AutoHotkey Community

Why not just play back the DRM'd file and record it using Audacity or something and then save it as a MP3 or WMA? Yes, it's slow but free...

The playing/recording method reduces quality. The soundtaxi software looks good and claims to be legal so I might check it out sometime if I can't find any freeware alternative.

_________________
GitHub • Scripts • IronAHK • Contact by email not private message.

It depends. For example, Rhapsody's RAX files are 196 bit when purchased. When streamed, they are 160, or thereabouts. That accounts for the reduction in quality. I suspect that *any* conversion would reduce the quality in some manner. Lossless would be the only way to maintain integrity of a lossless source.

MP3DirectCut freeware, record what you hear to MP3
http://www.mpesch3.de/
Version 2.02 2006-03-09 record what you hear to MP3 (volume stereomix/wave)

example (a part from script):

;LS=I walk the line
;CA=I walk the line.ram
DIRECTCUT =%A_scriptDir%\MP3DIRECTCUT\mp3directcut.exe

R3R=%A_scriptDir%\_RECORDING
ifnotexist,%R3R%
FileCreateDir,%R3R%

run,%CA%
run,sndvol32
run,%DirectCut% %R3R%\%LS%.mp3 /rec

I purchased SoundTaxi. It's a bit slow, it takes about 1/2 the time that the song plays to re-Rip. It does its magic by basically re-recording the files. It uses (in the background, without any intervention by you) Windows Media Player to obtain a license. It then seems to play the song and re-record the file in MP3 (or some other) format. You can chose the bitrate you want to record to, but my guess is that the output's quality is limited to the input quality.

Anyway, I've converted a few purchased songs to something I can use a bit more freely.

BTW, the best way to start the conversion is to drag a folder into SoundTaxi's main window. When it starts it asks you to select files. The select box only lets you pick one file at a time though. What I do is cancel the select box, Open the Prefs and set things the way I want (bitrate, oputput folders, and format) then drag a folder into SoundTaxi's window...the conversion starts automatically and you can drag a folder full of folders and it will find the songs inside.

MCM

garry great example! thanks!