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convert m4a to MP3, or MIDI
- Thread starter yklxcq
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In iTunes prefs, set Import Using to MP3, then choose Convert Selection to MP3 from the Advanced menu.
Hey,
well my 2 pence to this thread will have to be that MIDI is not an audio format, it is (amongst other things) a language electronic music devices use to communicate and/or store note information and other music related information.
For example, an mp3 file may for example contain an audio recording of a guitar solo. This recording is actually a very long list of amplitude values which, when reconstructed in the correct order and played at the correct speed sounds like a guitar solo.
A MIDI files representation of the same guitar solo would contain absolutely no audio. Instead a MIDI file would contain a description (still digitally written in 1's and 0's) of every single note the guitar player played, how hard he/she hit the note, when they hit the note, for how long they hit the note, how the note was bent... possibly over 100 different pieces of information about that note. You would then have to use a MIDI sequencer and a MIDI sound module to play back that data in audio form.
Now I would imagine that although you are not accutely aware of it, your garageband song contains both audio data and MIDI data, which you have then mixed together in audio form and 'bounced' into an AAC file. You can convert this pretty easily using iTunes. First go to preferences, then accross to the advanced tab. Within the advanced tab go down to 'importing' which is another tab within this tab. Click on the 'import using' dropdown menu and click mp3.
To change the quality of the mp3 file (i.e. the bitrate) you can hit settings and go across to custom. Here you have control over how the mp3 file is made. The higher the bitrate the better the quality. I suggest you would not be able to tell a great deal of difference over about 192kbits... obviously higher quality = bigger files. If you are playing back over the web this isn't a good thing. If you want to save space by making your file mono you can do that. I wouldn't touch the sample rate. I am guessing you have recorded at 44100 samples a second. Increasing this to 48000 will not improve the audio quality of your recording at all, it will take up more space however and could potentially be less compatible with other computers soundcards.
Now, go back to your iTunes libary, find your song and right click it (ctrl-click). Hit the convert selection to mp3 option. iTunes will now create a new file in the mp3 format, and place it next to your old file within your libary.
Hope this helps,
Danny
well my 2 pence to this thread will have to be that MIDI is not an audio format, it is (amongst other things) a language electronic music devices use to communicate and/or store note information and other music related information.
For example, an mp3 file may for example contain an audio recording of a guitar solo. This recording is actually a very long list of amplitude values which, when reconstructed in the correct order and played at the correct speed sounds like a guitar solo.
A MIDI files representation of the same guitar solo would contain absolutely no audio. Instead a MIDI file would contain a description (still digitally written in 1's and 0's) of every single note the guitar player played, how hard he/she hit the note, when they hit the note, for how long they hit the note, how the note was bent... possibly over 100 different pieces of information about that note. You would then have to use a MIDI sequencer and a MIDI sound module to play back that data in audio form.
Now I would imagine that although you are not accutely aware of it, your garageband song contains both audio data and MIDI data, which you have then mixed together in audio form and 'bounced' into an AAC file. You can convert this pretty easily using iTunes. First go to preferences, then accross to the advanced tab. Within the advanced tab go down to 'importing' which is another tab within this tab. Click on the 'import using' dropdown menu and click mp3.
To change the quality of the mp3 file (i.e. the bitrate) you can hit settings and go across to custom. Here you have control over how the mp3 file is made. The higher the bitrate the better the quality. I suggest you would not be able to tell a great deal of difference over about 192kbits... obviously higher quality = bigger files. If you are playing back over the web this isn't a good thing. If you want to save space by making your file mono you can do that. I wouldn't touch the sample rate. I am guessing you have recorded at 44100 samples a second. Increasing this to 48000 will not improve the audio quality of your recording at all, it will take up more space however and could potentially be less compatible with other computers soundcards.
Now, go back to your iTunes libary, find your song and right click it (ctrl-click). Hit the convert selection to mp3 option. iTunes will now create a new file in the mp3 format, and place it next to your old file within your libary.
Hope this helps,
Danny
1) Go to iTunes preferences -> Advanced -> Importing -> set the format to MP3 and select the bit rate you'd like. Then hit OK.
2) Add your song to iTunes library if you have done so already.
3) Highlight the song, right click and pick "Convert to MP3"
Use Switch
Hi,
you can find the files in your iTunes folder, and than add them in to Switch, a folder you can find here http://nch.com.au/switch/
Best regards
Einar
Hi,
you can find the files in your iTunes folder, and than add them in to Switch, a folder you can find here http://nch.com.au/switch/
Best regards
Einar
iTunes 8.0.1 doesn't have Importing tab under Advanced
Converting m4a to mp3 is supposed to be a possibility according to the help file, as theBBB said, but it's not there in the new iTunes. When giving or asking advice, it would be helpful to include the version you are referring to. Ain't updates grand?
Converting m4a to mp3 is supposed to be a possibility according to the help file, as theBBB said, but it's not there in the new iTunes. When giving or asking advice, it would be helpful to include the version you are referring to. Ain't updates grand?
iTunes 8.0.1 DOES have Importing as mp3 option
With a little more Googling, I found out that in version 8, the Import option is in the GENERAL tab of Preferences under the iTUNES menu. "Import Settings" is next to the "When you insert a CD" options. After you select mp3, you can then CHANGE existing m4a files to mp3 (if they are not protected) by right clicking on the song title. Actually, it ADDS an mp3 version, but since we don't use extensions in Macville, you can't tell which format is which unless you add the "Type" column to your title bar in iTunes. Jeesh.
With a little more Googling, I found out that in version 8, the Import option is in the GENERAL tab of Preferences under the iTUNES menu. "Import Settings" is next to the "When you insert a CD" options. After you select mp3, you can then CHANGE existing m4a files to mp3 (if they are not protected) by right clicking on the song title. Actually, it ADDS an mp3 version, but since we don't use extensions in Macville, you can't tell which format is which unless you add the "Type" column to your title bar in iTunes. Jeesh.
To find the MP3 version just right (ctrl) click the song in the music list and select 'show in finder', both files will be shown with extensions.
One of the easiest and fastest way to do this conversion is to use DRMconverter from AppleMACsoft. This program converts AAC to MP3 in batches of 15-20 songs. I needed to put my purchased music on a SD card to play in the Motor Home on ling trips and this worked fine. 1200 songs on one 2 Gig chip. (thank goodness its apple scripted)
What?! Why would you convert m4a to mp3? That's downgrading. Besides for just that converting between the two means a significant loss in quality. Well, if you use the highest possible quality for the m4a file, you should be fine.
I would have liked to keep the M4A format but the current stereo in the vehicle will not show IDtag information for m4a files, but will show that info as well as cover art for mp3's..... go figure. And I don't have the extra $300 right now to upgrade the stereo to the one I want. The current one has a built in back up camera, which is a must have.
A point.... the m4v with DRM is not that great as the DRM info reduces the quality of the music quite a bit.
Well, that sucks.
Just a friendly reminder, the use of that software is technically illegal (or at the least a gray area) under the DMCA, so maybe you should edit that section out of your post.
I wasn't aware of that. Both the maker and a MAC Blog stated it was the only legal software to convert AAC to MP3. It uses iTunes own disc burner & encoder/importer. I will stop using it until I check it out more. Thanks for the heads up.
Library
Hiya all,
OK - I've figured out how to convert my itunes files to mp3 and i've found out how to create a new library. Can anyone tell me how, then, to move my converted files into the new library so i don't have each file twice in the main library?
Cheers,
Gareth
Hiya all,
OK - I've figured out how to convert my itunes files to mp3 and i've found out how to create a new library. Can anyone tell me how, then, to move my converted files into the new library so i don't have each file twice in the main library?
Cheers,
Gareth
found out how to do it.
[in itunes]
Go to preferences-> import settings-> select MP3 encoder (press OK)-> select the song-> select 'Advanced' -> select create MP3-> should create the song underneath it or above it.
Cheers lads and ladettes
this is on the new updated version of itunes. itunes 8
[in itunes]
Go to preferences-> import settings-> select MP3 encoder (press OK)-> select the song-> select 'Advanced' -> select create MP3-> should create the song underneath it or above it.
Cheers lads and ladettes
this is on the new updated version of itunes. itunes 8