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Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 1:49 pm
by jhouse59
zenobiaflex I'm trying to get my computer to convert my M4A to mp3s. I've used Sound Converter. It will show my files. But, it will not let me convert them. I keep geting this error message "GStreamer Error
Could not decode stream file:'01 I Don't Wanna Stop.m4p" . I've installed all the GStreamer that my book "Ubuntu Linux by William von Hagen" says to. I didn't install all the GStreamer listed.

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:28 pm
by merlwiz79
You are trying to convert a .m4p which has DRM from Apple's Music Store.
This is most likely your problem.
http://filext.com/file-extension/M4P

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:35 pm
by jhouse59
merlwiz79 wrote:You are trying to convert a .m4p which has DRM from Apple's Music Store.
This is most likely your problem.
http://filext.com/file-extension/M4P
Yes. Its songs I've bought at Apple's Music Store. I just want to be able to listen to them in Linux. Do you know how to convert them? If I understand the book "Ubuntu Linux by William von Hagen" right it can be done. But, I've installed all the GStreamer listed. Sound Converter will convert them but, I still get the error message, Nothing I've tried so far will open them.

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 3:56 am
by thebrix
jhouse59 wrote:
merlwiz79 wrote:You are trying to convert a .m4p which has DRM from Apple's Music Store.
This is most likely your problem.
http://filext.com/file-extension/M4P
Yes. Its songs I've bought at Apple's Music Store. I just want to be able to listen to them in Linux. Do you know how to convert them? If I understand the book "Ubuntu Linux by William von Hagen" right it can be done. But, I've installed all the GStreamer listed. Sound Converter will convert them but, I still get the error message, Nothing I've tried so far will open them.
Regrettably it is not possible - that is the point of Digital Rights Management, which is the (in my opinion) warped technology causing all the problems you are experiencing.

Apple (it was their decision - nobody else is at fault) deliberately ties the M4P files to operating systems which can run iTunes, namely Windows and Mac OS X, and to the iPod itself. You will not be able to play M4P files on a Zune, for example, although it advertises itself as being able to play "AAC files", where AAC is the audio encoding algorithm used by M4P files.

In the old days (iTunes 5 and before) there were packages available which could remove the protection and turn M4P into M4A (unprotected) files, which Amarok now handles splendidly.

I saw this problem coming and did that conversion for about 20 albums I bought; thereafter I didn't touch the Apple Store and, when I still used Windows, stopped using iTunes to handle the iPod (foobar2000 did the trick instead).

Unfortunately Apple got wise to that trick and, in iTunes 6 and 7, locked down the protection so strongly it has, so far, proved unbreakable ...

Bottom line: you will have to use a Windows machine with iTunes to move the M4P files to and from your iPod.

An unsatisfactory workaround would be to burn the M4P files to an audio CD (I believe iTunes supports that) then rip that using soundjuicer etc. I have never done that, but it should be possible (if longwinded).

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:46 am
by jhouse59
thebrix wrote:
jhouse59 wrote:
merlwiz79 wrote:You are trying to convert a .m4p which has DRM from Apple's Music Store.
This is most likely your problem.
http://filext.com/file-extension/M4P
Yes. Its songs I've bought at Apple's Music Store. I just want to be able to listen to them in Linux. Do you know how to convert them? If I understand the book "Ubuntu Linux by William von Hagen" right it can be done. But, I've installed all the GStreamer listed. Sound Converter will convert them but, I still get the error message, Nothing I've tried so far will open them.
Regrettably it is not possible - that is the point of Digital Rights Management, which is the (in my opinion) warped technology causing all the problems you are experiencing.

Apple (it was their decision - nobody else is at fault) deliberately ties the M4P files to operating systems which can run iTunes, namely Windows and Mac OS X, and to the iPod itself. You will not be able to play M4P files on a Zune, for example, although it advertises itself as being able to play "AAC files", where AAC is the audio encoding algorithm used by M4P files.

In the old days (iTunes 5 and before) there were packages available which could remove the protection and turn M4P into M4A (unprotected) files, which Amarok now handles splendidly.

I saw this problem coming and did that conversion for about 20 albums I bought; thereafter I didn't touch the Apple Store and, when I still used Windows, stopped using iTunes to handle the iPod (foobar2000 did the trick instead).

Unfortunately Apple got wise to that trick and, in iTunes 6 and 7, locked down the protection so strongly it has, so far, proved unbreakable ...

Bottom line: you will have to use a Windows machine with iTunes to move the M4P files to and from your iPod.

An unsatisfactory workaround would be to burn the M4P files to an audio CD (I believe iTunes supports that) then rip that using soundjuicer etc. I have never done that, but it should be possible (if longwinded).
Thanks thebrix,
I just have a couple of albums from iTunes.I burned them to a cd.Then ripped them in Mint.
Do you know of any where music can be bought. For Linux user?

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:51 pm
by thebrix
jhouse59 wrote:
Thanks thebrix,
I just have a couple of albums from iTunes.I burned them to a cd.Then ripped them in Mint.
Do you know of any where music can be bought. For Linux user?
My involvement with online music is not great, but what you have to search for is "non-DRM music". This is slowly creeping out at the moment from major labels, but the most immediate place to get it is inside Amarok - the Magnatune tab on the left of the screen (hit Update to refresh the catalogue).

(There are some excellent classical recordings available from there. I don't have the knowledge to comment on how good their other offerings are ...

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 10:21 pm
by jhouse59
thebrix wrote:
jhouse59 wrote:
Thanks thebrix,
I just have a couple of albums from iTunes.I burned them to a cd.Then ripped them in Mint.
Do you know of any where music can be bought. For Linux user?
My involvement with online music is not great, but what you have to search for is "non-DRM music". This is slowly creeping out at the moment from major labels, but the most immediate place to get it is inside Amarok - the Magnatune tab on the left of the screen (hit Update to refresh the catalogue).

(There are some excellent classical recordings available from there. I don't have the knowledge to comment on how good their other offerings are ...
Thanks, Have you ever bought any thing from them? I like classic rock. I didn't see any thing I might like.

Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:52 am
by thebrix
jhouse59 wrote:Thanks, Have you ever bought any thing from them? I like classic rock. I didn't see any thing I might like.
About a dozen classical CDs. Unfortunately (probably because there is not much money involved) it is mostly smaller groups of instrumentalists involved and the repertoire is generally before 1830.

(The classical orchestra started to grow in the early 19th century ... two dozen musicians or so would no longer suffice).

Then, for music after the early 1920s, copyright kicks in - it costs a fortune to hire score and parts of works not in the public domain (I write from experience, regrettably). That is unfortunate because World War I was so devastating to the ranks of musicians that the size of ensembles, perforce, shrunk and a lot of works that would be appropriate to Magnatune's size and scale were written in the 20th century!

So the choice is probably permanently restricted by economics. Some interesting performances, though.