how to change itunes mp4 back to mp3

Thank You for your help

However since I posted this topic I have found a total of 311 songs that have somehow been changed to the m4p format. I have been working on this since I opened this topic and have read other posts that suggest ways to fix this and none of them work. I have checked the check box for all 311 and tried to burn them but it will not even give me the option to do so. I have also tried to burn just one and still no option to burn. I checked the 12 purchased songs and they ARE in my library but they are part of the 311 I can't play.

I thought I would just by bypass the "add to your library" step for now and do the firmware update anyway but the next step says the update will erase all the apps and such on my itouch and I should download the update to my pc. Well with the problem I'm having with the songs on iTunes I don't want to lose what is on my itouch because the songs on it are all working, including the ones that are not working on iTunes. it's just strange they were all working when I put them on the itouch a couple of years ago. I must have done something somewhere with another update that reset the upload setting to the m4p from the mp3 or it was an auto setting change with an update. Whatever it was I now have 311 songs I can only play through my itouch and I don't want to sinc it up or update it for fear of losing those songs.

it's late here so I'm heading to bed, tomorrow is another day.

thank you for your time and help

Ok get this. I just got home and had about an hour before I have to leave again so I decided to have another look. Again nothing worked. So just for the heck of it I looked up my authorized pc's. This machine is already authorized and is 1 of only 3. Although it is already listed I went and authorized it again anyway and got a popup saying "this machine is already authorized". I then tried the protected songs and now they work! So it had to have been a problem with iTunes and by authorizing it again I reset it somehow. Tomorrow I will try updating the itouch which was my original goal along with getting the app I wanted.

I still don't see a way it will allow me to burn them though.

Thank You for taking the time to respond and try to get my problem resolved. it's much appreciated!!

Awesome!! I did as you posted, made a playlist and burned them to a cd, and i'm in the process now of re-importing them. After the first song I checked and it did indeed import it as an mp3 and it plays.

Thank You Very Much!!

Now i'll be able to do the update and get the app. I didn't mention this before but the reason I wanted the stopwatch app is for a Halloween Party my club will be having for the kids this year and the stopwatch will be used for an apple bobbing contest. So I really do thank you, your the best.

Tim