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Monday June 11, 2007
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Here's a mystery, tech super sleuths. Apple has made a big deal of how its new iTunes Plus service uses regulation, DRM free 256 kbps AAC files that should play on all sorts of portable players - not just iPods. Our audio guru Tim Gideon had no problem playing them on Sandisk, Microsoft, iRiver and Creative players, and I dropped them onto a Blackberry Curve without a problem. But there is one problem: They won't play on Nokia Series 60 phones.
I tried iTunes Plus tracks on a Nokia N95, N76 and N75, and they show up in Nokia's player, but they won't play. Just for fun, I also ripped some tracks from CD myself, in iTunes, at 256 kbps AAC - so, in theory, in the exact same format as the iTunes Plus tracks. They played fine.
I've got Nokia looking into this and a phone call out to Apple, but here's my theory: Apple is extending the header of the AAC files (maybe with the personal information data) in a way that Nokia's player doesn't like. I wouldn't be surprised if Nokia's player is a stricter stickler for the AAC spec than others'. Anyone else have any experiences that they'd like to share?
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June 11, 2007 10:15 AM
Add the Nokia E61i (also Series 60) to that list.
June 12, 2007 2:07 PM
That's really interesting Sasha, especially because I assumed Apple's move towards the AAC format was set up to pave the way for music to be consumed over mobile handsets.
It leads me to question whether Apple somehow made the Nokia handsets incompatibile with the new service to encourage consumers to pick up the iPhone instead of a Nokia model.
June 12, 2007 2:26 PM
Good news! This guy seems to have found an explanation and a solution:
http://techtransit.blogspot.com/2007/06/putpinfinitsplace-itunes-plus-fixer-for.html
October 4, 2007 10:18 PM
Are you kidding? My AT&T N75 can not only play iTunes Plus, but iTunes protected files! When i put it through Nokia's music manager software, it asks to put it in "optimized mobile format" and i say yes (this is only for protected ones) and then it works fine. As for Plus, i drag-and-drop in My computer. I don't hae hacks or anything either.
November 13, 2007 7:53 PM
with this analogy, when i got my ipod nano, i was really thinki'n it would be a great idea to import all my nokia music aac files (converted using nokia music manager) to itunes so that i won't undergo converting my original mp3 files in itunes setting. as i import my old aacs to itunes, it doesn't even detect and show up on itunes library.
anyone has a tip on how to play import my nokia-made aacs to my ipod???
July 4, 2008 11:57 AM
Er, did everyone just forget about this issue? Not only do iTunes Plus files not work on Series 60 handsets, but nor do they work on my 6300 and others have voiced concerns. The Plus Fixer software is a Symbian app which doesn't work on Nokia's OS so, er, what do we do? I just bought a bunch of Plus tracks SPECIFICALLY to play on my phone. Stupid.
January 25, 2009 5:00 PM
Hi,I just bought Itunes Plus just to be able to play the music on my samsung mp3 player, but NOOOO...
can someone please tell me how to do the damn thing??? i just can't figure it out..