Nero and WMA files

[eboyjones]

Wife bought some songs online and they came in the wma and a few in the asf file format. I have Nero 5.5.10 and it does not support ither file. Need a way to convert them to wav or mp3 so I can burn them. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Saw many different audio file converters on Google, but I prefer talking to someone that has tested them out first.

Wondering does Nero 6 suport ither file format?http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/sad2.gif

[charlescpc]

i Have Nero express 5.5. It came with my burner. It does support the windows format WMA.
I don't know about the asf format. I had a full version 5 of Nero too and I think it also supports the wma files..

You can burn the wma files to a music cd using either real player or windows media player.

I don't use either one to make a cd, I like Nero.

I know to use the windows media player to burn cds you have to have the software to burn a cd loaded and windows uses some of that software.

You might give it a try and see how it goes.
Hope this helps some....

[Taz Devil]

Check out dbPowerAmp music converter...can do almost any time of file, with quality settings you choose. FREE, and easy to use. I've been using their programs for a couple of years. Audio player is also nice.
http://www.dbpoweramp.com/

[confus-ed]

Somebody else is confus-ed :), this time ! ;)


MOV/ASF/WMV/WMA support added

That's for nero 6 ;) picked up from the revision history but the update is version 5 'something' (sorry couldn't figure which !)

[hudsonsmith]

You need this plug-in http://www.nero.com/en/wma-plugin.php

[eboyjones]

You need this plug-in http://www.nero.com/en/wma-plugin.php
downloaded and installed this plug-in and still get the message Nero does not support wma files as they are Microsft protected.

Any other ideas to make nero burn wma file?http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/sad2.gif

[Humilliation]

downloaded and installed this plug-in and still get the message Nero does not support wma files as they are Microsft protected.

Any other ideas to make nero burn wma file?http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/sad2.gif

Just asking but have you tried burning the music to disc using Windows Media Player like someone had already suggested? I've used WMP to burn discs and they turned out fine. I've also burned .wma files with nero 5.5.10.54 so you may have something corrupted within nero, maybe? Are you trying to burn using Nero Burning ROM or express? I've almost never had any issues with the ROM, express was iffy. Are you trying to convert .wma to wav. = .cda? Open ROM with wizard and choose audio cd and just drag and drop - it should convert with no problem.

[eboyjones]

The message I get from Nero Burning Rom is,"The selected wma files are protected and can not be processed."

These are legal, bought and paid for files not "illegals" and I don't want wma files, I want mp3 to go with my other files.

By the way will wma files play on other devices than Medai Player? I am not familiar with this music format.http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/sad2.gif

I downloaded dBpower music converter and Media Monkey and both were unable to convert the wma to mp3.http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/sad2.gif

[confus-ed]

The message I get from Nero Burning Rom is,"The selected wma files are protected and can not be processed."

These are legal, bought and paid for files not "illegals" and I don't want wma files, I want mp3 to go with my other files.

By the way will wma files play on other devices than Medai Player? I am not familiar with this music format.http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/sad2.gif

I downloaded dBpower music converter and Media Monkey and both were unable to convert the wma to mp3.http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/sad2.gif

Right so that sounds like the files are somehow encoded so that you need to have a matching 'paid' key somewheres to get it open & the 'paid' bit isn't getting matched up by windows ... there's some 'recommended' downloads on windows update concerning this - got them ?

They might even be encoded so that you can't 'easily' change the format & therefore 'accidentally' lose the copy protection ;) (I somehow get the impression that, that is the entire idea !!!!)

I think all this stinks with windows, they don't make it clear on these sites just exactly what it is you are buying ... which in this case looks like a file that only can be played on your pc & only with media player through this 'locked' file business ... see if there are any clues on whatever site you download from - if there are 'limiting factors' they should tell you somewhere ...

[Platypus]

Welcome to the world of DRM (Digital Rights Management)... ;)

Licensed music files are sold as WMAs because they can be limited to being used according to the licence they were purchased under.

I must find the time to understand this properly one day - there's licence migration, 30-day licences, all kinds of junk.

I don't think it should be possible to copy these files by any (legal) digital means. Once the data is converted into analog form though, DRM can't do anything about it... :devil:

[hudsonsmith]

Welcome to the world of DRM (Digital Rights Management)... ;)

Licensed music files are sold as WMAs because they can be limited to being used according to the licence they were purchased under.

I must find the time to understand this properly one day - there's licence migration, 30-day licences, all kinds of junk.

I don't think it should be possible to copy these files by any (legal) digital means. Once the data is converted into analog form though, DRM can't do anything about it... :devil:

That's hit it on the head. wma files can be encoded w/ specific rights, i.e., that you can download the file but not burn it, or that you can play it for only 30 days, etc. The specifics are up to the owner of the rights.

As far as playing wma files on other devices, that would depend on the software you are using for playback. Most of the majors offer plug-ins to allow wma playback.

[eboyjones]

That's hit it on the head. wma files can be encoded w/ specific rights, i.e., that you can download the file but not burn it, or that you can play it for only 30 days, etc. The specifics are up to the owner of the rights.

.
But that's the problem. When the songs were downloaded the came with the licenses and rights to burn copies. That is the only reason we bought them in the first place.
I can understand that problem with illegal downloads but not legal ones.

I am most puzzled by this. As yet not eard back from customer support.

Company name is,
http://musicrebellion.com/


and here is what there fact sheet syas about burning copies,
http://musicrebellion.com/userFAQ.jsp

If I use Media player it won't convert to MP3 or wave and that is what I want.

[hudsonsmith]

Can you burn them to cd directly from windows media player? There is a cd burning (roxio?) plug-in.

[Poseidon]

The way I see it, you paid for something and did not receive what is expected. Is there a way to contact Customer Service from the site you downloaded the files from?
Also, did you use a credit card to pay for the files? If so, you could dispute the charges until the issue is resolved.


My .02¢

[eboyjones]

I contacted customer support and they agreed to give me a full refund. One has to be careful of these sites as they offer burning rights, but you are limited to what software and players you can use. A lot of sites ither use Media Player or Real Player, both of which I don't care for.

So I'll look some more for sites that specifically say they can use Nero and players like Winamp.

Anybody have any favorites please post them.http://forums.windrivers.com/images/smilies/bigok.gif

[Humilliation]

Well if I was to buy music online I wouldn't pay for any compressed music file like an MP3, WMA, aif or asf. I'd be wanting a full 1411bps wav. I know it would be a large download like 43MBs for a 4 minute song, but if they're going to charge you for it you might as well get the whole song not just bits of one. I know a lot of music CDs these days have computer play protection meaning they won't allow you to play an audio CD unless you install the software that's bundled with the CD which is BS because it prevents you from ripping MP3s. But I know that there are some programs out there that will allow you to record what you hear just like the sound recorder that comes with windows, but I believe the program that comes with windows limits you to 60 seconds of recording. The other programs allow you to record a whole CD if you wanted to. If you had one of them programs that allow you to record what you hear for longer than a minute, you could play that wma file you bought with MP and record what you hear with the other program which would be recording a .wav file that you could convert to MP3 because you would be playing that file with one player and recording it with another. Was that confusing or did it make some sense? I'm confused, because when I first started writing this I thought I knew what I was trying to say.

[confus-ed]

... I'm confused, because when I first started writing this I thought I knew what I was trying to say.

Happens only to the best of us :D ;)

Since I'm always like that, I've learnt to adapt so perhaps ...

If downloading music - its cheeky charging for an mp3 which is only 1/2 the 'sound' (or less depending on its quality) - best is the full track 'un-shrunk'

DRM is pants - as you paid, why can't you then do what you want with it ? (of course only for personal uses & not to bankrupt Sony or whoever by selling it again)..

& there is stuff 'out there' which can defeat all this anyway - with which any 'pirate' should be able to 'sink any copy protection' within a flash - so all this does is make life 'hard' for normal folks who might like to play the tracks they just downloaded in the car or mp3 player or wherever they damn well please if its for them ...

Of course as I am confus-ed you might have been saying something completely different ! :D:D:D

[Platypus]

I don't think it should be possible to copy these files by any (legal) digital means. Once the data is converted into analog form though, DRM can't do anything about it... :devil:

Translation:

No player that conforms to the legal requirements of DRM will digitally copy a music file contrary to the licence. (I've seen it suggested that iTunes will migrate a WMA to mp3, I've also seen it suggested that patches Apple are urging users to apply for "security" correct "features" which may include this one... ) There are always "hacks" being developed to get around measures like this, but even though eboy could likely feel justified using one to get the copying entitlement he had paid for, such things are not promoted around WinDrivers.

An alternative way of getting around the problem is to make an analog copy, which DRM cannot prevent. The copy will not be as good, as it will go through two stages of analog conversion, besides the lossy compression being converted to mp3 which would be happening either way. But it could be serviceable. Any full-duplex sound card (basically anything modern) can play the file back and record a WAV file of the resulting sound. The recording could be done with free software like Audacity, or the free Cool Edit can probably still be found. (As Humilliation has mentioned, Windows Sound Recorder is only intended for recording sound "bytes" to attach to Windows events.)

eboy, glad they came good with the refund, but not being a music downloader, I can't offer any help with source recommendations. (Have you looked at iTunes?)


(Humilliation, I guess you meant to say 1411Kbps for CD bitrate.)

[confus-ed]

..There are always "hacks" being developed to get around measures like this, but even though eboy could likely feel justified using one to get the copying entitlement he had paid for, such things are not promoted around WinDrivers...

Well why the hell not ? - we've done this before on other threads & the conclusion I kept coming to was that since DRM generally infringes on individual freedom to do a lawful thing, it stinks !, & there also isn't any reason under any rules we have here - that if its legal, it shouldn't be shown how.

So glad you suggested how to do it by analogue means :thumbs: (but your two sentiments got me all confus-ed so I thought I'd mention :D) ..... I ain't sussed it yet digitally ... but if anyone has ?

[eboyjones]

For all the hassle I guess I'll just go back to the old way and buy the cd's.

Funny you can download illegal MP3's and burn with no hassle, but when you want to be legit you get nothing but headaches.

http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/Cartangry.gif

[Platypus]

Well why the hell not ? - we've done this before on other threads & the conclusion I kept coming to was that since DRM generally infringes on individual freedom to do a lawful thing, it stinks !, & there also isn't any reason under any rules we have here - that if its legal, it shouldn't be shown how.

I did choose my words fairly carefully, and aimed to base my comments on what is legal:

No player that conforms to the legal requirements of DRM will digitally copy a music file contrary to the licence.

and what is accepted practice on the Forum:

There are always "hacks" being developed to get around measures like this, but... such things are not promoted around WinDrivers.


WD is nowhere as trigger-happy as some tech sites where just a reference to the existence of a "hack" will get a thread closed or deleted. But unless things have changed, my understanding is that we certainly steer clear of actively directing people to warez, hacks etc. I didn't suggest there was any rule forbidding explanation of an action that is legal...

[Platypus]

Funny you can download illegal MP3's and burn with no hassle, but when you want to be legit you get nothing but headaches.


Sadly, it happens so often that the measures taken against those who do the wrong thing also hit those who want to do the right thing. At the shop, we're getting more people asking for help because their CD players can't play the recent copy protected discs.

We can only hope that DRM will get sorted quickly and work smoothly to help those who are entitled to the rewards of their labour to not be ripped off, and promote economical availability of a good product for the end user.

In the meantime, at least with a CD you've got the full quality material, not a mangled facsimile...