iTunes can't make MP3 CDs of protected music

The iTunes/iPod strategy has a significant flaw

Published on January 11, 2004 By Draginol In Gadgets & Electronics

There is a chink in the mighty iTunes armor. Those of you who follow this blog know that I've been a strong proponent for Apple's iTunes. But today I discovered something I wasn't aware of before: iTunes will not burn MP3 CDs with commercially downloaded music.

Why is that a big deal? The other players probably don't do that either right? (actually I'm pretty sure that Windows Media Player does but I could be wrong). The reason it's a big deal is that if I want to make an MP3 CD for listening to in the house on our stereo (which plays MP3 CDs), I have to burn them to regular music CDs, then burn them back as MP3s.

Which gets to the economic harm part for Apple: I was about to buy an iPod. In fact, I went to Best Buy today and they were out of them. I was going to get the iPod because I've so "standardized" on iTunes for buying my music that I figured it would be less hassle to just get the iPod and use my commercially bought music that way.

But the iPod for iTunes advantage evaporates for me once I'm stuck having to make audio CD archives of all my music. Because at that point, I can use any portable audio device to play those. And at that point, that puts the iPod having to compete on the same ground as the other portable devices and sorry to say, the iPod carries quite a premium price when in fact many other portable players now are just as good and cost less.

iTunes may have been designed to be a great way to sell more iPods for Apple, but its inability to create the increasingly popular MP3 CDs takes away a big advantage for a lot of people. And it's foolish as well. It doesn't stop piracy. If I wanted to pirate these songs I still could by burning the plain audio CD (which I'll now have to do so that I can rip them from CD to turn into unprotected songs so that I can make an MP3 CD to play on our stereo). Sigh.

Comments (Page 2)

JeremyG

on Jan 13, 2004

Try Total Recorder:

http://www.highcriteria.com

Tech Cat

on Jan 13, 2004

Wouldn't using Total Recorder be time consuming and result in loss in quality?

amgpod

on Feb 03, 2004

Are there any "virtual cd-rw drives" to trick itunes (or any other burning software) into writing an image of a music disc for immediate ripping without the need of any actual CD-R/RW media?

Akron OH Winamp Lover

on Mar 22, 2004

Ipods are great! I plan to buy one in the near future, but I still want to be able to use winamp at my bar computer. I've been using it since '97 and I've become quite happy with it. Again, my argument is that I can copy my vinyl to tape or CD and listen to it where ever I want, with what ever brand of stereo I want. Why does the music I buy on Itunes have to be played only on an Ipod or through Itunes? Again, 3 cheers for Ipods, I love 'em, but I play more music on my computer than I would with a portable player. I only commute about 5 minutes to work, and at home I prefer Winamp. I don't want to burn to an Audio CD, then rip back to mp3 just to use Winamp. It doesn't make since to me.

Akron OH Winamp Lover

on Mar 22, 2004

on Apr 20, 2004

If you must have .mp3 CDs, another work around is using WireTap (ambrosia software) and realtime make .aiffs of the tunes, then .mp3 those. At least this way you are listening to the tunes during the process and WireTap works in the background so if you need to be in front of your 'puter, you can at least be productive during the AAC to AIF process.

TasT

on May 03, 2004

A quick google search game us with:

iTunes-LAME Encoder 2.0.7 (Mac software) you have a Mac don't ya froggy?
http://www.blacktree.com/apps/iTunes-LAME/index.php

j.marchice.....

on May 17, 2004

This also, is a concern of mine. I"m in the process of making a website and a particular segment calls for the addition of mp3's. I found what I was looking for,music wise at Itune's but the aggravation of having to burn them to a cd and then back again, set a flame of dissent in my spirit. I definitely, feel they made a big mistake in not incorporating the mp3 format. The wind up is as much as I wanted to play fair and legal, I'm still hacking my way through....and ya know what...I don't give a damn....!!!!!!
bo

on Jun 27, 2004

I have tried to copy the itunes music to a cd-rw then copy it back to the hard drive but it still does not convert it from a mpeg4 protected version. What is ripped is that something i'm not doing?

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