Is iTunes content, even if I download it to my PC, secured so that it can only be played by an iTunes enabled device such as iPad or iPhone?

When I rip my own CDs I save the content in MP3 format so it can be copied onto the SD card in my Columbus unit.

Thanks

Martin

downloaded content will be in aac or whatever the apple format is. one way around it would be to burn the tracks to a CD as audio, then rip them back in as mp3

Another good reason not to buy content from iTunes then. If I buy music online from amazon it comes in MP3 format.

That or buy second hand CDs from eBay or Amazon Marketplace.

i agree. the problem comes when it's new music or not quite so mainstream and the iTunes download is a fiver, and tax reluctant Amazon is £7 for a download, or a tenner for a CD

You don't have to burn to CD then rerip the disk. You can just convert them in iTunes - if your rip settings are set to MP3.I think you can just select track / album right click and select convert. There is a problem doing this is that it adds the resulting track to the library and you end up with two tracks with the same detail.

Fairly sure that doesn't work for tunes purchased via iTunes only for 'owned' content ripped from CD's.

the re-conversion only works for tracks you ripped from a CD into aac format the first time. iTunes won't convert purchased/downloaded tracks

Mine worked fine by copying the music in question out of itunes - delete the tracks within itunes - import the music again as mp3.

Did my entire collection in one go (Lossless rips and purchased albums) without any issues.

Another good reason not to buy content from iTunes then. If I buy music online from amazon it comes in MP3 format.

That or buy second hand CDs from eBay or Amazon Marketplace.

'Right-click' on the track you want to listen to in the car and select 'Create MP3 version' so yes iTunes IS easy. :yes:

It is easy (as long as you have 'Create MP3' selected in 'Preferences'), but it now creates 2 copies of the file which both appear in iTunes.

The MP3 can be moved straight to SD card, but the folder containing the MP3's needs to be reimported to iTunes in order to remove the duplicate file names that get left behind.

Older versions of iTunes didn't create duplicates files that appeared in iTunes, just duplicate (MP3) files in the original folder.

It was easy...

Still IS easy

Just convert to MP3, then find the folder in finder that has MP3's in there and once transferred either move them or delete them and they disappear from iTunes.

The trashes files are what you need to worry about they show up in your play list!

I put my sd card in a pc laptop to remove the trashes file.

Try doing it on a Mac and you'll have a lot more than just the 'Trashes' files to deal with...

Fairly sure that doesn't work for tunes purchased via iTunes only for 'owned' content ripped from CD's.

Only for tracks that were purchased a few years ago, but with iCloud you might be able to re-download now an unprotected version, but I can't try, as I converted all mine ages ago.

Buy Media Monkey, it'll convert to MP3 directly to the SD card -you have to have the full version though. I did a trial card for my L&k but as it has an iPod connection will probably never use it.

Huw

I dug up an old post which linked to a free tool for converting m4a to mp3

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/233220-music-file-formats-and-columbus/

I am experiencing similar problems with getting purchased iTunes songs to play in my Rapid. I have put my music on a USB memory stick which works great, except it won't play "protected" songs purchased on iTunes. I can't find the option to convert the files to MP3?

no need to buy media monkey, there are plenty of free tools that remove the apple DRM from iTunes (including for video).

Recent audio purchased on iTunes can often be copied to other devices directly, they relaxed their DRM a bit. Doesn't work all the time though, as someone who is not an iTunes user I don't know more.