Converting iTunes to MP3s?

[MJB]

Does anyone know of a program (preferably free) that can convert iTunes (m4a format) to MP3s?

Our oldest has an iPod and tons of songs but the youngest has a generic MP3 player. I really don't want to buy the same songs twice to put them on the MP3 player.

Any advice would be super.

-MJB

[the_ultimate_evil]

itunes should be able to do it, go to advanced and there should be a convert to mp3. what this does is actually copy all your songs as mp3's so you will end up with 2 copys so watch where your saving them

if its not there try edit\preferances\advanced\importing

and change the import to mp3.

hopefully that should work.

[Kommando]

You can try a free version of a program called Switch.

[zuludelta]

Does anyone know of a program (preferably free) that can convert iTunes (m4a format) to MP3s?

What you can do is just burn an audio CD (not an mp3 CD) with those .m4a songs onto a CD-R/W using iTunes. You can then play the burned audio CD in your PC's CD drive and extract the audio using your audio extraction program of choice (Windows Media Player, Audacity, etc.). This is pretty much legal since you are in no way "cracking" or "defeating" the DRM software hardcoded onto the files that you purchased legally... it's pretty much the same as making a cassette copy of an LP that you own so you can listen to it in your car stereo.

[Panther_Gunn]

You can try a free version of a program called Switch.

Ditto.  I use this quite a bit, although, I'm not sure if you'll need to get an additional plugin (from their own website) for the m4a format.  I've converted a few, and most come out fine.  One or two had issues, but were fine upon a second pass.  Very customizable (such as bitrate, format, etc) and very intuitive.  Highly recommended.

[Spam]

itunes should be able to do it, go to advanced and there should be a convert to mp3. what this does is actually copy all your songs as mp3's so you will end up with 2 copys so watch where your saving them

if its not there try edit\preferances\advanced\importing

and change the import to mp3.

hopefully that should work.

That's what's I do to. It's easy to do, and it works really well. And it also works with other different file types besides .m4a.

FORIAMSPAM!

[Protomorph]

My Reccommendation is for Switch as well. Works great for m4a. I cannot stand that format, for some reason. must be my Apple bias.