mp3 converter?

**Francois Blais** · #1 09-26-2006, 09:18 AM

Hi.
Sorry it that sounds too newbie, but I searched the forum to no avail...
Can you suggest free Windows tools to convert WMA files to MP3, please?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
François

James Hart · #2 09-26-2006, 09:26 AM

try EAC if it's below 160 kbits. If it's above that, then it has Microsoft encription crap in it.

http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

**Damon Rondeau** · #3 09-26-2006, 09:39 AM

Francois, I'm not at my music computer right now and haven't actually done one of these conversions in a year or so but I've definitely done them. I know that newer WMA files can very well have some rotten digital rights management stuff in there that makes things difficult.

This page of links seems useful, though:

http://datacompression.info/MP3.shtml

Good luck. I'll bet the maples are spectacular right now in Quebec.

Vandelay · #4 09-26-2006, 10:13 AM

You could always burn the WMA to an audio CD-R, then rip it from the CD into MP3 format.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #5 09-26-2006, 10:19 AM

Francois - google "Audacity", and then go to the source page and download the program for your OS. It's free, and works brilliantly. Be sure to also download the file entitled "Lamelib.", which enables the mp3 encoding. Happy recording!

James Hart · #6 09-26-2006, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Francois - google "Audacity", and then go to the source page and download the program for your OS. It's free, and works brilliantly. Be sure to also download the file entitled "Lamelib.", which enables the mp3 encoding. Happy recording!

A good program but not for this need...
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about/features

Quote:

Note: Audacity does not currently support WMA, AAC, or most other proprietary or restricted file formats.

James Hart · #7 09-26-2006, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vandelay

You could always burn the WMA to an audio CD-R, then rip it from the CD into MP3 format.

I've wrote an .iso audio CD file, mounted it in daemon tools and ripped it as MP3s for a friend that issues with an iTunes purchased couple of tunes.

bassguitar · #8 09-26-2006, 10:59 AM

You can do it with iTunes ... if you can try to encode the original source CD to mp3 instead of the wma to mp3. Doing that is like photocopying (sp?) a photocopy - not really a good idea though it can be done.

James Hart · #9 09-26-2006, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassguitar

Doing that is like photocopying (sp?) a photocopy - not really a good idea though it can be done.

unless using an old or low bit rate codex it should matter... the ending format is to be MP3, so it should be fine.