Alternative to itunes...

[Faldo]

i havent seen MYOB on here for a bit, but this might bring him out...

Advice needed.

I currently have about 4,000 tunes on itunes. The problem is that most of these are in AAC format (standard for itunes - particularly in early versions) which makes them pretty unuseable for anything outside itunes - which is a bit of a pain as I now want to put music on my PSP.

I remember reading on here that there were alternatives. WINAMP?

basically, what alternative would you recommend, and is it possible to convert the file types from AAC to something else?

Ta muchly.

 

[Cian]

Nearly all players can play AAC, however nothing but iTunes can play -protected- AAC files that you bought off the iTunes Music Store. Winamp can definately handle them, as can Realplayer (spit).

And yes, even iTunes will convert unprotected AAC to mp3 - select the files, you want to convert; Advanced->Convert Selection to AAC.

I also think the PSP will play AAC if you install the latest firmware. Unprotected only, though.

 

[REDLAND]

Nearly all players can play AAC, however nothing but iTunes can play -protected- AAC files that you bought off the iTunes Music Store.

you can though BURN all these to CD and re-rip them as standard mp3's..

Not great fun but it solves the problem !!

 

[Faldo]

Nearly all players can play AAC, however nothing but iTunes can play -protected- AAC files that you bought off the iTunes Music Store. Winamp can definately handle them, as can Realplayer (spit).

And yes, even iTunes will convert unprotected AAC to mp3 - select the files, you want to convert; Advanced->Convert Selection to AAC.

I also think the PSP will play AAC if you install the latest firmware. Unprotected only, though.

All of my tracks are off CDs - so this means they will be unprotected?

So in theory I should be able to whack the files as they are onto my memory stick (after the jiggery pokery to get the right folders set up) and they should work?

Might still look at getting WINAMP instead - just for flexibility.

ta matey!

 

[Cian]

Yeah, they'll be fine. It doesn't protect music off CD. (Unlike Media Player, which does by default..)

And yes, once the PSP has firmware 2.0 or higher, it'll play those files fine.

And what Redland says is true, you can burn off bought iTunes music and rip it back, its a true pain in the arse but it works. I've done it to use pepsi cap vouchers up

 

[Bluejuice]

However, the fact remains you really should be using Winamp.

www.winamp.com

 

[REDLAND]

However, the fact remains you really should be using Winamp.

www.winamp.com

WRONG !!

 

[Bluejuice]

no

RIGHT

 

[Cian]

no

RIGHT

Precisely

Unless you're on a Macintosh, in which case you should be using VLC.

iTunes is a steaming pile of shite, and its Windows port is unusably bad. Its better on the Mac but VLC is still better than it.

 

[Bluejuice]

Having said that I just tried to use the radio in my Winamp and got a message telling me to upgrade which I promptly did, and now my media library skins don't fit



What a bunch of balls

 

[Cian]

You went from 2.x or 3.x to 5.x I'd guess?

Theres a mode to set 5.x to look like 2.x and the skins work again. 3.x ones don't as 3.x was a f***ing Bad Idea on Nullsofts part and thats why they dropped it and went back to 2.x.

 

[Woodchip]

You went from 2.x or 3.x to 5.x I'd guess?

Theres a mode to set 5.x to look like 2.x and the skins work again. 3.x ones don't as 3.x was a f***ing Bad Idea on Nullsofts part and thats why they dropped it and went back to 2.x.

Quite.


MYOB, you really need to get out more.

 

[Bluejuice]

Nah I just went from 5.11 to 5.21 because it wouldnt let me use the radio search until I did so.

Now my media library window is twice the size of the content within it so I have a thick useless border around my media library and can't find out how to get rid.

I've tried changing skin but it's the same with any of them

 

[REDLAND]

Nah I just went from 5.11 to 5.21 because it wouldnt let me use the radio search until I did so.

Now my media library window is twice the size of the content within it so I have a thick useless border around my media library and can't find out how to get rid.

I've tried changing skin but it's the same with any of them

So winamp is better unless you wanna update it ?

 

[Cian]

Hrm, that just sounds like a fuckup in the app, then. Not good. Have you tried reinstalling the version you're using now? I don't think they've added random pointless borders for no reason.

Woodchip - you don't know me outside of NSC, at all. So shut up.

 

[Cian]

So winamp is better unless you wanna update it ?

As compared to upgrading to the Windows version of iTunes 5.0 and being unable to access the internet until it was removed, as happened to about 30% of all users?

 

[Woodchip]

Woodchip - you don't know me outside of NSC, at all. So shut up.

Dude, chill!!! I was only kidding. Plus I've been sat here all night watching the footy and reading/posting on NSC, so you could have pointed that out.

 

[Cian]

Dude, chill!!! I was only kidding. Plus I've been sat here all night watching the footy and reading/posting on NSC, so you could have pointed that out.

Ah, but so have most of us so I'm not quite ready to start flinging that one out

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

MYOB - you could probably help on this one - how do i rip napster tunes back into mp3's so that i can put them on my ipod?

 

[Cian]

MYOB - you could probably help on this one - how do i rip napster tunes back into mp3's so that i can put them on my ipod?

If bought - burn to CD, and re-rip

If 'rented' - loopback soundcard recording. This is utterly NASTY to do. sometimes this can be easy-ish - some sound card drivers have a loopback input on the mixer and you just use something free like Audacity to record back. Otherwise you'll need slightly more special software, although on some cards you just connect the Line Out to the Line In - this works on my Soundblaster.