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How Can I Unprotect Music on My Computer?

If you download music from a digital service like the iTunes Store or the Zune Marketplace, you will find that you have serious limitations on the ways in which you can transfer and play your MP3s. This is because many music providers place DRM (digital rights management) protections on their songs, which allows you to access the files only on specific media. You cannot transfer an iTunes file to a Zune, for example, and you cannot transfer a Zune file to an iPod. Fortunately, you can remove these restrictions without using third-party software.

Things You'll Need

  • CD-R/CD-RW
  • Digital music software
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Instructions

    • 1

      Open the software that contains the DRM-coded files. This may include iTunes, Zune, Rhapsody or another program.

    • 2

      Insert a blank CD into your computer's CD/DVD-ROM drive.

    • 3

      Create a playlist for all of the songs from which you want to remove DRM protection. A playlist is like a folder where you can sort and/or burn a specific set of songs of your choosing. Locate the "Playlist" or "New Playlist" option on your software window and click once to create your playlist.

    • 4

      Drag your songs onto the playlist using your mouse.

    • 5

      Burn your songs onto your CD. The "Burn" option should appear in the lower right corner of your window, indicated by a red circle (the universal "Record" symbol) or by the word "Burn" or "Copy."

    • 6

      Eject your disc from your disc drive and immediately reinsert it.

    • 7

      Import the songs back to into your computer using the same software. Just click the "Import" or "Rip" button on the software window. The newly-copied files will appear as general MP3 files, and will not contain any copyright protection.

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Digital Music

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