Loading ...Unprotect DRM iTunes Songs
iTunes was not designed with the ability to export protected iTunes songs to unprotected mp3’s for use with other applications. Let’s say you paid for an iTunes song or album and wanted to export that song to use in a slide show or video. Guess what? You can’t. Why? It’s protected. If you paid for the song you should be able to use it any legal way you want. Right? Now these instructions are not new, however many people still don’t know that this can be done and become very frustrated trying to figure how to rip unprotected mp3’s from their DRM protected iTunes songs.
Follow these 3 simple steps to convert DRM protected iTunes songs to unprotected mp3’s which can be used with any application or device that supports the mp3 format.
- Buy songs from iTunes
- Burn an audio CD from iTunes (Audio CD’s are unprotected)
- Rip the unprotected CD to mp3 using iTunes or your favorite media program.
Yes it’s that ridiculously easy. Yes it works every time. Yes it’s legal because you paid for the songs in the first place.
Filed under: Features, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio
The problem with this is that it requires me to waste a blank CD. It also limits me to 3 copies of that CD. If I truely own the music, then the format should not matter. I’m afraid I don’t see this as “easy”, when I should be able to go directly to MP3, without the extra cost and hassle. Also, I should also be able to make as many copies as I want. The mere fact that there is a 3 copy limit is not proper.
It is a problem that iTunes doesn’t let you directly export the music you PAID FOR to an unprotected mp3. Considering how cheap blank CD’s are these days it is still a good workaround. You could even use a RW CD possibly and then you would only need 1 and re-write it many times. As far as the 3 copies of a CD goes, just create a new playlist, and burn your CD with a diffrerent title. Your 3 copy limit is should then not be an issue hopefully.
Well.. .first of all I recommend a CD-Rewritable to save CD’s.. however.. I also have a program that “Listens” to the song that’s playing through iTunes… and Save’s the file as an MP3 or AAC. It’s better because it doesn’t loose as much quality. You do loose quality when you Rip AND Burn.
What program is that? (The “Listening” one)
Dodd, why did you leave us hanging? What is the program?
What program are you referring to? Read the post and follow the directions:
1. Buy songs from iTunes
2. Burn an audio CD from iTunes (Audio CD’s are unprotected)
3. Rip the unprotected CD to mp3 using iTunes or your favorite media program.
You can use any program, even Windows Media Player will rip a CD to an mp3 of your choice. Check it.
We mean Dodd’s “Listening” program. I can do it manually, but it’d be easier to use a program. (Just speak up if you want to learn how to do it manually)
I’m gonna guess WireTap Pro. Flash back to making cassettes from LP’s on your hi-fi stereo…!
Okay I bought this song from iTunes and I want to use it for a home video I am making, but it says it is protected and won’t let me import it into Windows Media Player. Isn’t there a way I can do this without burning it to a CD, because we also have a bunch of songs from iTunes that are in a different file and are unprotected, and I can use them for videos.
If you don’t want to waste a CD, you could use something like NoteBurner to create a virtual CD-RW drive. That is, until Apple finds out and hides it from the list of available CD burners.
I also agree that burning to cd is the hard way of doing this, though a viable workaround.
I had an excellent product called MyFair Tunes. My wife would download songs, I would sweep though and convert to MP3 and all was well with the world…
I told my wife NEVER, EVER, EVER allow ITunes to try to update itself. I turned off every auto update tab I could check and thought I had it made in the shade.
Until one day…
I came in to my wife’s computer and found ITunes updating itself! Those bas&-(*#’ds!
I knew I was jacked…
The latest version (that I know of) of MyFair tunes is 7.0.2. which does not work with Itunes 7.6.2.9.
Hopefully MyFair Tunes will be updated soon, though it is the never ending chase keeping up with these corporate PIGS at Apple and MSoft.
Let me just do what I want with my stinking music! I paid for it. I want to play it in my house, computer, car, headphones, wherever!
Now I’m getting pissed again… Deep breath….
I think Itunes is ridiculous. Why on EARTH do they sell the music, and then NOT LET US USE IT THE WAY WE WANT?! It makes no sense to me, and is also a stupid buisness move. Eventually, people will stop using it. Maybe if enough people boycotted it? I wish there was an easier way than having to burn it on a CD. I’m checking a website right now that looks like it might work…a program called ‘Tunebite’. I’d recommend you all check it out.
i agree with everything everyone has posted on this subject– freaking itunes!!!!!!!
i bought a sony walkman mobile yesterday and the only songs i can get on it are the ones that came with my 4-year-old dell! (david byrne–cough)
I just burned and ripped over the last two hours and it still wont accept my music! wth!? where am i going wrong?
yeah too bad tunbite costs $50. also, i was on my parents account when itunes started 5 years ago. Now that i’m ‘all grown up’ i want to start my own account but then i wont be able to play any of my music anymore. how f-ing r-dic is that.
For the record, Steve Jobbs has spoken out against copy protection for years. It’s the music publishers that require it.
I wouldn’t recommend a complete Boycott, however I do feel that some sort of Petition should be started. If the word spread and enough people signed it then maybe iTunes will change their protection terms.
I never have and NEVER will use iTunes. Why? I already have a piece of bloated software called Windows Media Player. Do I really need more rubbish on my system.
I have always used MP3 and third party players with all my CDs, with no problems…so far. I already know what the cover art looks like and the artist information/song list.
Don’t need “pretty” software clogging up my system
Mind you, I haven’t “needed” to listen to music for sometime now, so I’m not fazed by all this monitoring/tracking of personal information/listening habits.
It’s a personal choice, but rarely like anything too proprietry, costs too much to maintain.