Converting an Apple MP4 to MP3?

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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I downloaded a book from the iTunes store only to discover it's in M4B format.

I can listen to it on my pc, but I want to listen to it on my mp3 player.

There are loads of sites with free conversion software, but I don't know which to trust or whether they work or not.

1) Should I have been able to download it as MP3?
2) How do I know which site to trust?

It's my first time downloading a book and it's one hour and 15 minutes long. Can I break it into chapters?

Update January 2011 - using iTunes Version 10
I have found that you can change the setting on itunes to download stuff in mp3 format.

Edit
Preferences
General
Import settings (on the right hand side half way down the screen)

Change to MP3 encoder
ok

If you download it in "AAC" format by accident, you can right click on it and create MP3 version.
 
If you don't trust the websites or any of the converting software (stay away from the free stuff), there's a long winded but easy way around it.

First though, what MP3 player are you using? A simple firmware update might sort it out if it isn't playing.

This method has worked for me and as it's a small enough book, it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Use iTunes to burn the book as an audio cd (not a data cd, actual audio cd). I'm guessing at 1hr 15, it would just about fit on a single cd, if not it shouldn't be a panic as iTunes will automatically pause and ask you to insert another cd.

Once the cds are complete you can then import them into iTunes as you would a normal audio cd. Just make sure that in your settings under import, you have it selected to import as MP3. You can also set it to join together back into one track.

That's the easiest way around the problem. You can't insert chapters at that stage as it will treat it as a standard audio track.
 
If you have access to a linux machine you can do . .
ffmpeg -i <infile.m4b> -acodec libmp3lame -ar 22050 <outfile.mp3>

Or you could try a Windows version of [broken link removed] (I've only done it under ubuntu linux).
 
Thanks lads

I will look into the audio cd option.

The other suggestions are written in a language which I don't understand. (it would be easier for me to buy the book and read it :) )
 
I have only a passing familiarity with iTunes ..

.. but is there not an option for your content to be stored as MP3 ? And, if set, you can then get a Windows Explorer window to open, showing the file in it's location ?

Perhaps some apple/iTunes fanboy/girl can confirm ?
 
TarfHead said:
I have only a passing familiarity with iTunes ..

.. but is there not an option for your content to be stored as MP3 ? And, if set, you can then get a Windows Explorer window to open, showing the file in it's location ?

Perhaps some apple/iTunes fanboy/girl can confirm ?
Click to expand...

Yeah, but not with itunes purchases, only with files you import. Purchased M4b is a protected file and that's why a few mp3 players don't like it. Though again, some (due to demand from audiobook listeners as M4b is the best format for audiobooks) have updated their firmware to recognise the files, but not many.

The only real/(semi)legit way is to rip it to cd and get around the digital rights that way. As it's only a short book, it shouldn't be a problem, it's the longer ones that means using up loads of cds to get it to mp3 that become a pain.
 
I don't use itunes but in Windows media player you can specify the directory you rip to and just not use a cd.
 
Latrade said:
This method has worked for me and as it's a small enough book, it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Use iTunes to burn the book as an audio cd (not a data cd, actual audio cd). I'm guessing at 1hr 15, it would just about fit on a single cd, if not it shouldn't be a panic as iTunes will automatically pause and ask you to insert another cd.

.
.
Click to expand...

Hi LATrade

That is what I did. I burnt it to a CD and prefer listening to it from a CD player rather than from my desktop.

The only odd thing is that it is one long track so it's annoying trying to remember where I left off and fast forwarding to that place.

Brendan
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Hi LATrade

That is what I did. I burnt it to a CD and prefer listening to it from a CD player rather than from my desktop.

The only odd thing is that it is one long track so it's annoying trying to remember where I left off and fast forwarding to that place.

Brendan
Click to expand...

Yeah it's annoying. Essentially the big m4b file is made up of smaller m4a files (the chapters), as far as I can see there's no means of extracting these individually.

The only way is so messy you might as well just buy an iPod, however, there may be one last way that I can think of. If you have nero, see if it will recognise the m4b file for burning as an audio cd. I haven't used nero for years, so I really don't know if it does or doesn't.

If it does, I think you can then go to properties>indexes> limits and splits.
Put the splits where you want track marks and click OK.

As it's an audiobook you won't want gaps between tracks, so back into properties and set pause to 0 for all (except first track).

This should work in theory, but only if Nero recognises M4b.
 
Thanks for that.

This is how I did it in the end.

I burned the M4b file to a CD as suggested.
I played the CD on my TV
I hooked up my MP3 player/radio to the TV and recorded it from the TV to a USB
The mp3player/radio marks it every 5 minutes - but I also fast forwarded to the exact point of the beginning of the key stories.

Crazy stuff but it works.
 
You could get some audio editing software such as GoldWave and load the big MP3 file, then split it into sections and save these as individual files. There are many free audio editing apps out there that will do this for you.
Leo
 
Brendan Burgess said:
The mp3player/radio marks it every 5 minutes - but I also fast forwarded to the exact point of the beginning of the key stories.

Crazy stuff but it works.
Click to expand...

Is it possible to hook the player direct to the PC and do this avoiding the need for cds in the future? You can play the book via quicktime and even VLC as well as iTunes. Of course it's still a pain as you have to record in real time as such.
 
Update

Having forgotten this post, I have just downloaded some stuff in the itunes format again.

I have found that you can change the setting on itunes to download stuff in mp3 format.

Edit
Preferences
General
Import settings (on the right hand side half way down the screen)

Change to MP3 encoder
ok
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Update

Having forgotten this post, I have just downloaded some stuff in the itunes format again.

I have found that you can change the setting on itunes to download stuff in mp3 format.

Edit
Preferences
General
Import settings (on the right hand side half way down the screen)

Change to MP3 encoder
ok
Click to expand...

Does that work? I was under the impression that this was only for importing/ripping from a CD rather than iTunes purchases.
 
Thanks Tarfhead

It's a question of language. I didn't understand the wording used.

I hadn't realised that "stored" meant downloaded. And I don't know what "the file and its location" is all about
 
Hi Brendan,

Following Latrade's query, do you mean you can buy and download something from the iTunes store in an MP3 format?
 
Yes Liam

The default option in iTunes is to download in the funny format. However, you can change the default option so that you download in MP3 as follows

Edit
Preferences
General
Import settings (on the right hand side half way down the screen)

Change to MP3 encoder
ok

or as Tarfhead put it:

is there not an option for your content to be stored as MP3 ? And, if set, you can then get a Windows Explorer window to open, showing the file in it's location ?
Click to expand...
 
Sorry LAtrade only saw this now:

Does that work? I was under the impression that this was only for importing/ripping from a CD rather than iTunes purchases.
Click to expand...

It works for i Tunes purchases as well.

Brendan
 
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