I’m definitely going crazy here. I have a ton of CDs that I’ve ripped with Windows Media Player 10, but they’re all apparently in WMA format, not the MP3 format that my new Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) needs for me to listen to them. I checked and there’s no “save as” capability in WMP, so how the heck do I fix this problem?
This is an astonishingly common question for Sony PSP owners, a question sufficiently common that even Sony’s heard your complaints: the latest version of the PSP firmware (version 2.6) includes the ability to play WMA (Windows Media, Audio) files directly on the PSP. I haven’t tried it, and I have heard that some people are anxious that you have to be online when you accept the terms of the player upgrade, so your preference can be registered with The Man, but that’s certainly one solution.
But there’s another way to fix your audio files, a solution that works with all MP3-compatible players and will even let you then import your previously ripped CDs into Apple’s iTunes. That’s to use an audio conversion program, and whether you’re a Mac or Windows person, there are oodles of ’em available.
For this article, I picked out the freeware application Switch for Windows, developed by a team of Australian programmers. (don’t like that? Try the 24/7 supported application Smart Audio Converter instead)
The first thing I did was to rip a new music CD, Dave Grusin’s The Gershwin Collection, with Windows Media Player. It looked like this as it was being ripped by WMP:
Now, with that album ripped, I start up the Switch program and get, well, a blank window:
Click on “Add Folder” and I can select the newly ripped CD by looking in My Documents\My Music:
Almost ready to go. The last step, one that’s not obvious when you first start working with Switch, is to pick the output format of your choice, as shown here:
I’ve chosen MP3, but you can see the program supports a wide range of options!
With the audio input files selected, the output format selected, and the destination disk specified, all that’s left to do is select all the files to convert and click on the “Convert” button on the top right. You’ll get a progress window like this:
When it indicates that the conversion is complete, voila, you now have MP3 audio files from your WMA format files. Quickly and easily done.
There are also Mac utilities for converting audio file formats, as I write about here: Converting WMA to MP3 on Mac OS X
worked like a charm! 🙂 thanks for sharing
Hi Dave, please tell us what we need to do to convert when the files are copyright protected. I have a cd that I burned and it’s not letting me convert due to this issue…
So…
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED…
how do we convert when we run into this issue???
Thank you Dave for all ur help.
LISA
Hello… I downloaded the program and went to put the files in the convert… it says the file is copywright protected.
What do I do so I can convert those files to the MP3 format????????
Please answer this as I see there are a few others and it’s not been answered before by you…
please tell us how to convert when it says copyright protected
Thank you
Hi Dave,
I have sound clips on Windows 7 that I need to change to MP3 format. How do I do this. I am not a computer boffin so please use the most basic language possible!
Regards,
Alan.
Hey I am a Kindle owner and im trying to get background music on to the device. i have installed a audio converter but dont know how to start the converting of WMA to MP3 Plaese help
I have windows media player and I purchased an mp3 portable player the ones that look like an ipod. So i sync all my songs but some didnt transfer because windows media player couldnt convert them? can you help me please. Thank you james
Hello i have a frustrating situation that i have been trying to get my music from windows media player in wma format to an mp3 format so i can burn my music in to cd’s i have already downloaded a converter program and it did not work…. please help me out!!! i got the music from; Bearshare website… i’m going nutts !! if you have the solution…. please help!! thanx,
I have a slight problem with the converter or something. I go to add the file through the converter and it shows an empty folder.. But when I go and check it through my computer, it shows the album/songs I am trying to convert so they are compatible with my phone music player. Any ideas on what I’ve maybe done wrong or can change? Thanks for your time.
Steve, yes. Any decent conversion app should retain the originals in case something goes wrong or you decide you can work with the original source material.
Hi Dave,
When you convert wav or windows media player music using Switch to MP3 are the original files maintained?
Thanks, Steve
Thanks, Dave! Really saved my day~
thanks a lot, really helpful and delightfully simple. You’re a great help!
Jabed, the only way I know of to transfer videos to your iPhone so you can watch them is by importing the video to iTunes then sync’ing. Then again, I believe there’s a version of VLC or similar that runs on the iPhone so that might offer a different option?
dear dave
pls let me know hw to i transfer videos to my i phone
Hello Dave, i have a frustrating situation that i have been this whole day trying to get my music from windows media player in wma format to an mp3 format so i can burn my music in to cd’s ii have already downloaded a converter program and yet it did not work…. please help me out man!!! i got the music from; Bearshare website… i’m going nutts here bro!! if you have the solution…. please help!! thanx, God bless
Miguel Angel
I thought you said this was free??? I downloaded the software so I can add an MP3 to my website only to find out that the AVS Audio Converter is “not activated” and it will put an audio ad into the mp3 file unless you pay them $70 … what a ripoff! Maybe 4 years ago this was an accurate page but now you need to remove it, this is misleading.
I downloaded the Switch application but it wont convert the songs i downloaded. They say they are protected?
Thanks Dave!
Used the Aussie free sw and et voila!
it worked
thank you!
more of my hair is now still in my scalp instead of my tearing more it out! lol
Sincerely,
April Braswell
iTunes for Windows will convert WMA to MP3 but iTunes for Mac OS X will not.
Thank you for this page. I had problems with my HTC legend did not read wmp files. And with your help I could add all music I want to my phone.
This is still baffling me. Having tried a few wma-mp3 convertors (Jodix, PMC, Fastac) I tried Switch and am still getting no joy.
It tells me that the conversion has happened ok but when I burn a cd with the new mp3 converted tracks and then try and play it on a CD player that reads mp3 files, the CD player says it cannot read it.
What am I doing wrong?
With the newer versions of Microsoft Windows Media Player, there is an option/setting to allow you to rip directly to mp3 format (instead of wma).
This program “Switch” totally took over my win 7 cpu & kept reloading when I tried to uninstall it. I think it needs major work before I would ever try it again!
Hi Dave.
Many thanks for this article. I have battled all day trying to load a selection of running music onto my MP3 player. (I’ve decided to see if the right music will improve my running time!) I used the Switch File Converter which you recommended & it worked a treat!
Thanks again!
Hi,Lee. I see your question about converting a dozen flv files to mp3.FYI. you can try flv to mp3 mp4. I am sure you will tackle your problems at great ease. Wish you good luck.
Thanks a lot man! This really helps! 🙂
I have a couple dozen FLV files that I would like to convert to MP3. Is there an easy way to do this?
Thanks for the info on converting WMA files…
on wwindow media player i cant download mp3 files. it goes to my play list but then in the sync list it doesnt read my mp3. it only show my mp3 on the window media player when its playing the songs IN the mp3 already. how do i download new songs? it also cant create new playlists. always says error and when i click on webhelp it doesnt do anything.And yes i know how to rip cd’s to mp3 files and add them to my mp3.
PLEASE HELP
When it indicates that the conversion is complete, voila, you now have MP3 audio files from your WMA format files. Quickly and easily done.
Hi Dave, I am a independent artist and I am trying to summit my music online using mp3. I have windows media player and I have uploaded my demo. However I am not sure how to change the file to a mp3 so I can send my songs to websites and some radio stations online. What site do I need to use to do this and do I need to buy the program or can I use the free trials to upload the music. I wasn’t sure if I could use the free trials for my own professional use. So please help me I am at a loss. My music is copy write protected.
thanks so much Latashia
Just wanted to say thank you very much – great advice and really easy to follow – I can now use my music files!
Im trying to add music to my MP3 Player from RealPlayer..but theres this one song that i cant put up there because of it being a “AAC Plug In” -Advanced Audio Coding File..So how can I change my settings on that one song so that i can Upload it to my Portable Device..?
thanks for the information,it means a lot for me.I really love listening music from my mp3.
You can also go to
[url=http://www.oggconvert.com/]OGG converter[/url] to convert OGG files to MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA, M4A, WAV online. I hope its big help.
VERY IMPRESSIVE ,NOW WHERE DO you FIND THE OUTPUT FOLDER IN THE SMART AUDIO CONVERTER PRO AFTER I HAD COVERTED THE FILES?
I have a couple dozen FLV files that I would like to convert to MP3. Is there an easy way to do this?
Thanks for the info on converting WMA files…
I added songs to my mp3 a few days a go, now that im trying to add more songs its not working now, and I have 56 songs already. Do you know why it isnt working?
How do I stop “AVS media demo” from coming onto my CD’s every 15 seconds when it is in the backgroud of CD I am copying off. Also can you direct me to somewhere that I can learn how to put tracks onto long messages when I copy them? Cheers
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!! forever I was looking for something to do this You have saved me from inevitably boring bus rides *hugs and kisses*
is there any software wipe off voice on a music track
i had like to explore dat as well
once again thanks for this web
for those of you pulling your hair out over walmart mp3 purchases, call 1-800-222-8132 and provide the email address used to purchase your music and they will direct you on how to download the licenses – free. Just saved 177 previously purchased songs from deletion- not to mention hours of my time.
Lando and Terry, I don’t know of any bulk converter that can handle subfolders and such, but what I would suggest anyway is to email the developers of the conversion program and ask them if that’s a possible feature they could add or something for a “pro” version? Please do come back and let us know what you find out!
Or, plan b, move all your music into a single folder, convert it and them import it. Test it, but the tags on the songs should still retain artist and track information…
I and Lando have the same question Dave… I have a HUGE library of music that I have been ripping to my computer for the last 15 years. I DO NOT want to convert one folder at a time. This would take another 15 years to complete (actually not, but still a very very very long time). Any Ideas?
Need your help – I have at least 8000 songs ripped from all my CDs (music fiend) using Windows Media and would like to convert them to MP3 – a common question for this page. What I don’t want to do is repeat the same files (eg, having 2 copies of MJ’s Billie Jean – one in MP3 and one in WMA). Also don’t want to have to go thru each file folder and convert – that would take much too long and then I might miss something too. Any suggestions??
Thank you so much 🙂 I never thought I’d find something so simple to answer my question! I can now listen to music on the sims 2, yay!
just like 2 say thanks a mil ive tried loads of other sites 4 help but this 1 is the best
If you want something easy and hassle free, for Mac & PC to convert WMA, M4A, AAC, OGG and a bunch of other formats, I must recommend RightClickMP3 – it’s only a tenner and very easy to use.
http://www.rightclickmp3.com
You don’t need to download anything fancy! If you click on the little arrow below rip, you go into options and select mp3!! It is easy!!
Hello,
I downloaded the file, but the version is not active, so I miss the output format icon and need the Liesne Key to activate it
Thanks for your help on this page
why doesn’t our psp acept the rip for our cds????