drksuh

I finally received my PCMCIA card and 16 GB Compact Flash Card. Now I cannot figure out how to convert my iTunes songs (9GB worth!) to mp3 and then how to transfer them to CF card.

Can some Computer guru help out an apparently non-tech savvy person with some step by step instructions?

chicago_fog

If you bought the songs off of iTunes they have DRM and cannot be converted.
What file format are they in at the moment?

There are a few painful and ugly ways around the DRM but I would need to know the current file format for the most concise answer.

drksuh

Most of the songs are from my CDs and are in AAC. From iTunes, I selected the Edit and then Select All tab and then Advanced tab and then Create MP3 File tab. And it created mp3 file duplicates (in addition to the AAC) until it came to an artist whose songs were purchased from itunes. Then as Chicago Fog states, it would not be able to create an MP3 file and then stopped creating mp3 files for the rest of the Select All artists. Do I then have to select each artist individually to go to Advanced tab and then Create MP3 File tab? (I have 150 artists and this will take forever!)

Then how do I transfer the MP3 files to my Compact Flash Card which is recognized as Removable Disk I by my HP computer which does have a card reader built in?

chicago_fog

IMO Itunes is unusable for large collections. My 192kbs MP3 collection comes in at 1.2 terabytes.
I'd fire up a tool like MediaMonkey and convert and sort your files with that and lose iTUnes or you are going to be fighting issues like this forever. I only use Itunes to transfer files to my iPod (I would use Anapod but it does not support the 160gb iPod last time I checked it)

In short download MediaMonkey and that will convert your library to usable .mp3s from those ripped AACs. The purchased songs from iTunes are toast and going to be limited by DRM. You bought the songs legally so go to PirateBay or another torrent site and download a copy in .mp3 format.

In regards to transferring the files to the CF card what OS are you using? Linux (flavor-Ubuntu,etc), Mac, Windows ( XP, Vista, etc..)

drksuh

Chicago Fog, I am using Windows XP. Thanks for the recommendation for Media Monkey. I was hoping the itunes would let me EASILY transfer mp3 to my CF, but I guess not.

Diesel Benz

I've configured iTunes to convert songs to MP3 format instead of aac and then just copied the iTunes music folder as such to my Compact Flash card.

I don't use any iPod or iPhone though, for me iTunes is for the car only.

chicago_fog

That works for CD-Ripping or mp3s that do not have DRM but not on his DRM AAC files purchased through iTunes. He wants to batch convert ALL his songs. iTunes is going to fail miserably at that task...its designed to not convert DRM files (AACs, etc.) to mp3s to prevent piracy and illegal music sharing.

Diesel Benz

Very true, I was about to mention that "my approach" is not good if one already has a huge number of titles, even if they were not DRM protected.

Converting from AAC to MP3 introduces loss of quality but if the source was AAC, what else can one do.

AustinGuy

http://www.muvenum.com/products/muvaudio/

Trust me - it works

chicago_fog

Who buys software??!!

Mad_CDI

I just wanted to jump in to mention that music purchased from Itunes music store no longer contains DRM.

If you are currently using itunes to manage your music you should be able to drag them from the itunes folder directly onto your memory card. I have a 150 gig MP3 collection that I manage with itunes without issue. Just change the ripping section to MP3 so that it rips in that format instead of AAC.

Removing DRM from any old ITMS can be tricky. Apple offers to upgrade from DRM files to non-DRM files (thankfully at a higher bitrate), but it will cost you (and last time I looked you could only do all of your purchased files). Once the DRM has been stripped there are many ways to convert to MP3.

AustinGuy

Well show me where you can get a free version of what muvaudio does and I'll be sucker.

I'm in the software business. There's nothing out there that does what muvaudio does for free.

Membran

iTunes files has drm protection, you have to remove it at first, then you can convert it to mp3. I know this MelodyCan can help you do that legally, you may download it for a try
Hope it helps.