song downloaded in MPEG-4 format

At this time, all songs purchased from the iTunes Store are in Protected AAC format. Apple has announced that, somethime in May, they will start selling songs from the EMI catalog in an unprotected format at a higher price. That hasn't happened yet.

hi - i downloaded from the iTunes store and it
appears as a MPEG4 file (protected). I can't convert
to AAC due to protection. Shouldn't songs download
in AAC?? I have authorized the comp 4 times now
successfully. even authorized it to play the MPEG4.
I did get to screen that brought that prompt up - to
authorize for mpeg4 - but no luck. under "get info"
it says...kind: not available - but i do know it's
MPEG4. i'm upgraded to latest iTunes. what can i
do????

I am having the same problem. Everything used to work properly. I wonder if upgrading to a recent version of iTunes which is not compatible could be the reason. Has i Tunes become useless?

I am new to using iTunes and I am having a similar problem. I don't have an iPod, but instead a different MP3 player. When I try to transfer the songs I purchased into the library software for my MP3 player, it can't find them. I checked the properties of the music files and they are also MPEG4 (protected) files. What does this mean? If I am paying for the music, why can't I transfer it to my music device?



Acer Aspire, AMD Athlon Processor

It means you can't transfer the files to another player other than an iPod. You didn't buy the music, you bought a license to use it in certain specific ways. Until the iTunes Store starts selling unprotected music, transferring to mp3 players other than iPods is not one of the included rights.

but that is the problem - my song DIDN'T download in
AAC - it came MPEG4. I've never had any real
problems. only thing I can say is I upgraded to
latest iTunes version 7.1.1

MPEG 4 is the same effective format as AAC.

.m4p = DRM encoded AAC
.m4a = non-DRM AAC

Both are mpeg4's.

To play the .m4p files on othere players you will need to burn them as an audio CD. Then you can play them as AIFF (audio) files or re-rip to .m4a or .mp3.

MJ

After wasting several blank CD's I find that I can no longer play my iTune purchases on my CD player, only on my computer. This is a significant change from what I used to be able to do. I tried to put on a single CD a mixture of tracks of store-bought CD titles along with tracks bought from iStore. Previously I could do that and listen to them on my CD player. ALL of the mixed tracks (including mixed formats) copied to the CD. However, only the store-bought tracts made any sound from my CD player. The iStore tracks produced silence for the duration of each track. All the tracks will play on my computer. It appears to me that Apple has made a significant change in policy without warning or explanation. I think that we deserve one.

The only way to play iTS purchases on non-authorized hardware is to burn it as an Audio CD. It has been that way for sometime. This is not something new.

You can give feed back to Apple from the iTunes menu>Provide iTunes Feedback.

MJ

The only way to play iTS purchases on non-authorized
hardware is to burn it as an Audio CD. It has been
that way for sometime. This is not something new.

You can give feed back to Apple from the iTunes
menu>Provide iTunes Feedback.

MJ

The point is: I can no longer burn iTunes purchases to an Audio CD. It used to be easy. Now it does not work. That is new to me.

Of course I have to ask - that your burning prefs didn't get changed in iTunes prefs>Advanced>Burning.

Can you burn other tunes in iTunes - non DRM iTS purchases - to an audio CD?

MJ

First of all, I want to thani you for taking the time to offer help to me. No, the preferences have not shanged. Yes, I can burn tracks that have not been purchased from iTunes.
My latest test was to burn a non iTunes track followed by an iTunes track, followed by a non iTunes track followed by an iTunes track, ALL on the same audio CD. When I played the audio CD on my living room CD player the non iTunes track played fine, just as it always has. However, when it came to the iTunes track there was complete silence until it had used up the time necessary to "play" the iTunes track. Then the sound came through for the non iTunes track, just as it always has. Then again there was only silence for the iTunes track. Thanks for any suggestions. I am baffled.

If you drag and drop the files to a CD it is basically making a data disc. I think you have to Burn Disc to get an audio CD. All songs sould then play on most modern CD players. You could try playing on a DVD player too.

One 'trick' that I have read about with iTS DRM tunes mis-behaving - take the offending iTS tunes (a couple of them as a start) and delete then via iTunes to the trash. Drag the tunes from the trash back to the Desk Top - then via the iTunes interface - add the tunes back into iTunes and try to burn again.

No idea why - but some folks have also had problems (not the same as yours) but after moving the iTS tunes as described above - the tunes started to 'behave' properly.

MJ