DRM Protected Music and DRM-free MP3 Music

Many online music stores employ DRM to restrict usage of music purchased and downloaded online. There are many options for consumers buying digital music over the internet, in terms of both stores and purchase options.

Napster music store, which offers a subscription-based approach to DRM alongside permanent purchases. Users of the subscription service can download and stream an unlimited amount of music encoded to Windows Media Audio (WMA) while subscribed to the service. But as soon as the user misses a payment, the service renders all of the downloaded music unusable. Napster also charges users who wish to use the music on their portable device an additional $5 per month. Furthermore, Napster requires users to pay an additional $0.99 per track to burn it to CD or listen to it after the subscription expires. Songs bought through Napster can be played on players carrying the Microsoft PlaysForSure logo (which, notably, do not include iPods or even Microsoft's own Zune).

MP3 is a compressed audio format that allows for smaller file sizes with similar sound quality to PCM WAV format. It is perfect for downloading and sending through the Internet because of its much smaller file size. The sampling frequency of 320 Kbps renders high audio quality, even though you can use 64 Kbps sampling frequency to make the file size smaller. The best part of mp3 is it’s totally free of any protection. No digital right management or any other form of protection is attached or contained within. So mp3 music can be disseminated widely through peer to peer exchanges via internet.

Convert DRM to MP3

With almost all popular media players supporting mp3 format, people can enjoy mp3 songs much more convenient. If they have music files in other formats, like m4p, wma, aac or m4b, they would like to convert the music to mp3, so they can enjoy and share the music freely. This consumer demand has called upon the invention of mp3 conversion programs. Burning technology and recording technology are the most common applications. Some developers even try to crack the DRM wrapper.

Advanced converting technology includes virtual burning and virtual recording. These two approaches provide better solutions for converting DRM audio files without cracking any protection or breaking DRM regulations. NoteBurner is the leading application adopting virtual burning technology in converting m4p to mp3. NoteCable utilizes virtual recording technology to convert m4p to mp3 with more stable performance.

NoteBurner DRM Audio Converter uses virtual CD burning technology to simulate the burning and ripping process and can convert M4P files to MP3. So NoteBurner is a M4P converter software. This amazing CD burner emulator easily automates the whole workflow for converting protected music or audio files to normal music files: ripping, burning, encoding are within only ONE click. This unique All-in-One feature helps NoteBurner convert any DRM protected WMA, M4P music and M4B, MP3, rax, MP4, WAV, RA, snd, OGG, aif music to unprotected MP3, WAV, WMA formats at fast speed and high quality.

"In the field of digital rights Management (DRM) and technological protection measures (TPM), CPTech has focused mostly on elements of the global policy landscape. We are examining a fundamental question: should we, and more importantly, can we, effectively regulate TPM/DRM technologies in order to ensure that the public interest in access to knowledge goods is protected? And how might that regulation be undertaken in a world of global movement of knowledge goods?

We have not focus on the effects, justification or acceptability of TPM/DRM systems but on the issues raised by the requirement for providing legal protection to both TPM and DRM systems. While we recognize that they are different—a DRM is a way a “contract” or a license and a TPM an enforcement of the contract and every DRM includes permission for access and use but not always a TPM--- public policies regarding their protection are related. Our intent is to propose possible alternatives to the current strategies and policies regarding the legal protection of TPM/DRMs." (Quoted from Manon Ress's blog)