M4P converted to M4A won't play on Brennan B2

[Peter Orr]

I have successfully converted protected Apple Music files from M4P to M4A using an apple music converter App called Ukeysoft. After conversion, m4a files play fine on iTunes.

When I import the converted files to the Brennan via a USB stick in C, I can see them being written onto the HDD. I have used the file structure Artist/Album/track.

After scanning the disc, I can see the new tracks in the Brennan web browser. However, when I try to play them they come up on the Brennan display for a second or so then skip to the next track on the album, then the next until all the new m4a album tracks have been skipped. Then the Brennan starts to play a seemingly random pre-loaded FLAC track (but the same one every time).

Clearly, the Brennan does not like something about the format of the m4A files.

Is there are preferred spec to keep the Brennan happy? 

I have tried:

codec m4a

bitrate  256

sample rate 48000

channels 2

Which doesn't work.

So later I tried changing the sample rate down to 44000 with no fix. Rather than go through every permutation, what is the optimum codec spec?

I don't fancy going to MP3, due to the quality trade off. The Brennan successfully plays several hundred aac files that were downloaded other than in Apple Music, so not protected to Apple players.

The Brennan is clearly also capable of playing m4a files, but not mine!

Any suggestions? - this has been two evening's work so far!

Peter

[PMB]

Hi Peter,

Have you checked that the files on the USB stick have some content i.e. the Track files have a memory size, not just empty Album folders?

The B2 uses 16 bit 44.1kHz Compact Disc standard.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Peter Orr]

Thanks for your suggestion.

Yes, all the files play in iTunes and are 44.1Khz and a few MB in size, and include the artwork for the CD. 

Peter

[Peter Orr]

Problem definition:

I can convert CDs to FLAC via WAV using the Brennan CD drive - no problem

I can import MP3 files to Brennan and play the files - no problem 

I can import non-Apple AAC files to Brennan and play the files - no problem

I can convert Apple Protected M4P to M4A but when I import to Brennan it skips to next song - problem

I can convert Apple Protected M4P to FLAC but when I import to Brennan it skips to next song - wouldn't expect this to work, as the file is still Apple protected

I can convert M4A to FLAC and import to Brennan and play on Brennan - no problem

I can convert Apple Protected M4P to MP3 and import to Brennan and play on Brennan - no problem, but the audio quality is at MP3 standard so I don't want to do this

Has anybody managed to find a way to play M4A files on the Brennan that have been converted from Apple Protected M4P? - that's my main goal and I've tried and failed.

Peter

[Daniel Taylor]

Can you convert the M4P files to AAC?

What happens if you convert the M4P files to WAV and then convert those WAV files to FLAC?

I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that the original sample rate was 48k.

If it's the Apple file protection that's the problem, I wonder if there is any freeware program out there that can strip off the protection encoding.

That's all I can think to suggest.

[Peter Orr]

Thanks Daniel,

For these conversions I am using an app called ukeysoft which claims to strip the protection applied by Apple that they apply to force people to listen to their downloaded Apple Music files on Apple platforms only.

Ukeysoft offers a range conversions from Protected M4P to WAV, FLAC, AAC, M4A and others.

So yes, I can convert from M4P to AAC at various sample rates but I can't get the Brennan to play files converted from M4P to M4a.

Following your question, using Ukeysoft I can convert MP4 to WAV and play the WAV file on the Brennan, yes.

I'm now waiting for the Brennan to convert the trial WAV file to FLAC, to check that this might be a viable way to get Apple Music files playing on the Brennan.

My goal is to start with a protected Apple MPA file and convert it as losslessly as possible to a format that the Brennan can play. So converting to WAV seems to get round the Apple protection and have a file at the same original MP4 quality.

Would still like to know why the conversion from MP4 to M4a is not successful though, as this would be my preferred route - quicker to convert and less memory used.

Peter

[Martin Crawley]

Peter,

Did you ever sort this issue out? I'm having the same issue. I have converted from m4p to m4A, mp3,& aac and none of these formats play in the Brennan. I've tried loading the files using the Brennan GUI as well as dragging them straight onto the Brennan SSD (removing all the ._ files that Apple sends). All the converted files play in VLC and Audacity. I can't work out what's happening.

[Mark Fishman]

The easiest (and offically authorized!) way to strip DRM from Apple's m4p files is to burn them to an audio CD using a copy of iTunes that has your decryption keys. Then you have standard, unprotected audio CDs that you can rip and compress to FLAC. As long as you don't use a lossy format such as AAC or MP3, you wil have the same quality as the original M4P.

[PMB]

Hi Peter and Martin,

When converting the M4P files are you offered a choice of bits and bit rates - the B2 works at 16 Bit & 44.1kHz (CD standard) - just a thought?

Paul

Brennan Support.