# Solved: iPhoto is great, but iTunes...can't use my wma files?



## adamm321 (Jan 31, 2008)

iTunes is not impressing me yet. I enjoyed my Windows Media Player much more so far. Now after finally getting music files onto a flash drive from my old computer and getting them onto the desktop of the MBPro, I find that it only imported the mp3 files that were in my WMPlayer already. I had 1700 music files and it only added 200 to the library.

So now what am I going to do? I asked Apple and they suggested I download the Mac4flip download that will allow me to play music on Quicktime?!! I don't think that is what I want to do at all. And how am I going to organize my music too?

Anyone have a solution? Should I be thinking about adding some other media player software? Is there a Windows Media Player for Mac? [g]

Thanks...adam


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Hi Adam:

You'll need to download and use a program that will convert your Windows files to mp3s in order for them to work properly on iTunes for Mac.

Check out Power MP3 WMA Converter, dBpoweramp Music Converter or Media Monkey. All three work with Windows 98/XP and dBpoweramp works with Vista as well.

Hope that helps!


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## adamm321 (Jan 31, 2008)

Hi Rose 

Thanks a lot for those links! I was looking at the reviews and I am wondering, are they programs I can download right onto the Mac or do I have to download them to my old Dell and convert the files before I move them to the Mac?

adam


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Hi again Adam:

For OS X you could try Switch or EasyWMA (it costs $10 for the full version).

Hope that helps!


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## adamm321 (Jan 31, 2008)

Hi Rose...

Sad news, I downloaded both of those programs to the MacBookPro and neither of them would convert the wma files. :-(


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Hi Adam - that's odd!  Did you get any error messages or anything? Did you buy EasyWMA? If so for sure contact them.

Did you try the Windows converters?


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## adamm321 (Jan 31, 2008)

Hi Rose.. to update...I did download the Switch program especially since it was compatible with Mac. It evidently will help you put the wma into a form that Quicktime Player will play if you also download the Flip4Mac freeware but still won't allow you to add them to your iTunes. I also downloaded Media Monkey and put a whole folder thru the converter, brought it to the Mac from the Dell and tried to import to the iTunes and it imported only files that were already mp3 on the old WindowsMedia Player. It left out another 900 files that were in wma format. Finally, downloaded dBpoweramp and that had an option for additionally downloading a codex for converting the wma files. It is a 30 day free trial and it seems to be doing the trick. Moved a couple of hundred over last night and they are actually importing to the iTunes library and playing fine. Nothing seems to be moving the album covers successfully, but I'm not going to worry about that now. [g]

So thanks very much for the great CNet links for freeware that has no spyware on it..hopefully.

Another 700 files to convert/move today. Then I will be done with that job!


adam


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## adamm321 (Jan 31, 2008)

Question...is MPEG audio file the same as mp3? I set the iTunes preferences to import using the mp3 format so I was surprised when it showed up in the library as MPEG audio.

I wanted a format that will allow me to move to other players if I wanted to without having to convert the files again. I understand that AAC is Apple proprietary and can't be used in anything but iTunes. Is that right? I also notice that the files I imported from the old computer that were converted using the dBpoweramp program, were not as high quality as what came off my CDs. I had set it to highest quality allowed too. 

I had two identical files, one Beatles song converted, moved and imported using mp3 format. The other imported from a CD directly to iTunes, set with mp3 as the format. One is very noticeably better...the one from the CD.

Last question...I am unsure whether it is an advantage to try to regulate all the music so it is the same volume or not. I did do it when I imported but I now think it doesn't sound quite right and wondering if that option has anything to do with it?

Ooops...I just remembered another question. is there a way to increase the volume once all the settings are at max? 

adam


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

adamm321 said:


> Question...is MPEG audio file the same as mp3?


 In a word, yes. There are different "standards" to MPEGs.



adamm321 said:


> I understand that AAC is Apple proprietary and can't be used in anything but iTunes. Is that right?


 Yes. See here. FairPlay is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology created by Apple which digitally encrypts in AAC, preventing the songs from being played on an unauthorized computer.



adamm321 said:


> Last question...I am unsure whether it is an advantage to try to regulate all the music so it is the same volume or not. I did do it when I imported but I now think it doesn't sound quite right and wondering if that option has anything to do with it?


 I notice the same thing with my iTunes. I think it is a disadvantage myself.



adamm321 said:


> is there a way to increase the volume once all the settings are at max?


In iTunes, you can adjust the volume by selecting "Get Info" on a track and using the Volume Adjustment slider. You can also select Window > Equalizer, select "Flat" and turn the "pre-amp" right up, and if necessary all the other sliders.

Also try: iTunes preferences > Click "Playback" > Uncheck "Sound Check".

Hope that helps!


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## adamm321 (Jan 31, 2008)

Rose, thanks very much... 

I was getting so stressed about these files this morning. I spent some time organizing and sorting through some of the folders and files on my desktop today, called Apple again, and feel a lot better. I resolved the problem with the files that were showing up as imported into iTunes but when I would try to play them iTunes couldn't find them. I still don't understand what happened, but they all were imported on the same day at the same time, so I must have messed up a batch. I was able to group them together, highlight and delete them easily and I will redo them.

I sorted into what I had already imported successfully from what I still need to get off the old computer, then I used all the CDs in the house to import as much as I could which reduced my final list and now I only have 600 more songs to convert/import. As I was looking over the list of songs still to come, and playing some of those that already have made the move successfully, I realized why I was getting so stressed. There are a lot of songs I forgot I had. Songs that I remember from my childhood that I went looking for last year. Songs that were some of my parents favorites etc. They are as important to me as photos. So I really don't want to lose them or have the quality of them reduced either. I will be very relieved when I have them all done and they are in mp3 format that can be moved more easily the next time. This time I am thinking I am going to back them up well so it will make it easier to move them too.

Looks like we had the same feeling about the option of changing all the tracks to the same sound level. Great! Thanks for the tips on increasing the volume. I haven't tried it yet..but I will let you know how it works out.

I hope tomorrow is the last day I have to work on music files. [g] I took a short break today and got outside to prune some shrubs and that helped a little, but I am getting burned out from all things computer and ready to be done!

Thanks Rose..
adam


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Oh man I'm jealous you can prune shrubs now! Our weather is still yucky where I am and we are all having major spring fever! 

I'm like you - music brings back memories of my childhood too and last year I was on a '70s kick and downloaded tons of hits from that era. 

Take care!


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## VegasACF (May 27, 2005)

Yankee Rose said:


> I notice the same thing with my iTunes. I think it is a disadvantage myself.


This is called "normalizing." It finds the loudest peak point in the audio and makes it as loud as possible. This can produce all kinds of unwanted results which are better left to discussions in other fora.

Avoid. Listen to the tracks at the level they were recorded. If you need it louder for any particular track, that's what the volume control on your device is for.


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## Lone Stranger (Jan 15, 2008)

AAC is NOT Apple proprietary code. It is part of the MPEG family of codecs. It was developed by Fraunhofer, AT&T, Sony, Nokia and Dolby. It can be played on any computer if it does not have FairPlay coded into it. FairPlay on the other hand is an Apple proprietary Digital Rights Management code.


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Thank you for clarifying.  I should have omitted the "yes" before my response regarding FairPlay.


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## adamm321 (Jan 31, 2008)

Rose...Gardening is what I would rather be doing than figuring out computer 'stuff'. [g] I am sorry your area is slow for spring to arrive. I have other friends in Canada that still have a ton of snow on the ground. I am amazed, despite living in NEngland all my life, I still find late March to be usually snow free. It is supposed to warm up this week coming. It has been cold here. I was pruning today with earmuffs and gloves..lol.

I just picked up the book 'Mac OS Leopard, The Missing Manual' at the library, so that should help. I also have to say that I am 90% finished with converting and moving my music files. I stuck with the dBpoweramp program and figured it out and it actually converted the remainder of the files with pretty good quality after I changed some of the settings. Then the flash drive that I am using to move them, wouldn't work today, so I took it back and they gave me a new one, since it was only three weeks old. Just a little bit left. I had a great time playing all my old songs that I forgot I had. 

The 70's was a great time for music. I bet I have a lot from that time period. I have been looking for some music from the 40s lately. Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong the other day, was a real find. 

Thank you all for the help in getting these music files safe and sound. 

adam


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## Serge_N_Gin (Sep 7, 2004)

Regarding those .wma files ... the good thing about iTunes on a PC is that it offers to convert any imported wma's to mp3 or AAC etc which is fantastic, then for me at least, it's just a short step to pass them over my network to my iMac, ready for playback.


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## adamm321 (Jan 31, 2008)

Finally have all my wma files converted on the old Dell using the dBpoweramp program and have them all moved into iTunes and enjoying them tremendously. Thanks for all the help and ideas.


adam


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

That's great. :up:

Would you mind marking this thread as "solved"? That helps out other users searching for solutions to the same problem. Click "Thread Tools" above your first post (on the right) and you have the option to "Mark as Solved".

Take care, happy listening and happy gardening.


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