. Cheers!
11 March, 2009 at 3:52 pm |
I asked a query, but have since resolved it! I am a new user and did not realise that the playlists were also included in “Music” library. Once I opened that, then I could see the converted tunes, but they don’t show in the playlists.
Thanks for your help
Pat
8 April, 2009 at 3:58 am |
Great advice worked without any problems which is a first!!
13 May, 2009 at 10:26 pm |
THANK YOU!!!! This was so helpful and only took a few minutes.
7 June, 2009 at 5:18 am |
i did everything but when i went to advanced there wasn’t a convert to mp3…. wut do i do now?
7 June, 2009 at 6:21 pm |
Hi SP, you can’t do the conversion at the Advanced tab. It’s step 8 onwards. Check out the instructions and screenshots I posted. Cheers.
19 June, 2009 at 12:57 am |
Hey there,
Many thanks for the great info – I’ve had iTunes for about 3 years now, and still don’t really know how to drive it! You’re a legend! Cheers! Mike
19 June, 2009 at 12:31 pm |
i tried doing the pref, mp3 encoder ect…on ituunes. i can convert to ipod,iphone or appletv, but the convert to mp3 is not available to click on. It is there but can’t click on it. I do have itunes 7 version.
21 June, 2009 at 12:58 pm |
Thanks a bunch. It worked and saved my mom a headache that she wouldn’t be able to finish her moviemaker project.
23 June, 2009 at 9:25 pm |
Thanks so muchh, this was an enormous help, i would have had to download a converter for 3 hours over dial-up.
Thanks a bunch.
27 June, 2009 at 6:55 am |
Thanks so much for the info! I can now finish my mind movie and start attracting even more wonderful things!
28 June, 2009 at 4:02 pm |
READ THIS BEFORE GOING THE ABOVE ROUTE!!!!!
I just right-clicked on the song in Itunes…and chose “create mp3 version”. Took a few seconds. Then I went to the finder menu, accessed my Itunes music files under “music” and found the song folder. In the folder, there are now two versions of the song…and in the name of each, it indicates whether it’s an mp3 or an mp4 version.
I have Mac OS X 10.4.11 and I have Itunes 8.2…don’t know if that’s why it was so easy for me to convert.
28 June, 2009 at 9:21 pm |
Hi April, it’s probably bec. you already have set the Import settings to “Convert to MP3″.
12 July, 2009 at 8:54 pm |
i feel as cool as mountain spring after getting this done . The daila Lama got s’got nothing on me !
i’m floatin i’m floating .. . heheh .
Thanks .
17 July, 2009 at 1:37 pm |
I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!! BRILLIANT!
24 July, 2009 at 2:23 pm |
thanks for the quick and easy to follow instructions! worked perfectly.
3 August, 2009 at 1:27 pm |
That was super helpful. Thank you!
15 August, 2009 at 5:44 am |
Scrap this page.
Select song. Right click. Create AAC/MP3 Version. Done.
Dude you are weighing down the internet.
15 August, 2009 at 12:43 pm |
@Toomuchverbagebro – You can do those steps provided you already have specified MP3 or AAC (some people might have selected WAV). Some people need more detailed instructions. Good for you that you don’t. Cheers.
16 August, 2009 at 6:23 am |
Copy the track from your i-tune list into Real Player and Real Player will add to other media devices other than I-tunes
17 August, 2009 at 1:59 pm |
This is just what I needed!
Thank you SO much.
Now I can put music straight from iTunes into Windows Movie Maker. Thanks again!!!
20 August, 2009 at 1:11 am |
Thank you so much for your instructions. The fact that you have illustrations made this process so much easier as my phone will only play mp3’s. You’re my hero!
6 September, 2009 at 9:09 pm |
Hey thanks ever so much for great and straightforward instructions!!!!!:)
17 September, 2009 at 3:38 am |
Hey! I came upon this while looking for ways to convert m4a files to mp3. I’m the true-blue techno-dud! Will someone please let me know if mp4 and m4a files are much the same and whether your tricks above work equally well for m4a files. Thanks a ton!
Cheers
Nadizen.
17 September, 2009 at 11:08 pm |
Hi Nadizen, I did a quick search on the Internet and says here that M4a is the audio layer of MPEG movies. I guess if you can use iTunes to open the M4a file, you should be able to do the same conversion.
19 September, 2009 at 9:32 am |
Very cool- thanks so much!
10 October, 2009 at 6:45 am |
I tried to convert my songs in iTunes about 6 months ago and gave up thinking the only way to do this was with additional software. I’m not very tech saavy, so I gave up until today. I decided to search the web again for answers, and you have provided them. Thank you so much.
Your instructions were clear and illustrations helpful, but most importantly, you mentioned what to do with other versions–I have ver. 9.0. I feel so much smarter now because of you. Again, thanks a bunch.
13 October, 2009 at 8:06 am |
I followed the directions for doing the conversion in iTunes 8 and I was able to change the import settings but I can’t figure out how to import in iTunes 9. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks!
22 November, 2009 at 11:33 pm |
Hi Elaine, as far as I know the steps and settings detailed for iTunes 8 are the same for iTunes9. Maybe you’d want to check your Preferences settings again, in iTunes 9.
20 October, 2009 at 11:18 am |
hi, i used your directions and it worked easily! yay! just wondering, will all future imports from cd to itunes now be in the form of an mp3? does it matter if i have some files mp3 and some mp4? should i change it back to mp4? sorry hope that made sence! haha i’m not the most technical of people!
22 November, 2009 at 11:35 pm |
Hi lauren, (1) yes the imports will be in MP3 format, or whatever was your last Import setting (i.e. if your setting was WAV, then all imports will be WAV); (2) I think it’ll just convert your MP3 to MP3.
4 November, 2009 at 4:30 am |
Thanks so much for this.
8 November, 2009 at 3:48 am |
[...] This guy details using iTunes to convert your files into mp3 files without downloading additional applications: Blog article by myrightbrai [...]
19 November, 2009 at 11:55 pm |
Hi, here is some information about mp4 and about other formats and associated software or converters.