# how to convert wma to itunes



## steve matthews (Feb 13, 2006)

how do you convert wma songs so i can play them on itunes/ipod?


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## Lt Major Burns (Feb 13, 2006)

if they are WMA (ie unprotected/unlicenced) then i think you can just drop them into itunes, and they will convert.  (although the more i think about this, the more i'm thinking it's only the WinXP version of iTunes that can do this.  if not, try ffmpegx (google it), which is a good cross-coder for many video/audio formats. 

if it's WMP (protected, licenced, DRM) then there's no real legal way to do it (if any way).


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## Thank The Cheese (Feb 13, 2006)

EasyWMA will do the trick. Very easy to use, great app, and fr...oh wait, version 2.2 was free, version 2.3 costs $10 USD  pretty rotten thing to do IMO

I mean, I understand why he would change the licence and charge for the app. It's a solid application and worth the money, but you don't switch sides half way through a point release. He could have at least waited for version 3 and added some extra funky features. 

If you search around you may be able to find version 2.2 or earlier floating around.


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## MisterMe (Feb 13, 2006)

*Flip4Mac* ought to handle it automatically.


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## cynthiamichelle (Nov 13, 2006)

Thank The Cheese said:


> EasyWMA will do the trick. Very easy to use, great app, and fr...oh wait, version 2.2 was free, version 2.3 costs $10 USD  pretty rotten thing to do IMO
> 
> I mean, I understand why he would change the licence and charge for the app. It's a solid application and worth the money, but you don't switch sides half way through a point release. He could have at least waited for version 3 and added some extra funky features.
> 
> If you search around you may be able to find version 2.2 or earlier floating around.



i found version 2.2 easily on www.versiontracker.com
works great


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## shaulzofef (Apr 24, 2007)

I just found a easy solution for this.
It's called 'Switch', it's free, and you can download it here:
http://www.nch.com.au/switch/plus.html
It will prompt you to install Flip4Mac (also free) from Microsoft.
Worked fine for me.


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## loyaltubist (May 3, 2007)

Flip4Mac doesn't work on .asf files. I'd go ahead and keep my Windows Media Player for those files.


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## MisterMe (May 3, 2007)

loyaltubist said:


> Flip4Mac doesn't work on .asf files. ...


*Flip4Mac* disagrees with you and so do I.


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## loyaltubist (May 3, 2007)

OK, I'll try it again. I have had problems with QuickTime and iTunes recognizing certain Windows Media files. I'll still keep the player, just in case!


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## Jacksloadedgun (Jul 4, 2007)

are these .wav files?

you could use xact and xld to convert them to .flac and then too v0 and you'll have proper v0 (about 256kb/ps at the size of 192kb/ps) rips of the tracks.


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## Digital FX (Nov 18, 2007)

MisterMe said:


> *Flip4Mac* disagrees with you and so do I.



Flip4Mac only plays through quicktime but you can't use it in itunes or the ipod.
Whats worse EasyWMA demo only records in mp3 for 15 seconds.
Is there any atuomator actions to do the job?


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## Tommo (Nov 21, 2007)

No, there aren't unfortunately. The easiest way to do it is very annoying, but you can import them directly on the Windows version of iTunes and it converts them as  it imports them. If you have access to a Windows system do that and then just copy them off to the Mac.


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## Digital FX (Nov 21, 2007)

Well I'm not to go out and get windows just to get them converted. I guess i'll just have to try get the CD's again


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## waiton (Nov 23, 2007)

Hi. I've just googled and found a great solution that's free:

http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html

I'm using it right now. It seems to take a little longer than conversion in iTunes (ie. CD to mp3) but it can queue up as many files as you wish. If you have lots then you can just queue them up before you go to bed and let it do it overnight.

I'm using the free version to convert from WMA to MP3. It also has AAC format too.

Good luck!
W

EDIT: I've just finished converting 426 wma songs to mp3. The sound is good but all the album and artist information got lost in the conversion! AAARRGGHHH!!! So I'm going to use my partner's Windows PC to convert instead. *Grumble*


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## Digital FX (Nov 30, 2007)

waiton said:


> Hi. I've just googled and found a great solution that's free:
> 
> http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html
> 
> ...



Its free and it works. Convert to mp3, import to itunes and finish by convert to acc. Thanks waiton


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## PorterGCK (Jul 2, 2008)

That would be great if it were that easy. But it's not. Actually that software is TOTALLY useless. I thought making the move to MAC was the smart move as it's supposed to be so much more user friendly. The fact that it has taken this long to Finally be able to use MS office tools and the fact that converting windows media (movie and music) is like pulling your own teeth merely illustrates that Apple has a long way to go before it can live up to its advertising promises.


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## PorterGCK (Jul 2, 2008)

So I've made the move to mac and I'm in the process of moving all of my file over from pc. I can't seem to find any easy (ie drag&drop type) software to convert my 400 or so music files. Any suggestions for a computer illiterate knuckledragger like myself?


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## VirtualTracy (Jul 3, 2008)

iTunes on your PC (if you have it) will convert your songs from wma > mp3 or AAC, depending on how the importing preferences are set within iTunes.  Just drag them _(I'd do say, 50 at a time, just to play it safe)_ onto the iTunes library window and a dialogue box will appear asking you if you want the .wma files converted.  

Then you'll be set to move them over to your Mac.

If they're already on the Mac, then there's_ EasyWMA_.


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## Viro (Jul 3, 2008)

Digital FX said:


> Its free and it works. Convert to mp3, import to itunes and finish by convert to acc. Thanks waiton



So you've gone from CD -> WMA -> MP3 -> AAC. Is the resulting AAC file actually worth listening to?


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## bones8 (Jul 6, 2008)

With OS 10.4.11 I recently downloaded a wma file that was simply audio.  Opening the file in Quicktime permitted it to play, and using (Menubar,File,Export) permitted a number of save options, including MPEG-4 and save to ipod.  wma=>MPEG-4  compressed the files by nearly a factor of 3.


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## RadioFan (Aug 21, 2008)

waiton said:


> Hi. I've just googled and found a great solution that's free:
> 
> http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html
> 
> ...



Excellent. Thanks!


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## RadioFan (Aug 21, 2008)

Btw, sorry I'm late to this party.

I'm among a bunch of geeks who do rogue radio shows, albeit, sometimes  a bit tipsy. A buddy sent me Limp Bizkit's "My Way," via Skype and wma. 

Thus, my frustration, until waiton hooked me up.

Sounds about 5 times better via iTunes. :koolaid

Link

No worries, folks, it's a "you send it" file.

http://www.yousendit.com/


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## seashell (Oct 19, 2008)

steve matthews said:


> how do you convert wma songs so i can play them on itunes/ipod?



I just stumble upon this guide to put WMA(windows media Audio) to iTunes for iPod, that may be helpful


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## orchid12 (Nov 12, 2008)

steve matthews said:


> how do you convert wma songs so i can play them on itunes/ipod?



I just stumble upon this guide to download wma music from windows media player to ipod, that may be helpful


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## DeeZeno (Nov 23, 2009)

If you have Parallels, or something similar. Download the WIN version of iTunes and add the songs to that version. It converts them and automatically adds them to my MAC library!


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## dstrat6593 (Dec 18, 2009)

I have appx 1800 cd's ripped to my Windows XP computer hard drive saved in WMA Lossless format.  I use this computer as my stereo's "CD" player.  A few years ago I got a 160 gig iPod Classic and started with iTunes.  At that time I used the "add folder" option to copy the appx 1200 ripped cd's to iTunes.  At that time iTunes automatically, (somehow), converted all of the music to AAC format (or MPEG-4 or m4a).  When it did the conversion, (after prompting me that it needed to be done), all of the files showed up in iTunes with all of the album, year, song, artist, composer, etc. information correctly in the iTunes library grid format.

I have since had a computer crash and had to re-rip all of the previously saved WMA lossless media files/cd's onto a new hard drive.  I did back up the iTunes library as it existed before the crash so I still have all of those files and their info intact in iTunes and its library.  Now for the problem.

For some reason iTunes is not converting the folders or files I try to add to the iTunes library and they all show up as unknown album, unknown artist, and the songs are listed in the library grid format as the WMA files show in their respective folders, (01 song name artist name album) and this makes for an unusable, unsearchable word salad mix of an iTunes library.  Essentially the library will show all of the songs 01 ... and then all 02... etc.  Every album, every artist, every song shows up in this numerical order and not related to any album.

Question:  Is there a way to add the folders to the library in iTunes and make iTunes convert the files and add them to the library in a useable fashion or, is there a way to convert the WMA files, like a save as (in bulk, by large folder), into the file type iTunes needs to keep the information straight in the library so it can be added in bulk?  My other option is to re-re-rip cd's, at least the 600 or so not in iTunes currently, as an "import" process within iTunes and add them to my (luckily backed up) existing saved library.

I tried going back to the iTunes version I originally used and that didn't work, unless I'm missing a step I accidentally did back then.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Dave


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## doramider7 (Sep 9, 2010)

shaulzofef said:


> I just found a easy solution for this.
> It's called 'Switch', it's free, and you can download it here:
> 
> It will prompt you to install Flip4Mac (also free) from Microsoft.
> Worked fine for me.



Flip4Mac doesn't work on .asf files. I'd go ahead and keep my Windows Media Player for those files.


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## rachitihm (May 13, 2011)

you can convert your unprotected WMA files to AAC files


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## DavidWicker (Jun 19, 2011)

How do you convert the "protected" files - these play on PC running Windows Media Player  - Windows allows me to download licenses to play - but I cannot move them over to my Macbook Pro? I have even tried ripping them over to mp3, but that didn't work? I have found some software that converts but it will only do limited time - 3 minutes of any track - so that's a waste of effort? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks


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## MisterMe (Jun 19, 2011)

DavidWicker said:


> How do you convert the "protected" files - these play on PC running Windows Media Player  - Windows allows me to download licenses to play - but I cannot move them over to my Macbook Pro? ...


It is against the rules of this forum to discuss breaking DRM and such like.


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## Giaguara (Jun 19, 2011)

But he's using the music he has purchased legally. 
Like when you buy a CD you can rip it - the same could (or should) work with audio that is in a protected format, in a way or another. Or like the audio cassettes you bought in the 1980s, you can still use them with an mp3-player if you first manage to rip them for your device. Just don't distribute your music to random people.
I'm not familiar with Windows Media Player's newer features (as I rarely use that OS), but is it possible to burn an _audio_ CD with those WMAs? If it is, you could do that. It will still be decent quality audio, and you could rip that audio CD then with iTunes. 
A bit longer route, but blank CDs are cheap.


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## Janet11 (Jun 23, 2011)

Yeah, if the cd is home made, then you can rip that, just turn to Mac app Store to search the program can do this.


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## DavidWicker (Jun 23, 2011)

These are original CD's I purchased several years ago - the cd's are in another country so don't have access to them. I can play them on PC but they will not play on Macbook Pro - iTunes - as they demand license...which is only available via PC!! Frustrating that Apple doesn't auto allow the license consent so I can play them: and they are in WMA format - I have tried to rip / burn them off on a blank cd on PC, with the request to convert to MP3, but they don't / won't; hence they won't play on my Mac!! THanks for your response anyway - much appreciated and if you know how I can solve this issue now, great - otherwise I will have to wait to locate the disks when I next go home - in 6 months or so, until then, I can play them on my old Creative MP3 player and old PC.... just as well I kept it.... 
Cheers


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## allener (Oct 13, 2011)

I have installed  and it works perfect for me.WMA to MP3 Converter is an application that is used for converting Windows Media files to MP3 files which can be played in MP3 Players.


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## allener (Oct 13, 2011)

I have installed  and it works perfect for me. Mac WMA to MP3 Converter is windows application that is used for converting Windows Media files to MP3 files which can be played in MP3 Players on Mac.


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## harold89 (Nov 5, 2012)

I'm on Lion (10.7.2) using Switch 4.1.5 and have had problems flipping wma to mp3. I downloaded Switch and dragged it into the application folder, but when I tried to open it, it said: " &#8220;Switch&#8221; can&#8217;t be opened. You should move it to the Trash. "

How do I fix this?


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## DeltaMac (Nov 5, 2012)

I think you have downloaded the PPC version of Switch - which can't work on your intel Mac with Lion. The Intel version is the one you need, and is not very straightforward to find. Here's a page that has your correct version for intel Macs. 
http://www.nchsoftware.com/download/index.html
Scroll down to the the "Switch" line, and click the Mac file to download. The file name will be switchmaci.zip, and NOT switchman.zip
Be sure to drag the Switch app to your Applications folder, as that is probably the preferred location for that app.


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## julicoone (Feb 9, 2015)

*Method One: Import WMA to iTunes for Windows*

Launch iTunes, and then click "File" > "Add File to Library" to open WMA files that you want to import. Then a window will pop up as clearly. Just click "Convert" to convert WMA to iTunes M4A format. Once the conversion is done, you can play WMA files in iTunes or import WMA to iPhone, iPad and iPod.

*Method Two: Add WMA to iTunes for Mac*

For Mac users, the widely used solution is to convert WMA to iTunes more compatible formats like MP3, M4A, AAC, etc with special WMA to iTunes Converter. *Faasoft's great WMA to iTunes Converter* is the best one of them, which enables to convert WMA to iTunes with fast speed and high quality.


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## Genaold (Mar 18, 2015)

I usually use this free video converter to convert my video collection. You can have a try.


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## emma24xia (Mar 27, 2015)

I use Pavtube for all the video or music transcoding, and get wma to m4a for iTunes, that works.


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## turningpointup (Jun 15, 2015)

I use iDealshare VideoGo to convert WMA to iTunes more supported MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, M4A, or AIFF etc


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