How to Convert WMA to MP4

Removing DRM

1. Understand why you may need to do this. WMA files are Windows music/audio files, and music in this format that's been purchased from online stores will be protected with Digital Rights Management (DRM). This will prevent you from converting the files until you have stripped the DRM from the file.

   1. This method will need to be performed in Windows, even if you are trying to convert on a Mac. Once the files have been stripped of DRM, you can convert them on any system.
   2. You'll be burning the protected files to audio CDs and then ripping them back to the computer to strip them of DRM. This will result in a slight loss of audio quality. You'll need a drive capable of burning CDs (most modern computers have one).

2. Check if the files are protected. Not all WMA files have DRM. You can quickly check files to see if they are protected. If none of the files you want to convert are protected, you can skip down to the next section.

   1. Open the folder containing the files you want to check.
   2. Right-click on a WMA file and select "Properties".
   3. Click the Details tab and scroll to the bottom. Look for the "Protected" entry. If it says "Yes", the file is protected with DRM.

3. Open Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player comes installed with Windows, and includes all fo the tools you'll need to strip the DRM from WMA files.

4. Add the files to the Windows Media Player library if they aren't already. You can click and drag a selection of files directly into the Windows Media Player window to quickly add them to the library.

5. Click the "Burn" tab in Windows Media Player. This can be found on the far right side of the screen. If you don't see the Burn tab, press Ctrl+1 to open the Library view.

6. Drag the songs you want to strip into the Burn list. If add more music than will fit on a single CD, you can scroll through the list to see how many CDs will be required.

7. Insert a blank CD-R. Close the Autoplay window if it opens.

8. Start the burn process. Depending on your burner, this may take several minutes to complete. The finished CD will eject automatically.

9. Repeat for the rest of your music. Once the CD ejects, you can insert a new blank CD and Windows Media Player will automatically continue burning the list.

10. Set your CD ripping options. Before you rip the songs back to your computer, you'll want to adjust your settings so that you get the best quality.

    1. Click the Tools menu and select "Options". If you don't see the Tools menu, press Alt. Click the Rip Music tab.
    2. Change the location that Window Media Player will save the ripped songs if you'd like. If you don't change it, make note of where it is so that you can find the files later.
    3. Move the slider at the bottom to the far right to ensure you get the best quality.
    4. You can select "MP3" from the Format menu, which may save you from having to perform the method in the next section to convert the files to MP4.

11. Insert the first burned CD back into your computer. After you're finished burning, insert the first Cd you burned back into the computer. It may start playing automatically.

12. Click the "Rip CD" button. This will appear at the top of the Windows Media Player window when an audio CD is inserted in the computer. Clicking the button will automatically begin ripping the songs back to your computer, and they will be saved to the location you specified earlier.

    1. If you want to finish the process on a Mac, you can now transfer the ripped files to your Mac computer. The conversion program you'll be using works for both Windows and Mac.