iTunes Plus - still have protected AAC files

Make sure you have received the Plus files ("Purchased AAC"). Depending what option you selected, it may have left the DRM files in place. If you haven't received the Plus files, contact iTunes Customer Service.

Are you sure that every single one of your songs was available for upgrade?

That seems unlikely.

It sounds like only 515 out of 866 songs were available for upgrade.

Julian Roche1 wrote:
Well, I'm assuming Apple have 'unprotected' everything in the store

Not exactly. They only sell DRM-free songs now. If any song was not available from its company in non-DRM format, it was removed from the store.

"Well, I'm assuming Apple have 'unprotected' everything in the store, given the song and dance they made about iTunes Plus."

You have assumed wrong. Everything in your library may not be available for upgrade. The new DRM tracks may be slightly different and therefore may not show as available for upgrade.

I would be very surprised if all of your purchases were upgrade available.

Well, I'm assuming Apple have 'unprotected' everything in the store

Correct.

Is it not the case that all songs on itunes are now DRM free?

Yes. There are no DRM songs for sale in the iTunes store.

How do I find out if my protected tracks are available in Plus format?

Click here -> iTunes Plus upgrade eligible songs

Also see this -> iTunes Store: iTunes Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If perchance, some of your songs do not show as eligible for upgrade you can contact the iTunes store here -> http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/ anmd select *Music purchases* -> *Music purchases* and click *Chat Now* or email, whichever pops up.

Thanks for the various hyperlinks. I could not navigate to the Plus upgrade page on iTunes on my own. I guess it's buried somewhere.

What the heck!!!!

ChrisCA, in his posting above, listed a link that would let me see which songs were available in iTunes Plus. The one after "Click here ->" ... whose actual URL was
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/iTunesPlusPage

When I clicked on it, it launched iTunes, asked for my username/password, and CONVERTED MY ACCOUNT TO ITUNES PLUS.

What are you playing at, ChrisCA? That was not cool. **** booby trap link...

Message was edited by: Wolf Harper for clarity and less smoke&fire

I'm not "playing" at anything and it's not a "booby trap" link.
That is the link to show you which songs you have that are eligible to upgrade to iTunes Plus.
The link is from this page here -> http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1711 (which is titled "iTunes Store: iTunes Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)"

When I clicked on it, it launched iTunes, asked for my username/password, and CONVERTED MY ACCOUNT TO ITUNES PLUS.

It does not convert your account to anything. It launches iTunes and shows what is eligble to be upgraded. You need to log in (if you are not already) to indetify your account to the iTunes store.
When you upgrade your library (not convert your account), you have the option to keep the original files and put them on the desktop or delete them.
Nothing else happens to your account.

What do you think was converted?

Thanks for the link. I see that you lifted the earlier link on good faith from a presumably canonical source.

That is the link to show you which songs you have that are eligible to upgrade to iTunes Plus.
It does not convert your account to anything.

That may be so, but it is contrary to what iTunes actually said on the screen after I signed in. I don't recall the exact words but it was something close to "Your account has now been converted to iTunes Plus." It did not show a list of songs.

Now, when I click the link, I see the following text:

*iTunes Plus is the new standard on iTunes.*
You have successfully upgraded to iTunes Plus. Your items may still be downloading. YOu can manage individual items' progress via the Downloads link on the left-hand list in your iTunes application.
For more information about iTunes Plus, read our FAQs.

Operative word "YOU" have successfully upgraded". That, along with the previous message, suggests to me that my account is now permanently flipped. Maybe this is an inaccurate display message.

It launches iTunes and shows what is eligble to be upgraded. You need to log in (if you are not already) to indetify your account to the iTunes store.
When you upgrade your library (not convert your account), you have the option to keep the original files and put them on the desktop or delete them.
Nothing else happens to your account.

What do you think was converted?

Well, iTunes tells me one thing, and you tell me another. What do you think?

Since it shows you have "successfully" upgraded, it means everything eligible is already upgraded. If nothing shows and you have never been to this page before, you have nothing to upgrade.
If you had songs that were eligible, it would have shown them and showed you how much to upgrade.

Yup, that's the message exactly. Nice find.
Indeed, on this computer I have no purchased music. I have a fair bit on my other computer.
So is this is the stock screen it gives you if it can't list any upgradeable music?

What concerned me is that "You" have been upgraded, which I took to mean my account. Now what does that mean? I know there was an option some time ago to upgrade your account to purchase non-DRM songs if available, which one might question as an upgrade since they were 30 cents more. I'm hearing that iTunes just dropped all the DRM songs, so all songs are now $1.29 whether you "upgrade" or not. Sounds like I'm "upgraded" in any case, eh?

If all your purchased songs are not eligible to be upgraded (even if you have no purchases), then yes, that is the standard screen.

I'm hearing that iTunes just dropped all the DRM songs,
...
so all songs are now $1.29 whether you "upgrade" or not.

As of April, yes. See this -> http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/06itunes.html
"SAN FRANCISCO—January 6, 2009—Apple® today announced several changes to the iTunes® Store (www.itunes.com). Beginning today, all four major music labels—Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and EMI, along with thousands of independent labels, are now offering their music in iTunes Plus, Apple’s DRM-free format with higher-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings. iTunes customers can also choose to download their favorite songs from the world’s largest music catalog directly onto their iPhone™ 3G over their 3G network just as they do with Wi-Fi today, for the same price as downloading to their computer. And beginning in April, based on what the music labels charge Apple, songs on iTunes will be available at one of three price points: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29, with most albums still priced at $9.99."

Sounds like I'm "upgraded" in any case, eh?

Yes.