Posted by Penelope Pitstop on 09/04/05 09:53

red apple <a.fake@addressmadeup.us> wrote:
> I have an inexpensive but decent portable music player that plays both
> mp3 and wma files.
>
> My understanding - from where I don't know - is that wma files are
> smaller than mp3 files (everything else held equal) and that they thus
> can fit more songs on a portable player than by using mp3. Correct?
>
> If that's correct, I am having a devil of a time converting my mp3
> files to wma. I'd like something that would, free, do batch
> conversions from mp3 to wma. The several things I've tried don't
> even offer a wma option, and the help files say it's probably because
> I lack a wma codec. Yet I *do* have a few wma files on my compuer,
> and they play fine on the computer in wimamp, WMP, etc. So where do
> I find a decent, free, speedy batch conversion utility, and where do
> I get the necessary codec(s) to allow conversion to wma?
>
> Sorry, can't find this information on the web, even though I expect
> there will be at least 20 responses pointing me to the right place.

Yes, wma files are smaller than mp3 files, but transcoding from wma to
mp3 only degrades the quality of the files even further. I wouldn't
suggest transcoding the files if you are planning on sharing them with
others, but if they are for just your personal use, dBpowerAMP Music
Converter can do what you want if the wma codec is installed.

Get the converter from... http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm Get the
wma codec from... http://www.dbpoweramp.com/codec-central-wma.htm
Install the codec into the same directory as the converter, usually
C:\Program Files\Illustrate\dBpowerAMP.

Alternately, you could probably use a program you already have if you
just install the wma codec into its directory or wherever the program's
website suggests it be installled.

-PP

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