OK...I've got 15GB of music ripped from my CD collection to iTunes, and therefore stored in MPEG-4 Audio format.

I've just got a new Audi which accepts MP3 files on SD cards (as part of the sat-nav). What I want to do is convert my iTunes collection to MP3. I know I could do that by burning to audio cd, and re-importing (but as I have them all on cd anyway, and it took bloody ages to load in the first place!). I'd prefer to convert all my files in bigger batches

However, has anyone used any of the free (or reasonably cheap) de-coding/converting tool that . I know I can google, and find plenty, but would prefer some kind of recommendation for something not loaded with spyware etc!

TIA
SB

 

I think you just saved my bacon...or SD card. Reading your post I was reminded that yesterday I downloaded the latest bunch of speed camera database files and copied them onto my SD card for the TomTom. Then I remembered I'd left the SD card in my shirt pocket which went into the wash basket ready for the washing machine. Rushed off to retreive it and the shirt wasn't in the wash basket but in the machine...with 5 minutes left to go before it started! Got the SD card back just in the nick of time

Try this perhaps:Koyote Soft - Official Website it apparently converts m4a files to mp3. It's under the link "Free mp3 wma converter"

 

You can do it with iTunes itsself really easily.

Go into the setup/preferences and then into the section on importing, then select .mp3 as the preferred importing option along with whatever bitrate you want to use. Then go back out to your music library and highlight all songs, then right click on them and you'll see an option to 'convert selection to mp3', click on that and it'll crunch away until its done it. Then, without clicking on anything else, delete the songs which are still selected - there will now be two of each song - one in mp3 and one in mp4.

The other (probably safer) way is to copy the entire collection to a different part of your HDD, deleting them from iTunes and removing the files from the iTunes music folder. Then re-import them from the new location on your HDD into iTunes but this time as mp3 (as you changed the import setting to mp3 earlier up there ^^^).

It's actually a lot easier than it sounds.

 

Sounds like a good plan to me Iwan!

 

Superb - Cheers, Iwan

I'd already had a play at re-importing, and copying to new default folders with the importing setting changed, but that hadnt worked...it's now merrily chugging away creating a new set of directories on an external drive.

Glad you retrieved the SD card, Frenchie

Cheers, boys !

 

What if you have bought the song from iTunes already? I have iTunes on my PC in MPEG-4 format, and I want a song on my Sony phone, but the phone doesn't recognise this format.... so I did the above to convert to MP3, but iTunes say's it's protected

Can anyone help please

 

If the song is protected, you will need to burn the track to cd as an audio cd, then re-rip back into I-tunes on the mp3 setting.

 

Good old i tunes eh ?

 

Thanks Mannyo, but this is doing my bloody nut in!!!

I have export setting set to MP3
I have import settings set to MP3
I export the track I purchased to a CD
I then import the track... and it's still an AAC/MPEG4 file

WTF am I doing wrong? I just want to listen to the bloody song on my phone

Do I need to delete the original or something?

 

What happens if you delete / move the original file so its no longer in your library before ripping. Failing that, use media player or another program to rip the mp3 off the burnt disc.

 

in iTunes, don't you just select the songs you want converting, right click, and the convert selection ??

Can't remember 100% off the top of my head but I'm sure that's how you do it. A talked a colleague through it a couple of weeks back . (makes life easier if you're looking at iTunes whilst giving out advice though !!

hope this helps

PS I think converting also creates a copy, ie you'll have mp3 and original format stored in iTunes now ??

 

If you want to try it, this will also do the job:

Super C can convert any video or audio format into any other format: SUPER © videos

(download link at bottom of page and click "download and use" mid-paragraph on next page, then download sites are listed at the bottom of 3rd page...Its a bit of an **** but I presume its like this as the author suffered from people selling links to it on eBay )

Not the best of user interface, but its free and a very handy tool for converting stuff off You tube and getting stuff on/off 3g phones.

 

Thanks guys, I'll try again tonight.

John