MP3 players forum: mp3 and m4a

then if I don't care to be limited like that, how can I convert files from m4a (which seems to be the default method of iTunes-PC to import things) to mp3 ?



thanks!

A little research goes a long way. Check out www.m4a.com for the real answers. This is just a snippet from the site. It is NOT just an Apple thing.
"M4A stands for MPEG 4 Audio, and it is a popular file extension used to represent audio files. Most people are familiar with MP3 and how it shrinks down the file size of songs and other audio files. M4A and MP4 do the same thing as MP3 does, but even better. Quality is better and file sizes are usually smaller than MP3 files. But unlike MP3, no licenses or payments are required to be able to stream or distribute content in M4A format (unlike MP3 which requires you to pay royalties on content you distribute in MP3 format). This fact alone, is more than enough reason (due to the extreme cost savings) to use M4A files instead of MP3 files. In addition, M4A files tend to sound much better than MP3 files encoded at the same bitrate."
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If you have a player, any player, that supports M4A then the answer is yes, it is as portable as MP3
However, if you purchased a player that does not support M4A, then the answer is NO.
It all depends on the capabilities of your player.
M4a is the next standard UP from MP3 and is controlled by the same organisation.

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so ... tell it to use the MP3 encoder instead of the AAC encoder ... correct?

This program the Switch Sound File Converter by NCH Software will convert an m4a to an mp3. Then you can also edit the mp3 into a ringtone using, Pix n Tunes Ringtone program. I have it, not sure where to get it, all have to do is do a search!

Many car stereos now support .m4a AAC files on CD-Rs.