# Importing my legally purchased iTunes music into DAW for reference



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

This used to be easy in iTunes... right-click and 'Create .WAV version'.

Now, I can no longer import my iTunes files into my DAW (Logic X). If I try to import the .m4p file, it doesn't let me (because of DRM).

Any suggestions on how to use my purchased music as a reference in my DAW? 

PS - I know there are ways to rip YouTube videos, but I'd prefer to not do it that way. I paid for this stuff (some of it is even imported from old CDs)... surely, I should be able to use it?


----------



## goalie composer (Feb 11, 2019)

Check out MediaHuman Audio Converter


----------



## LamaRose (Feb 11, 2019)

No problems here. Don't use the import function. Open logic with your audio track set up and physically drag the mp4 from another window onto the track.


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

I tried to drag the file from iTunes and it doesn't work. When you say 'drag the mp4'... from where? Finder? iTunes? Somewhere else?

PS - I don't have mp4, I have m4p (DRM). iTunes seems to have converted all my old WAV and MP3 to this format. Ugh.

I will check out MediaHuman Audio Converter, thanks.


----------



## John Busby (Feb 11, 2019)

yep, i've run into the same issue
you will need to use an audio converter.
i don't have the one mentioned above, but what i do is open in final cut and export it to wav, works like a charm - but it's stupid we have to do this!


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

Ugh! But thanks!


----------



## Markus Kohlprath (Feb 11, 2019)

I use MediaHuman AudioConverter for several years. It is pretty fast and straight forward. You also can convert whole folders (cds) at once. Also useful if you need mp3s of your wav files. It's much faster than rendering it out of the daw.
Had the same issue with iTunes and cubase. This was the solution for me.


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

MediaHuman AudioConverter does not seem to support converting .m4p files. Again, these are new DRM-enabled audio files, not standard MP3s (or MP4).

If any iTunes user can weigh in and tell me what tool you are using to convert the .m4p files, I would appreciate it. Maybe I can use iMovie, but that seems silly.

This is frustrating because I deliberately ripped all of these CDs years ago as straight .WAV files. But at some point, Apple/iTunes came behind me and changed them to .m4p. Now I am unable to do anything with them other than play back in iTunes.


----------



## playz123 (Feb 11, 2019)

I use dbpoweramp on my graphics PC, but note it's also available for Mac (which I use for music). Works extremely well. Check it out:
https://www.dbpoweramp.com/


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

I'll check. Thanks!


----------



## LondonMike (Feb 11, 2019)

Can you not go to itunes>preferences>General> import settings> change it to WAV encoder

I just did it with a song I purchased last year.

Then when you go to convert the file it has the option of WAV


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

LondonMike said:


> Can you not go to itunes>preferences>General> import settings> change it to WAV encoder
> 
> I just did it with a song I purchased last year.
> 
> Then when you go to convert the file it has the option of WAV


----------



## LondonMike (Feb 11, 2019)

marclawsonmusic said:


>


Oh, I wonder when that came in. I guess it's a recent thing? Or maybe some songs are in that format and some aren't.


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

LondonMike said:


> Oh, I wonder when that came in. I guess it's a recent thing? Or maybe some songs are in that format and some aren't.



Yeah, like I said, it seems that Apple converted my old .WAV files into .m4p at some point. I have used iTunes for over 10 years and have about 2800 tracks - mostly from my old CDs. I guess Apple determined I owned those legally and decided to convert them to .m4p. FML

Maybe I can find an old backup with my old .WAV files. Sigh...


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

There are some audio converters that will convert from DRM .m4p files to other formats, but it seems they all want $39.99. What a racket!


----------



## JamieLang (Feb 11, 2019)

The DRM is for anything purchased from iTunes before say 2008. No way to even make your own DRM files.

Anyway, there’s no fully legit way to do it. Yoj usually CAN burn a CD froM DRM purchase. If you the. Rip to lossless WAV/AIF....drm gone. Be warned that if you try to rip it to MP4, it will be a transcode and sound worse than the original. So, leave it linear.


----------



## LamaRose (Feb 11, 2019)

marclawsonmusic said:


> PS - I don't have mp4, I have m4p (DRM). iTunes seems to have converted all my old WAV and MP3 to this format.



I double-checked, and my iTune-purchased files are a mix of mp3 & m4a. My other CD-ripped waves are still .wav. I'm using iTunes 12.8.2.3. I just downloaded some previously purchased files from the store and they are all m4a. Maybe you could try re-downloading a few files and check the format?

I would be seriously pissed if my .wav files had been converted. Apple's becoming a bigger pain in the ass as the weeks roll by.


----------



## JamieLang (Feb 11, 2019)

m4p=mp4 protected
m4A=mp4 without DRM

Same audio codec--different header info. Anyway--neither here nor there, really. But, there's no need to debate that they're all the same compression codec. Mpeg4. The "problem" is that your DAW can't access the audio inside because of the DRM layer locking it. It surprises me that Logic can't, if that's your DAW. You can browse for it directly inside Logic's file/media browser (on the right pane)...you don't even need to know where the file is located, because you can browse the iTunes database directly.

I don't have any DRM files to test it for you. I got that shit all gone as soon as they opened it up and then asked me for MORE money to "upgrade" the purchased files to non protected ones. Pretty sure I did the CD Ripping thing years ago to make them unprotected files. I think I DID transcode--because I don't use anything bought from iTunes as critical sonic reference--but, that's also how I know it's a noticeably lossy transcoding process.


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

OK, I checked my iTunes Music folder and none of my .WAV files are there. It has been a LONG time since I ripped all my CDs, but I'm fairly certain I pulled down many of them in .WAV format. I have no explanation for what happened... maybe it is because I sync iTunes with my iPhone? Maybe at some point iTunes copied the compressed files from my iPhone over top of the .WAVs? Hell, I don't know.

In the good news department, I do have a large number of .m4a files. But since I was using iTunes since 2005, I also have a lot of .m4p crap too. Seems like the last 4 or 5 times I've tried to import a file into the DAW for reference, I have been denied due to the .m4p issue (this with CDs I *thought* I had imported myself), which is why I made this post. I also noticed the UI changed in iTunes in 12.6 (or 12.7?) so I wondered if it was related to that.

Anyway, some of the mystery is cleared up... I guess I'll have to find my old CD drive to burn these .m4p files and re-rip them at some point. And here I thought converting to digital was going to make life easier...


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

JamieLang said:


> You can browse for it directly inside Logic's file/media browser (on the right pane)...you don't even need to know where the file is located, because you can browse the iTunes database directly.



Hi Jamie, thanks for this tip. I never import directly from my iTunes library using the browser in Logic. I guess I'm old school and just go after the raw audio when I can. Let me try this and see if it works. I will report back.


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

I cannot see any of the .m4p files in the iTunes browser in Logic. No surprise there.

Looks like I just need to get rid of this DRM crap at some point - then I won't run into this issue any more. Now, where is that old spindle of CD-Rs again? 

Thanks for the help and feedback, all.


----------



## kitekrazy (Feb 11, 2019)

I used to burn CD RW discs and then import them back in. If you want DRM free see how much it costs to buy on Amazon Music. 

BTW isn't iTunes eventually going to go away?


----------



## Studio E (Feb 11, 2019)

You can’t convert to aiff and import either? That’s what I do.


----------



## Jdiggity1 (Feb 11, 2019)

Route your system sounds (iTunes) into your DAW. Most interfaces above $300 have some form of loopback feature that allows this (RME, MOTU, Focusrite, Mackie...). Otherwise there are software solutions like this: http://jackaudio.org/


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 11, 2019)

Jdiggity1 said:


> Route your system sounds (iTunes) into your DAW. Most interfaces above $300 have some form of loopback feature that allows this (RME, MOTU, Focusrite, Mackie...). Otherwise there are software solutions like this: http://jackaudio.org/



Wow great idea! I will try that. Thanks!


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 12, 2019)

@Jdiggity1 This worked great. I was able to record a short passage from the song in my iTunes library directly into Logic. This is actually much better than grabbing the whole file and cutting out the section I needed anyway.

Thanks for the tip!


----------



## FriFlo (Feb 12, 2019)

I also route the signal into my DAW and simply record the audio. With RME you got a loop back function on all outputs.


----------



## Illico (Feb 12, 2019)

What about ffmpeg ?
Use ffmpeg -i *.m4p *.wav


----------



## Saxer (Feb 12, 2019)

I can drag/drop near anything from the iTunes window into Logic. But I had two or three songs which were protected and refused to be copied. Seems to be some Apple mistake and happens from time to time. I also simply recorded the track via audio input into Logic (like we did in the last Millenium).


----------



## playz123 (Feb 12, 2019)

Since you don't want to spend any money, here's a free converter for both Mac and Windows. I've never used it myself, but have heard good things about it.
https://www.mediahuman.com/audio-converter/


----------



## marclawsonmusic (Feb 12, 2019)

playz123 said:


> Since you don't want to spend any money, here's a free converter for both Mac and Windows. I've never used it myself, but have heard good things about it.
> https://www.mediahuman.com/audio-converter/



Thank you, Frank. Unfortunately, that software didn't like the .m4p files due to the DRM. But I am sorted now... just routed the audio into Logic and hit 'record'.


----------

