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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Loading music on your iPod

By Kim Komando

If you own an Apple iPod, you aren't limited to Apple's music files from the iTunes store.

You can load music from your CDs or other sources onto the iPod.

If you have a collection of MP3s, simply copy them into Apple's iTunes software on your computer. From there, you load them into the iPod.

In addition to MP3s and music files in Apple's AAC format, iTunes can handle unprotected WMA (Windows Media Audio) files created by Microsoft's Windows Media Player.

Drag and drop them into iTunes, which will copy and convert them to AAC.

The iTunes software is not the only way to load and organize an iPod's music. Ephpod will also load and organize music on computers using Microsoft Windows 98 and later.

And Ephpod has another great feature — it will allow you to move the music from the iPod back to the computer. This could be important if your original hard drive crashes and takes your tunes with it.

Another program, Winamp, also can be used to load and unload the iPod. It is more complicated, since it requires a plug-in. Winamp also works on Windows 98 and later.

In the Mac world, programs are available to unload the iPod. Try Senuti and Xpod. Both are free. Use iTunes to load the iPod.

If you buy songs from the RealPlayer Music Store, they may also play on the iPod. Real's music files — which, like Apple's, are also encrypted — work with all iPod models but not with all iPod software.

Before using Real as your iPod's music manager and source, check to see if your iPod setup is covered. Real lists its MP3 player compatibility at music.guide.real.com/realplayerdevices. If your iPod is compatible, you can use the free RealPlayer to load Real's music.

Other, less common formats, such as OGG Vorbis, also are around. Converters generally are available. For instance, for Windows users, dBpowerAMP converts between multiple music file formats. It's free.

Smart Audio Converter is similar, but costs $20. Both work on Windows 98 and later.

For Mac users, EasyWMA for Mac OS will convert unprotected WMA files to MP3s. It works under Mac OS X 10.2 and later, and it's free.

Music Man is another music converter, for Mac OS X 10.2.3 or later. It's free for 30 days, and $20 to buy.

And SoundConverter (www.dekorte.com/projects/shareware/soundconverter) also converts between file formats. It sells for $10 and works on Mac OS X 10.2 through 10.3.

The encryption used by Apple and others to thwart piracy has complicated the music scene.

But with a little thought, you should be able to get most music files onto your iPod.