Converting to Aiff files at DVinfo.net

Chris Westerstrom · May 30th, 2006, 06:55 AM

I just bought a song off of itunes and was going to make a little funny video for my family.

I usually can convert these to Aiff so that I can use them in Final Cut Express but it says the song I want to convert is protected.
Anyone know how I can convert it anyways?

I honestly don't think there would be anything wrong about changing this file as I bought the music for private use and plan on editing it for private use.

Greg Boston · May 30th, 2006, 07:14 AM

One method is to burn the song to CD in cd audio format. You can then access the CD while in the editor to bring the song back into FCE which should automatically turn it into AIFF.

-gb-

Boyd Ostroff · May 30th, 2006, 07:28 AM

I'm not sure whether that would work.. have you tried? I thought Apple's DRM software put limits on what could be done with the CD's you burn. If that fails you might have to capture it as analog from your CD player, iPod or computer.

Greg Boston · May 30th, 2006, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boyd Ostroff

I'm not sure whether that would work.. have you tried? I thought Apple's DRM software put limits on what could be done with the CD's you burn. If that fails you might have to capture it as analog from your CD player, iPod or computer.

Yes Boyd, I have actually done that. DRM isn't supported in good old cd audio format files AFAIK. But keep in mind that the file will go through two encoding processes, once on the way out, and once on the way back in so there will be some quality loss involved. I was trying to do the same thing as the original poster and this was the only workaround I could find.

Interestingly enough, that limitation doesn't show up in iPhoto. I can use any iTunes song I want as a musical slideshow background. Don't know about iMovie or iDVD. But FCP doesn't allow it.

-gb-

Boyd Ostroff · May 30th, 2006, 07:50 AM

Thanks - I did not know that! :-)

Lorne Mathre · May 30th, 2006, 08:19 AM

Another way of converting the protected file is to open up Imovie and under the audio tab grab the song from your itnues library and drop it on your timeline. Then under file select share, quicktime, expert settings, audio as aiff. Or if you have an unlimited supply of cd's just burn the song to cd and recapture it off the cd.

Meryem Ersoz · May 30th, 2006, 08:29 AM

both of these methods work, but outputting to aiff from the imovie timeline, using the expert settings, has the advantage of being lossless....also the advantage of not wasting a CD just to burn a song for conversion....

Kevin Calumpit · May 30th, 2006, 08:29 PM

i usually use QT Pro and all you do is open the song up in QT( do FILE>OPEN then in finder do a search for the song and when the mp3 file comes up that you want choose that) then in QT do export and then sound to AIFF.

Nate Ford · June 7th, 2006, 08:59 AM

wiretap is a good app for dealing with this kind of stuff. the free demo version will do what you need. it basically just records (in realtime) whatever sound your system is playing. in the prefs, you can select the file type and stuff. for a dv movie, you'd want 16bit stereo 48khz aiff.

Chris Westerstrom · June 7th, 2006, 01:23 PM

That's good advice Nate! thanks! I tried the aforementioned tip of trying to get it out from imovie but it said that protected files can't be exported without pictures with it. I ended up burning a disc and putting it back in itunes and then converted it without problems to aiff.

It's a shame that they have to interfere with how I want to use a product I bought! That's like Head and Shoulders not allowing me to to wash my hands with it after I bought it!

Meryem Ersoz · June 7th, 2006, 03:11 PM

the easy workaround for the required accompanying images in the imovie timeline is to make a black freeze frame and set it for the duration of your music....

May 30th, 2006, 06:55 AM	#1
Chris Westerstrom Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden Posts: 259	Converting to Aiff files I just bought a song off of itunes and was going to make a little funny video for my family. I usually can convert these to Aiff so that I can use them in Final Cut Express but it says the song I want to convert is protected. Anyone know how I can convert it anyways? I honestly don't think there would be anything wrong about changing this file as I bought the music for private use and plan on editing it for private use.

May 30th, 2006, 08:19 AM	#6
Lorne Mathre Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 56	Use Imovie Another way of converting the protected file is to open up Imovie and under the audio tab grab the song from your itnues library and drop it on your timeline. Then under file select share, quicktime, expert settings, audio as aiff. Or if you have an unlimited supply of cd's just burn the song to cd and recapture it off the cd.

May 30th, 2006, 07:14 AM	#2
Greg Boston Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 6,117 Images: 1	One method is to burn the song to CD in cd audio format. You can then access the CD while in the editor to bring the song back into FCE which should automatically turn it into AIFF. -gb-

May 30th, 2006, 07:28 AM	#3
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	I'm not sure whether that would work.. have you tried? I thought Apple's DRM software put limits on what could be done with the CD's you burn. If that fails you might have to capture it as analog from your CD player, iPod or computer.

May 30th, 2006, 07:50 AM	#5
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Thanks - I did not know that! :-)

May 30th, 2006, 08:29 AM	#7
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	both of these methods work, but outputting to aiff from the imovie timeline, using the expert settings, has the advantage of being lossless....also the advantage of not wasting a CD just to burn a song for conversion....

May 30th, 2006, 08:29 PM	#8
Kevin Calumpit Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: San Marcos, CALIFORNIA Posts: 103	i usually use QT Pro and all you do is open the song up in QT( do FILE>OPEN then in finder do a search for the song and when the mp3 file comes up that you want choose that) then in QT do export and then sound to AIFF.

June 7th, 2006, 08:59 AM	#9
Nate Ford Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: new york, ny Posts: 121	wiretap is a good app for dealing with this kind of stuff. the free demo version will do what you need. it basically just records (in realtime) whatever sound your system is playing. in the prefs, you can select the file type and stuff. for a dv movie, you'd want 16bit stereo 48khz aiff.

June 7th, 2006, 01:23 PM	#10
Chris Westerstrom Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden Posts: 259	That's good advice Nate! thanks! I tried the aforementioned tip of trying to get it out from imovie but it said that protected files can't be exported without pictures with it. I ended up burning a disc and putting it back in itunes and then converted it without problems to aiff. It's a shame that they have to interfere with how I want to use a product I bought! That's like Head and Shoulders not allowing me to to wash my hands with it after I bought it!

June 7th, 2006, 03:11 PM	#11
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	the easy workaround for the required accompanying images in the imovie timeline is to make a black freeze frame and set it for the duration of your music....