converting wma to mp3

ARTHUR

Marty_J wrote: »

I'm a Mac guy, but I've just had a look on one of our Windows machines, and I can't see a way to do it. It seems very odd that there's no method to convert from one format to another.



A wma file will sound better then an mp3 created from a wma file. This is nothing to do with the merits of each format however; it just due to the information lost in the conversion process.

thats what I thought, I couldn't see how to convert it in media player either - I thought for a minute there it was going to be easy.
the only reason I want to convert them is because its harder to turn them into a playable CD, not to mention not all mp3 players support wma

ARTHUR

I figured out a different way to convert the files, first I burnt them to a cd in WMA format, next I set windows media player to rip in mp3 format, then I placed the wma songs on my hard drive into the recycle bin to get them out the way and keep them safe in case anything went wrong, then all I had to do is put the cd's (burnt in wma format) back into my cd drive and re-rip the songs again but this time in mp3 format - I have checked the size of the albums and they are more or less the same size in both formats.
I can now empty my recycle bin as I have the re-ripped albums in mp3 format.
thanks to everyone who helped

JasX

ARTHUR wrote: »

wow slow down you have lost me there

Basically if you have a .wma file that tells you it has a bit rate of 128, make sure you tell your .mp3 converter to make a .mp3 file with a bit rate of 128 from it.

With digital music you're effectively sampling a continious analogue signal at certain points and then trying to reconstruct the samples later into the original continious signal/wave.

If you change file format but you match the bit rate you'll be sampling at the same points which will preserve signal quality as much as possible.

if you sample as a mis matched rates when you convert (essentially sample a second time around) you'll be sampling in-between the original samples and end result will be based on the interpolation (ie best guess) of what the original signal would have been at that point rather than resampling something taken directly from the original signal.

JasX

ARTHUR wrote: »

I figured out a different way to convert the files, first I burnt them to a cd in WMA format, next I set windows media player to rip in mp3 format, then I placed the wma songs on my hard drive into the recycle bin to get them out the way and keep them safe in case anything went wrong, then all I had to do is put the cd's (burnt in wma format) back into my cd drive and re-rip the songs again but this time in mp3 format - I have checked the size of the albums and they are more or less the same size in both formats.
I can now empty my recycle bin as I have the re-ripped albums in mp3 format.
thanks to everyone who helped

you must be losing huge amounts of signal quality there, seriously just use itunes (free download from apple) to convert them directly

timmmers

ARTHUR wrote: »

I figured out a different way to convert the files, first I burnt them to a cd in WMA format, next I set windows media player to rip in mp3 format, then I placed the wma songs on my hard drive into the recycle bin to get them out the way and keep them safe in case anything went wrong, then all I had to do is put the cd's (burnt in wma format) back into my cd drive and re-rip the songs again but this time in mp3 format - I have checked the size of the albums and they are more or less the same size in both formats.
I can now empty my recycle bin as I have the re-ripped albums in mp3 format.
thanks to everyone who helped

Arthur ...don't place files into recycle to safeguard them, make a folder on your desktop and call it something like "safe" and drag them in there ...same named files elsewhere won't matter then. You can delete old files when you're done. I always burn old files I might need on a CD since it takes a minute and you never know.

You'll be back asking for recovery tips if you aren't careful :rotfl:

ARTHUR

JasX wrote: »

you must be losing huge amounts of signal quality there, seriously just use itunes (free download from apple) to convert them directly

it really doesnt sound any different to the wma copy - well I havent listened to all the album yet but the songs I have heard sound okay, I dont like itunes software as it tries to take over your computer and music folders

ARTHUR

timmmers wrote: »

Arthur ...don't place files into recycle to safeguard them, make a folder on your desktop and call it something like "safe" and drag them in there ...same named files elsewhere won't matter then. You can delete old files when you're done. I always burn old files I might need on a CD since it takes a minute and you never know.

You'll be back asking for recovery tips if you aren't careful :rotfl:

good point I should have made a folder with a different name on the desktop instead of putting them in the recycle bin just to keep them out of the way and stop their file names clashing with the re-ripped albums as its so easy to accidentally empty the recycle bin and delete them.
I have burned both the albums onto blank cds in mp3 format through Nero to let me play them on my cd player (the original albums are lost ages ago) while one works on my cd player the other refuses to play I have checked it and it works fine on my computer so its not corrupted so I am a bit confused as they are both mp3 and on works but one doesnt any ideas ?

lemontart

me is very confused - read the thread, trying importing wma to itunes buts says cannot convert the wma tunes purchased via free coded on nokia as wma - is there something I need to set up in itunes to convert them or do I need to download some of the software mentioned or use the cd route as discribed by another poster

bat999

Hi
On the iTunes website it says you can import wma files if they are unprotected and if you have Windows Media Player 9 or later installed.
Here:-http://www.apple.com/itunes/how-to/#management-convertwma

celler

Get FOOBAR,
It honestly makes itunes and wmp look like junk.
OK it takes a while to set it up the way you wont it to look.
But you can convert,rename,retag any way you wont imagine renaming 1000 songs to artist - title in 30 seconds ,Tagging your whole music collection from filename.You point it at the folder that has your music in it so long as you keep your music within, it will allways know whats there,rename it or change folder structure it knows


.http://www.foobar2000.org/