musicdownload with .wma Format - Problem

[webrider]

Hello Lowlander,

once again I. But I need your help again. I tried now the first time a music-file download from a provider (www.musicload.de). The downloads (which I had to pay) were ok. The files were downloaded in .wma Format. When I try to hear ithem with windows mediaplayer, its all ok. When I want to play them with MM (first of course I implemented the songs in MM and they appeared also) they are disapearing a little bit and are shown only shadowed. When it start playing it is played another file of my MM-files but not the selected one. Is the .wmy Format not right, although I have the hook in the selected formats also in wma.

Whats wrong?


Annother problem I have too. I tried also to read in some music-CDs-titles via freedb, when I'm connected to Internet. But the titles are not read in by Freedb.
In my freedb windows is shown in the first window of course the hook in "ask automaticly when connected".

In the window "Server name" was in default "freedb.free.db.org" But after visiting the homepage of freedb, I was informed that for german users I should select "freedb.freed.de". I did this, but nothing happened.

Window: User name and User domain are blank.
Protokoll: The radiobutton is in CDDBP (preferred)
Proxy all blank, because I connect via Internet.

What to do here to get the titles read out from freedb?

I tried it with several Music-CDs, also with some I read in the titles month ago with my old prog "MyMP3Pro 5.0" without problems.

Webrider

[Lowlander]

MM can't play WMA files with copyright protection. Actually I believe only WMP can. Copyright protection on WMA files is common with songs bought from legal internet stores. It is also the default setting when ripping CD's to WMA with WMP (this can be changed in the settings).

As for FreeDB, I don't know what settings you should use. But do a search for FreeDB on this forum and you should be able to find some ideas and solutions.

[webrider]

Hi Lowlander, what should I do now with this bought wma-files.

In my downloadbill of musicload is written, that I can "hear this files unlimitted, 10 times burning and make copies without limit". Why does it work then with other music players and not with MM? MM is my main system now for all my music-files, so I would prefer of course to hear them with MM.

For Problem of freedb I will search for solutions in the threads.

Thanks

webrider

[Lowlander]

I checked the site and found this in the help:

gestatten über "Digitale Rechteverwaltung" das legale Brennen und Kopieren der Musik

This means that the files have DRM protection. To play these files you need a certificate which WMP can download for you.

It says further:

Sie können dieses Format unter Windows mit dem Windows Media Player abspielen oder auch auf vielen tragbaren Playern.

Which seems to indicate that WMP is the only player which plays these files. You mentioned that other programs can play them as well? Which ones does it work with? (sorry, just out of interest).

MM can't handle these certificates and as such these files can't be played with MM, unfortunately. But this is the current trend in the legal music download industry. You can only play your legally bought songs on a propriety system. I think the iPod is the biggest ripoff as it doesn't support MP3 or WMA, which are both big formats.


As for what you are allowed to do with your songs I found this:

Die meisten Titel dürfen Sie unbegrenzt oft am Computer abspielen, 1-3 mal auf eine Audio-CD brennen und 1-3 mal kopieren, z.B. auf einen tragbaren Player.

This is more limiting than what you wrote in your reply. I would advise you to be careful, before you have used up your burning or portable player license.


A solution would be to burn a CD and rip that CD with MM. I believe that that should work. You could also record the song on your PC as it is playing. This has been discussed several times on the forum (a search for WAV might get you the right posts).


And lastly a tip from the help:

Wichtig: Sie sollten die Lizenzen regelmäßig sichern. Dazu klicken Sie im Windows Media Player (ab Version 8 ) im Menü "Extras" auf "Lizenzverwaltung", wählen einen Speicherort und klicken auf "Jetzt sichern". Nach einem Festplattencrash wählen Sie im gleichen Menü "jetzt wiederherstellen" aus.

Which says that you should back up your digital licenses in WMP, so you can restore them later when needed.


I hope this all helped. Unfortunately many online music stores will give you songs in a format that only works with one specific player. I'm not sure if MM can ever play these files as the rights owners might never allow that.

[webrider]

Hi Lowlander, thanks, I will study your advices.

Your question. I can play this downloded songs without problems with my Nero media player and also with the real one player. Also of course with windows.
So it should be possible also for MM, because Nero and real one don't care about perhaps this restrictions.

webrider

[Lowlander]

Real and Nero might support the DRM technology, after all they are big corporations that can afford the license fees for the technology (I assume there are fees). MM of course doesn't have the same resources. But this is me just guessing around.

Anyway I hope that MM can one day support all the different purchasable formats out there!

[webrider]

I would appreciate this, that MM will support early all this formats. Because it's not very comfortable perhaps to switch over to player x when downloades songs from this provider and to switch over to player y when playing songs of annother provider.

Why does all this guys us user make live so difficult. How will all get ann better accenptance in the web, if everyone is cooking his own soup??

webrider

[Lowlander]

It has all to do with money. Using someone elses standard involves paying license fees. That's why we see so many technologies different standards being used.

[Guest]

Hi,

i had the same problem with musicload.de.

I bought my first song months ago to thes possible software to free the bought music and to convert it to an ordinary mp3 file.

2 weeks ago i came across www.tunebite.com

This software costs 9,95 Euros and waits in the taskbar for WMA music with DRM played. It automatically rerecords the played file. (You just have to install the lame MP3 encoder).

It also sets the ID tags correct from the WMA file.

Now i can go shopping with musicload and use the files with my portable mp3 player not supporting DRM.

Give it a try - tunebite solved all my problems and i have them now organized with Mediamonkey.

Greetings
Markus

[webrider]

Thanks for this help. I'll try it the next days. Would be fine if works.
webrider

[webrider]

Makus thanks again for your help.

I ordered today the prog you told me. By the way, are you german? If yes, could you explain me in german a little bit more this program how to do, to get my downloades songs into MM that also MM can play them. Thanks in advance. How to install lame?

webrider

[musicfreak]

OK, as i allwas get a from() error while posting a PM here is the message to you in German:

Hi,

also Du brauchst den Windows Media Player, Lame, Tunebite und zuguter letzt Mediamonkey.

Installiere Tunebite. Es klemmt sich dann in die Taskleiste ganz rechts bei den Icons. (ist ein roter Kreis).

Als Standard unterstützt Tunebite OGG Dateien. Wenn Du Dir unter http://mitiok.free.fr/ die Lame Dateien holst und sie in Tunebite aktivierst (geht in den Optionen), dann macht er auch MP3 Dateien.

Ich hatte am Anfang Probleme, da ich eine spezielle Soundkarte für Musikstudios verwende und Tunebite die wohl nur bedingt unterstützt, aber nun nach ein paar Tests geht es ohne Probleme.

Es gibt den Automodus (verwende ich) und den manuellen Modus. Im Automodus erkennt Tunebite automatisch, wenn geschützte Titel aufgenommen werden und rerecorded sie als MP3 Datei. Die Tags des WMA Tracks werden automatisch in die MP3 Tags übernommen.

Wenn Du jetzt im Mediaplayer die gekauften Titel abspielst findest Du im Ordner der bei Tunebite als Speicherort angegeben ist die fertigen MP3 Dateien. Diese einfach zu den restlichen MP3 Dateien verschieben und fertig.

Es wird kein Kopierschutz umgangen oder so mit Tunebite, sonder es nimmt einfach die Audiosignale die Du hörst gleich wieder vollautomatisch auf.

Kleiner Tipp: Wärend des Aufnehmens solltest Du keine anderen Sounds wiedergeben, da diese - je nach Einstellungen der Soundkarte - sonst mit in das MP3 File wandern. Aber man kann die gekauften Songs ja mehrfach aufnehmen, wenn mal was schief läuft.

Die Methode brennen und rerecoden war mir einfach zu umständlich. So kann ich jetzt nach Lust und Laune bei Musicload einkaufen gehen und kann trotzdem die Musik hören wo ich will. Schließlich geht es mir nicht um den illegalen Tausch, sondern um die Freiheit meine Musik zu genießen wo ICH will und nicht wo die Software meint. Außerdem will ich mir keine Geräte vorschreiben lassen, die WMA DRM unterstützen. Die können alle nicht das leisten was mein IAUDIO kann.

Gruß
Markus

[webrider]

Markus, vielen Dank für Deine Hilfe. jetzt sehe ich schon klarer. Wie ich in den nächsten Tagen die Software freigegeben bekomme, probiere ich es aus. Nehme an du schaust ab und zu ins forum. Wenn ich dannn noch Fragen habe, melde ich mich. Aber erstmal besten Dank.
Bist du schon länger mit MM unterwegs? Bis jetzt finde ich das Tool prima.

Grüße

Webrider

[Lowlander]

This type of program has been discussed on MM before. It records all sounds from the soundcard. Its a great way to get around copyright protection as well is record from other sources onto your PC.

As for the forum error you get with PM, don't worry, your message did get send anyway. And this post on the forum might actually help other people (well those that understand German anyway, hehe). Does TuneBite itself come in an English version?

Now you just got to sit patiently and make no sound and hope windows doesn't either, lol.

[webrider]

Hi Markus. In my first thread above in the second column I asked also if Lowlander can help me with my Problem of freedb. It doesn't work at my PC. Would it be possible for you to read my problems and try to help me, because Lowlander told me that he cannot help me in this freedb problem.
Perhaps you can tell me, how to fill in the windows to get the CD-Infos from freedb. I'm using W2KProf.

Till later

webrider