How do you convert m4a files to mp3?

[The RightGraduate Profile]

...On itunes?

Okay, this is just about the easiest question a lot of you will get, but it's one I'm grappling with all the same. I've got a whole bunch of albums/songs etc which I've converted to m4a rather than mp3 by a mistake, and I'm wanting to convert them so I can put them on the iPod. Is there a way to do this, using iTunes, and not having to download something off the 'net? (I'm a bit touchy about spyware etc).
I'm sure there's an obvious answer to this, but help me all the same!
Your thoughts/suggestions, if you have any, would be nice, please...

[bhoywonder]

Go to the preferences, change the importing settings to mp3, select the track you want to convert, go to Advance and you'll have an option that says Create mp3 version.

Leastways, that' how it works on a Mac. Can't imagine it's much different if you're unlucky enough to be on a PC.

[The Driver]

There are a couple of file converters in the Useful Utilities section which should do the trick, and they're spyware free.

[JQW]

M4A files can be one of two things, either AAC encoded or Apple Lossless encoded.

All iPod models can play the AAC encoded variant of these files, although the original iPod model could only do so after a firmware update. AAC files typically sound better than MP3s encoded at the same bitrate. Converting one of these to MP3 will result in some further sonic degradation.

Most iPod models can play Apple Lossless files; only very early models and some shuffles can't. As they're lossless encoded filesizes vary, and such files can be several times larger even 320 kbit/sec encoded MP3 or AAC files.

[Count Machuki]

Sonic Degradation.

Love their eponymous debut from '73. Robust stuff.





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