MetaChat - So I've been begging bands to donate mp3s...

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15 July 2006

So I've been begging bands to donate mp3s... and a few of them have donated AAC files, which I think are the iTMS DRM'd format. Those that have have said it would be fine for me to convert them to mp3. Some questions inside.→[More:]I'm curious:

- best way to convert them? (I assume burn them to a cd and then rip 'em back). I'm on OSX.

- should I also offer them to download as the AAC file? I assume it'll be better quality, but do all AAC files have restrictions on what can be done with them, being that they're DRM'd, therefore making it a waste to offer the download?

- these tracks are unreleased... why would bands have AAC's of unreleased tracks? (note that they don't seem to be aware that they're aac files and aren't sure what that means when I tell them).

post by: dobbs at: 07:56 | 9 comments

They're not necessarily DRM'd (if the file extension is m4p, they probably are, though). The easiest thing to do is click on a track in iTunes then go to Advanced/Convert Selection to mp3. Done. The most likely reason they're in that format is because the bands ripped their tracks from CD using iTunes which uses AAC as its default encoding.

AAC != DRM.

posted by Wolfdog 15 July | 08:04

Thanks, Wolfdog.

Will the non-drm aac files play on any mp3 player or just an iPod?

Also, if they're not DRM'd why are they AAC? In other words, if not all AACs are Drm'd, why did Apple bother inventing the format? And what's the extension of a non-drm AAC, if not m4p?

Is there a way to tell if the file is DRM'd (assuming m4p != drm)?

posted by dobbs 15 July | 08:08

Also, if I use the 'convert to mp3' does it make a copy and convert it or just convert the orginal file, leaving me only with the mp3?

I just checked one of the files and it's an m4a file and is only 128kbs. Grr.

posted by dobbs 15 July | 08:11

The "convert to mp3" menu item will make a new file, leaving the old one intact. I think you'll find the quality is just about indistinguishable. m4p=protected, m4a=unprotected, unless somebody monkeys with the file extensions.

why did Apple bother inventing the format?
Because they think it's better, (see also the "Products which support AAC" for answers to another of your questions) which is of course debatable until the end of time. Bitrates are not really comparable for quality between mp3 and aac, either, so don't be too put off by the 128k number attached to the file.

posted by Wolfdog 15 July | 08:19

(You'll notice, incidentally, that Apple didn't invent it, but they championed it.)

posted by Wolfdog 15 July | 08:28

Thanks, Wolfdog.

posted by dobbs 15 July | 09:09

- should I also offer them to download as the AAC file? I assume it'll be better quality,..

I would. 128K sounds fine on general crappy computer speakers, but on a good home stereo the tend to sound compressed. After you rip it to mp3, you suffer a pretty big quality loss.

posted by doctor_negative 15 July | 10:26

itunes should do it, and change your preferences there so it re-encodes the mp3s at a higher bitrate..

posted by amberglow 15 July | 14:06

But since the source is already lossy AAC, re-encoding it at a higher bitrate as an MP3 won't buy you any fidelity. It will upsample the information to the new bitrate making a bigger file, but I don't think it will sound any better -- it might sound worse. It would be like saving a 600x800 jpeg at 1200x1600. Right?

posted by birdherder 15 July | 19:05

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