instructables : Convert DRMed WMA files to Usable MP3s
It looks like FairUse4WM is resurfacing again. Above is a link to an article that walks users through the process of stripping Windows Media DRM off of either subscription or purchased tracks, convert them to MP3s and add ID3 tags. I've never tried it (honestly!), but I know that some people have been asking how to do this... particularly those that are coming from a subscription service that is being absorbed (e.g. Music Now and Virgin).
I will continue to subscribe to one of these services once my Music Now account disappears, but I'm not excited by the proposition of having to redownload the thousands of tracks I currently have... let alone having to re-sync them to all of my different devices.
As I've said before, even if I could unlock all of my subscription tracks, I would *still* subscribe (as I believe most current subscribers would do). That is because the value to me is having easy access to everything that is NEW - as well as benefiting from the really solid programming and discovery mechanisms that most of these services have built.
When all is said and done, services are worth paying for, if they provide value and guarantee Quality of Service. Back in the day, I sold a first generation DirecTV box for a premium to a friend of mine because they were easy to find pirated smartcards that would unlock virtually every channel. My friend did this for a while, but after a while it just became a pain in the ass to reprogram it every few weeks to keep up with the latest changes. Guess what he does now.... he pays for the services he uses, becauses it's easier.
If you are looking to try this yourself, just google for "fairuse4wm.exe" and you can find version 1.3 pretty easily.
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