Currently, all online music stores in Singapore such as Soundbuzz and Nokia Music Store sell songs in protected WMA format which cannot be converted by iTunes for iPod. The only way to transfer it to MOST portable music players including iPod, is to convert protected WMA to MP3.
In order to do this, we will need to burn the song into an audio CD and then rip it out as an MP3 file. This is actually quite a simple process and most importantly, it’s free. And the following is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step pictorial guide on how to convert protected WMA to MP3:
Firstly, you need 3 items in place before proceeding with step 1:
- Windows Media Player 10
- Microsoft Windows XP-compatible CD burner
- Blank CD-R
1. Open Windows Media Player. On the File menu, point to “CDs and Devices”, click “Burn Audio CD…” and the Burn tab will be selected.
2. Click on “Edit Playlist”.
3. Click an item from the library to add it to the Burn List. Once you are done, click “OK” and then insert a blank CD-R into the drive (CD Burner).
4. Select “Audio CD” from the drop-down box on the right-hand side of the screen.
5. Click on “Start Burn”.
6. Burn completed and audio CD is ready.
Note: After burning the song into an audio CD, iPod owners can opt to SKIP the following steps. You can transfer it directly to your iPod by using iTunes to import the song from the audio CD.
7. Keep the audio CD in the drive. On the Tools menu, click “Options”.
8. Click on “Rip Music” tab, select “mp3″ for “Format:” and slide “Audio quality:” to “192 Kbps” followed by clicking “OK”.
9. Select “Rip” tab.
10. Click on “Rip Music”.
Congrats, you have managed to convert protected WMA to MP3 format. Look under “My Documents\My Music” for your mp3 file.
Related Reviews: Using Soundbuzz and Nokia Music Store to buy music online in Singapore.
