I tried to open an mp4 file from my IPod or from ITunes or WMA file, but Song Surgeon cannot open these files. Why?

I tried to open an mp4 file from my IPod or from ITunes or WMA file, but Song Surgeon cannot open these files. Why?

Song Surgeon can open and save mp4 and wma files.  The mp4 files provided via ITunes and stored on IPods are “protected” using an encryption technology called digital rights management or DRM. Similarly many wma files are also protected by DRM technology. As with any encrypted files, these files cannot be opened without the encryption key.  

One simple method to bypass DRM on audio files is to burn the content to an audio CD and then rip it into DRM-free files. For example if you have protected mp4 or wma files, burn these to a CD using a standard CD burner. This is only possible when the software that plays these DRM-restricted audio files allows CD-burning. For example on a Windows machine this would be the default Windows Media Play.  On a MAC use the default audio player to burn these songs onto a CD. 


Once you have burned the DRM protected files onto a CD, then use any ripping software (like Song Surgeon) to rip the songs from the CD back onto your computer.  In doing so, you will remove the DRM protection and these newly ripped songs in a wav or mp3 format can then be opened in Song Surgeon.


For more information about other work-arounds for I-tunes or Ipod files please go here.

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