unable to convert files to mp3

hi,

I guess that you are either right-clicking on a song or choosing from the Advanced menu, the option to convert your selection which is made from a CD. this is not the correct way to do it.

the "convert selection" on the Advanced menu (or on right-click drop down list) is to convert a song file to a new file that will be store in the same location as the original. therefore, you cannot to this for files located on CD or DVD.

when you insert a CD or DVD from which you want to encode songs, simply click on the "Import Disc" button. it will the convert and import the files.

Sounds like a permissions problem. First, navigate to your iTunes Music Folder through the Finder, do Command + I on the folder and look to see if you have both Read and Write permission AND make sure that it's applied to Enclosed Folders (you might have to click next to Details to apply to enclosed folders). Try to convert. If it still won't work, go to Disk Utility and Repair Permissions.

FYI, I just noticed too. Its not disk permissions, its not the MP3 converter in iTunes, it could be the aiff file but I have older ones that still convert ok. It appears to be a problem within iTunes when you try to take a recently made aiff file (created in tiger using wiretap) and convert it to anything. A work around is to use quicktime pro to convert to apple lossless and than use itunes to convert that to MP3 that works. I did not want to try wasting a CD disk to see if itunes will convert the aiff to an audio CD ok. The newer version of wiretap called wiretap pro can save direct to mp3 format but you have to pay for it. The unregistered download still does aiff files now called aifc files for free. It works fine and iTunes can convert these new aifc files to mp3 again, but play your source sounds/music flat with no equalization as the newer wiretappro seems base heavy or its listening at the playbacks differntly. The link is below.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/faq.php?forum=100&title=WireTap%20Pro&ver sion=1.3.4&link=utilities/wiretap_pro/

I sent this to apple itunes:
Hi, I use wiretap to record analog and voice to digital aiff files. I than use iTunes to convert these to mp3. After updating to Tiger 10.4.11 wiretap has become a bit unstable. It still works but to see the files it creates I sometimes have to re-launch the finder. The files play in iTunes 7.6.2 and in quicktime 7.4.5 but now when I use iTunes to convert them to MP3 I get an error "the disk could not be read from or written to" I never got this error before in 6 plus years of using wiretap or iTunes. I fixed disk permissions, and installed the wiretap pro (to see if their install components would repair wiretap). I also upgraded to the latest version of iTunes and Quicktime. This had no improvement. Now if I convert the aiff files to MP4 using my old quicktime pro 6.5.2 and than use iTunes to convert to MP3 it works fine. Seems to me iTunes has a defect when converting from aiff files. Could you take a look at what the problem is and let me know how to fix it. Thanks.

I've just begun having this problem as well. The only difference is that I'm creating files in Garageband and then am unable to convert them to mp3. All of my permissions seem fine. It seems ridiculous that I would have to buy software or burn my own Garageband mp4 to a CD to try to trick iTunes into converting it. And why am I having this problem all of a sudden - it's never been a problem before?

So confused...

I worked around my problem by burning my m4a file to a CD, then importing it as a WAV file, then converting to MP3. So, there's a temporary workaround - but why is this happening in the first place? I've never had this problem before, but I just "upgraded" my iTunes. I'm assuming there's a bug in the new version. I called phone support, but that was inconclusive. Anyone know anything?

I am having this same problem. Sent my Garage Band creation to Itunes. Itunes appears to convert it to mp3 but then I get the 'cant read or write to disk' mess. I have double checked permissions. But theres more. The Garage Band file that I exported to itunes and am trying to convert to mp3 is 30 min long. A fairly large file. But, I can make a Garage Band song that is 40 sec. long, export it to itunes and convert it to mp3 and it converts and saves no problem! No error mess! So what gives??