Comments on: iTunes Music Store on Android

Question: iTunes Music Store on Android

mkb — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:14:19 -0800

Last year I bought a new Android device that replaces a long string of iPods. I just now noticed that a couple things in my music library are not playable on it because they were purchased from the iTunes Music Store! What to do?

I've tried redownloading from the music store to see if Apple is now offering DRM-free versions, but they are all still protected. If there any other way to decrypt them besides burning them to a CD and re-ripping? (That's an option; that would take about 14 CDs)

Host is OS X 10.7 with access to Windows or Linux VMs if that's what's necessary.

By: mskyle

mskyle — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:18:54 -0800

There are programs that will fake burn (to a virtual CD burner) and re-rip your iTunes DRM-protected music - here's an example.

Oh, whoops, that's four years old and not free anymore. But the idea is the same!

By: holgate

holgate — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:21:49 -0800

I've tried redownloading from the music store to see if Apple is now offering DRM-free versions, but they are all still protected.

It may be worth your while shelling out for iTunes Match so that you can (easily) delete the old versions and pull down the non-DRM 256kbps AAC files in their place.

By: zsazsa

zsazsa — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 10:39:32 -0800

Apple used to let you pay to upgrade your tracks to iTunes Plus format (basically the 256kbps non-DRM versions they sell exclusively these days), but from looking at holgate's link, it looks like you have to do it through iTunes Match now. But if you're talking about 14 CDs worth, it may be cheaper than it would have been with the old way anyway.

By: theichibun

theichibun — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 12:40:58 -0800

Have you considered, um, less than legal means?

By: chairface

chairface — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:12:26 -0800

Apple's DRM was called "FairPlay" so googling for "FairPlay cracking" might prove useful. However the scheme was cracked back around '04 and Apple has dropped DRM so I found most of the links to be dead.

Burning to CD and reripping will probably be the cheapest way to go.

By: vasi

vasi — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 17:38:29 -0800

If you can arrange access to iTunes 10.x (current is 11), and live in a jurisdiction where breaking DRM is legal, you can use a program called "Requiem" to remove Apple's DRM.

By: caution live frogs

caution live frogs — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:11:33 -0800

In iTunes, pick track, right-click, select "Create AAC Version" and you'll end up with a copy without DRM. If you don't want AAC, under Import Settings you can selecte a different default audio file type (such as MP3), after which right-clicking will let you create an MP3 version.

I use this to remove DRM from purchased music in my own library. No third-party software needed.

By: caution live frogs

caution live frogs — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:13:37 -0800

Check the song info after conversion, original will be "Purchased AAC File" and will be tied to your AppleID; new copy will be a plain AAC File and will NOT be tied to your ID.

By: vasi

vasi — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:48:39 -0800

caution live frogs: "Check the song info after conversion, original will be "Purchased AAC File" and will be tied to your AppleID; new copy will be a plain AAC File and will NOT be tied to your ID."

This only works on non-protected purchased songs. DRM-protected songs will have the type "Protected AAC audio file", and choosing "Create AAC Version" on them will display an error.

By: caution live frogs

caution live frogs — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:53:32 -0800

Really? I've never seen this happen myself. Possibly I never actually tried this on a protected AAC; I thought I had, but it may have all been purchased content rather than protected.