DRM WMA and DRM-free WMA

WMA is one of the most popular audio codecs. Certified PlaysForSure devices, as well as a large number of uncertified devices, ranging from portable hand-held music players to set-top DVD players, support the playback of WMA files. Most PlaysForSure-certified online stores distribute content using this codec only.

Later versions of WMA Pro introduced low-bit rate encoding, low-delay audio, frequency interpolation mode, and an expanded range of sampling rate and bit-depth encoding options. A WMA 10 Pro file compressed with frequency interpolation mode comprises a WMA 9 Pro track encoded at half the original sampling rate, which is then restored using a new compression algorithm.

Like AAC and Ogg Vorbis, WMA was intended to address perceived deficiencies in the MP3 standard. Given their common design goals, it's not surprising that the three formats ended up making similar design choices. All three are pure transform codecs. Furthermore the MDCT implementation used in WMA is essentially a superset of those used in Ogg and AAC such that WMA iMDCT and windowing routines can be used to decode AAC and Ogg Vorbis almost unmodified.

All DRM to date, and probably all future ones can therefore be bypassed by recording this signal and digitally storing and distributing it in a non DRM limited form. However the conversion from digital to analog and back is likely to force a loss of quality, particularly when using lossy digital formats. HDCP is an attempt to restrict the analog hole.

DRM Protected WMA to MP3 Converter

NoteBurner DRM Converter is a program that can be used to convert DRM protected WMA to MP3, DRM protected M4P to MP3, DRM protected M4B to MP3, as well all types of DRM-free audio files to MP3, WMA and WAV formats. It operates a little differently than the other products we reviewed because it is a virtual CD burner. It must be used in conjunction with a media player that can burn CDs because it makes the media player “burn” the song as a file on the hard drive instead of onto a real CD.

NoteBurner Protected WMA to MP3 Audio Converter is well known for its magic fast converting speed and its capability of converting DRM WMA protected audio files to MP3, WMA and WAV, especially convert M4P to MP3.

Youc can now free download NoteBurner Audio Converter to convert DRM protected music to MP3, DRM protected WMA to MP3, M4P to MP3, or M4B to MP3. With the program, you can also convert all types of DRM-free audio files to MP3, WMA and WAV at fast speed.

Since NoteBurner DRM Protected WMA to MP3 Audio Converter uses virtual burning technology, media player like iTunes, Windows Media Player or Real Player, or audio editing program like Adobe Audition, is required to co-work with the program to complete the converting.

The IT Week quotes a report of Insight Research which estimates that spending on DRM systems is going to reach $9bn by 2012. This gives us a good idea of the systematic cost of Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) systems, a cost that will have to be borne by authors and artists with every upload into the system, as well as society at large with every access to works within that system.

IT Week also quotes the report with "But, by and large, the focus of the DRM industry is to protect the rights of the owner of the content, not the end user." Besides pointing out that the "owner of the content" is normally not the author or artist, I could not have said it any better.