hymn

[XOR]

It seems that there's a bit of confusion over what needs to be done to completely DRM and deep-scrub like we used to do in the iTunes 4/5 days with JHymn. I've written these as a hopefully easy step-by-step. If you have purchased iTunes Plus files and just want to scrub ID info, you can skip the first part. Mac users: be sure to see the tips for Mac users at the end.

Disclaimer: These instructions may not be 100% accurate; they may not even work at all. They might erase all your purchased music. They might not remove all identifying info. As always, back up, and back up again. No warranty expressed or implied. You're on your own. Etc.

(If anything in this is wrong, please advise your corrections.)

How to remove DRM from Protected AAC (.m4p) files:

Start by launching iTunes and going into Edit->Preferences... and clicking the Playback tab. Uncheck all three boxes. (I don't know if this actually matters, but it can't hurt.) Quit iTunes.

Get QTFairUse6 from the download page.

As of this writing, you need to download and unzip the main QTFairUse6 package, which works with iTunes versions through 7.3. If you are using something newer than iTunes 7.3, you should read the release notes to see if QTFairUse6 has been updated to work with your version; if not, then replace the QTFairUse6.cfg file with whatever newer one is on the download page.

Launch QTFairUse6.exe. If you know what you're doing, you can modify the options, but for most purposes it's fine to select "Process all protected files in iTunes library" and to check all the checkboxes.

Click Start Conversion and go get a sandwich or something. Even though it's probably fine, I don't advise doing anything else with your PC until it's done. Why mess with it.

When it's all done, close the QTFairUse6 window, and look around iTunes to verify that the files are now decrypted. An easy way to do this is to go to the View menu and choose View Options... and then select the "Kind" checkbox. Then, click on the top of the Kind column to sort by it. You should no longer have any songs which say "Protected AAC". iTunes Plus files will say "Purchased AAC", though read on for how to change that...

How to scrub unprotected AAC files (.m4a, either iTunes Plus or QTFairUse6-processed):

Get JHymn 0.9.2 from the download archive.

If iTunes is running, quit it.

Launch JHymn, and set the following options (options with * don't actually matter but are mentioned for completeness):

- Files and folders window: leave default ("~\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music Library.xml")
- CHECK Process folders recursively
- File types to process: UNCHECK .m4p UNCHECK .m4b CHECK .m4a
- *Convert locked .m4p to: .m4a
- *UNCHECK Save to a different folder (Replace old files will be greyed out)
- *Convert locked .m4b to: .m4b
- UNCHECK Skip already converted or scrubbed files
- Convert all file types to "---"
- Back up: All Modified Files
- CHECK Delete original locked files
- Back up to: leave default ("~\My Documents\My Music\Backup")
- UNCHECK Update iTunes Music Library with unlocked and converted files
- UNCHECK If encoder isn't specified...
- UNCHECK Add custom signature atom if it isn't greyed out

Now, choose Preferences from the Edit menu, and...

- iTunes Library: leave default ("~\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music Library.xml")
- iTunes Library database: leave default ("~\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl")
- Custom signature atom: blank (empty)
- Custom signature text: blank (empty)
- Unwanted atoms: enter the following, with the curly braces, and returns after each one:
{apID}
{cprt}
{cnID}
{atID}
{plID}
{geID}
{sfID}
{akID}
{purd}
(note: some people also include {iods}, but I am not clear if it's necessarily contains ID info, or if removing it has any consequences. Apparently, it's different in home-ripped versus store-bought, but that's all I know.)
*MP3 quality: standard
*MP3 audiobook quality: 40 kbps mono @ 24 kHz
*Optional HTTP proxy: blank (empty)
UNCHECK Use Naive Trust Manager
UNCHECK Reset "Don't ask/warn me again" prompts
SELECT Don't bug me - I'll check for updates myself if i want to

Click OK.

You're all set. Now, back at the main JHymn screen, click Convert and let JHymn do its thing. When it's done, quit JHymn.

After you've scrubbed, In iTunes, if you sort by the Kind column (visible by selecting the Kind checkbox under View Options... in the View menu), you'll notice that any iTunes Plus songs will still say "Purchased AAC", but will change after you play them.

How to verify that the ID info is really scrubbed (optional):

Get AtomicParsley. Unzip it.

If you don't usually use the command window, the easiest thing to do here is to look in your My Documents/My Music/Music Backup folder (this contains your pre-scrubbed files), and copy any .m4a file to the AtomicParsley folder you just unzipped.

Then, choose Run from the Start menu, and type "cmd" and click OK. In the command window, type: cd Desktop\AtomicParsley-win32-0.9.0 and press return. (The version number may be different for your version of Atomic Parsley.) Then type: AtomicParsley "My Song Name.m4a" -t (the quotes and lowercase t are important, and I assume I don't have to say substitute the name of the song for "My Song Name").

You will see all the info stored in your pre-scrubbed .m4a file.

Now, find the corresponding scrubbed file in your iTunes library, and copy (don't move!) that into the AtomicParsley window. (You can replace the pre-scrubbed file.) In the command window, press up-arrow, which should bring up the same command you typed. Press return, and it will show you the same file, minus the ID info.

You can then delete the copied file from the AtomicParsley window.

Of course, if you know what you're doing in a command window, the file can be anywhere. Just use "Path\To\AtomicParsley" "Path\To\My Song.m4a" -t (lowercase t is important).

Cleaning Up:
The backups folder in the QTFairUse6 folder contains the encrypted .m4p files you purchased with iTunes standard. Whether or not you want to keep them is your call.

The Music Backup folder in your My Documents\My Music folder contains your pre-scrubbed unencrypted .m4a files, whether those were created by QTFairUse, or are the original iTunes Plus files you purchased. Again, whether or not you want to keep them is up to you.

You can obviously move QTFairUse6, JHymn, and AtomicParsley off your desktop to wherever you like on your drive, as long as you know where to find them again.

Tips for Mac users:
Mac users can follow most of the above instructions, with these caveats:

QTFairUse6 is the only decryption solution available for .m4p files, and it is not available for Mac OS X, so if you need it, you have to run it in Boot Camp or Parallels Desktop (or perhaps Virtual PC on PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) Macs, where it might work, very slowly).

JHymn for Mac only works on PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) Macs; Intel-based Macs will generate an error about JNIHymn not loading, so they'll need the Windows version in Boot Camp or Parallels Desktop. If you want to use JHymn for Mac, the instructions should be very close to what's above.

Atomic Parsley is available for Mac OS X; pretty much the same instructions apply, except: You open the command window by launching Terminal in the Utilities folder of Appilcations. Then type cd Desktop/AtomicParsley-MacOSX-0.9.0. Then find the file you want to check, in the Finder. Back in the Terminal window, type "./AtomicParsley " (note trailing space), and then drag the file from the window it's in straight to the terminal window, and its path will appear. In the terminal window, type " -t" (note the preceding space). So pretty much it will look like AtomicParsley Path/To/My/Song.m4a -t. Press return. Do the same thing for the pre-scrubbed and post-scrubbed songs. Quit the Terminal when done.

Decrypting and deep-scrubbing on a Mac

If your main iTunes library lives in Mac OS X but you want to use QTFairUse6 or JHymn, then you'll need to use Boot Camp or Parallels Desktop. It's easier with Parallels, so that's what I'll describe here, with Boot Camp options at the end. These instructions assume there's nothing in your iTunes for Windows library, and you have a clue as to how to use Parallels, including how to copy files between the Windows and Mac worlds via drag-n-drop and Shared Folders. The same techniques ought to work with minor adaptation for Virtual PC.

Mac method 1: Have QTFairUse6 and JHymn process your entire iTunes library, using Parallels:

In Parallels, install iTunes for Windows if it isn't already. Launch it. Go to Edit->Preferences... and then click the Playback tab and uncheck all three boxes.

Now click the Advanced tab. Click Change... for the iTunes Music Folder location. Browse to My Network Places\Entire Network\Parallels Shared Folders\.Home\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music and click OK. The music folder should now say \\.PSF\.Home\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music. Click OK, and quit iTunes.

Look in your My Documents/My Music/iTunes. If there are iTunes Library files, delete them. Then, copy your iTunes Library file from your Mac (in the Music/iTunes folder of your home folder) in place of the file you deleted. Rename it iTunes Library.itl (that is, add .itl to its name).

Launch iTunes for Windows again, and it will take a while as it processes your entire library. When it's done, quit it, and run QTFairUse6 and/or JHymn for Windows as instructed above.

When you're all done, quit iTunes in both Windows and Mac. Then go find the iTunes Library files on the Mac side (in Music/iTunes) and copy them somewhere else to back them up (twice, please). Then go ahead and delete them, and copy iTunes Library.itl from Windows. Rename it to iTunes Library (so that it no longer ends in itl). Launch iTunes for Mac, and let it rebuild its library. When it's done, you should be all set.

Mac Method 2: process only the files you want rather than the whole library, using Parallels or Boot Camp
Basically, follow the same instructions in Mac method 1, except ignore all the parts about deleting and copying the iTunes Library file. Instead, just copy the files you want to process from your Mac to your PC (with Parallels using drag-n-drop or shared folders, or with Boot Camp using an external drive). Add them to your iTunes for Windows library. Then let QTFairUse6 and JHymn do their thing.

When done, quit iTunes for Windows, and then copy everything in My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music back to the Mac. Then launch iTunes Mac, go to View->View Options... and click Kind, and click OK. Sort by Kind in the main iTunes window by clicking on the column header. Find the Protected AAC files, and then delete them. You can say yes to if you want to delete them from your iTunes Music folder, because you still have a copy of them on the PC side (as well as in the backup folders created by QTFairUse6 and JHymn, and possibly your external disk). Finally, drag the folder with all the decrypted and/or scrubbed .m4a files you copied from the PC side into the iTunes window to add them to your library. Ta-da.

XOR

[cough syrup]

All I can say is... Sticky please?

Another solution I had was to transfer my files over to another computer running Windows because I just didn't have the power to drive Virtual PC at the time thus giving me the power to run everything straight from the core of the computer instead of virtualizing it all.

[Annath]

[iTunesIsEvil]

Jeez XOR, you just keep giving. This will be stickied... as soon as I find that button.

[edit] Annath is correct in that your instructions will work with 7.3.x, so if you don't mind updating that portion please to be doing so.
_________________
"Hooray! I'm Helping!" - Dr. Zoidberg while being held Hostage.

[Annath]

Agreed. Awesome post.

[XOR]

Glad to help! Made change as suggested, as well as cleaned up a few small things.

If anyone walks through some or all of this, please post if any parts were unclear, inaccurate, or could otherwise be improved, and I'll modify accordingly...

[DrmBytes]

XOR,

Gold star for the day goes to you. That's an awesome post and I'm glad iTunesIsEvil found the sticky button. LOL! Well done!!