Cannot upgrade songs to iTunes Plus (DRM free)
I have around 500 songs purchased on iTunes which are in m4p protected format & I want to convert them to mp3 unprotected format.
My iPod battery has died & I don't wish to buy another as I would prefer a simple device just for playing music without the problems.
I tried to convert them using (File > Create New Version) but iTunes says “Protected files cannot be converted”
I contacted apple support & they told me to do the above, which doesnt work. They then told me to follow the instructions on this page About iTunes Plus - Apple Support which tells you how to upgrade a song from DRM to iTunes Plus by deleting & re-downloading it. However, this also doesnt work as iTunes downloads the same protected m4p file again.
I realise I can burn a CD to remove the DRM, but with 519 songs this is going to take maybe 50 CDs & a week of my time.
It was also suggested that I "could try to upgrade to iTunes match", but i am reluctant to do so in case it doesn't work, they don't really seem to be sure if it will.
What can I do?
iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)