Library audio books from OverDrive: Remove DRM from .WMA or iPod files

[jusval]

Hello all,

I did a couple searches here and didn't find what I need, so now I'm posting.

I want to download audio books from my public library. They have switched to OverDrive and I have downloaded their "console". I have WinXP and WMP 10. I just took off WMP 11 and reverted to 10...... Figured it would be easier to manage with add-on drm removal software.

I need to relieve the drm from the files I get. I have found that most of the stuff from OverDrive comes as a "direct to PC, WMA, or ipod file. A few let you burn to CD, but hardly any. I don't want to have the time/use limitation on these. I think it's ridiculous. Heck, I can't read a novel in a couple days, why would I be able to listen to it in a couple days?

Anyhow I need to know if any of you have specifically worked with the OverDrive downloads. I have only read that OverDrive audio files have a special file extension? or special encoding? to combat piracy. I have not downloaded any, because I have to specify how I want to download it and I don't want to download the wrong format and not be able to do it again.

My player is a SanDisk Sansa e260. I am waiting on it's arrival. I want to be able to just have files on my PC and put them over to the e260 as I want, instead of having to put them directly on the e260 as OverDrive wants.

Anyone having information on this particular process or experience with it would be great! I did find one place so far, that states their software will rip the drm off OverDrive files specifically, (DRMbuster). They are $50 and I am poor...

EDIT: Also I can download from Netlibrary thru our library. Those files are All WMA drm protected files, from what I am told.

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer!
Justin

Because both Netlibrary and Overdrive supposedly offer DRM protected WMA files, it would be easier to go for DRM removal software that allows to remove DRM protection from WMA files.

[jusval]

Originally Posted by Stream Recorder

Because both Netlibrary and Overdrive supposedly offer DRM protected WMA files, it would be easier to go for DRM removal software that allows to remove DRM protection from WMA files.

So....... DRM is DRM is DRM and since they keep changing the encryptions all the time, it's better to just re-record all your stuff (lossy), than to try to rip out the DRM data (lossless). [they win because they have big bucks & bigger bucks & more bucks ].

Ok, I get it, makes sense, but I still hate it. Of course I'm a hater anyhow, but there's more & more of us every day....

So I will look for re-recording software. Thanks.....

Although you get some quality loss when re-recording, it is not that important for audio books.

Loslless DRM removal software works faster and it is free, but usually it doesn't live too long.

I'm more aware about Windows Media DRM, but if I'm not mistaken you are usually not required to update iTunes, so you may use older versions of it with lossless DRM removal software.
p.s. I don't really know whether Overdrive offers iPod files or you get files for your iTunes that can be copied to several iPods later on.

[jusval]

As far as I know about OverDrive, they offer different formats, depending on the book people they use. They have their own requirements. Some offer older stuff as "burn to CD", or WMA only, or MP3 only, or hard drive only. My understanding is also that the stuff is "time sensitive" and after 3 days, it won't load any more. I have read that if you use WMA format and transfer it straight to a player, the 3 days is null and void, but I can't see how.

I think that I will just look at free re-recording software for now, since money is very tight on a fixed income and see what I can find for free. There'a got to be some free stuff out there...

Thank you for your time.

[kid1412_net]

WMA from OverDrive can be stripped DRM easily if u read some topics in this 4rum. Today, I removed successfully DRM from WMA file .

So, there all 2 freeware tools I used to remove:

• drmdbg 20090303: to extract key from wma files
• freeme2: to remove DRM

And remember you must put the wma files, the key file in FreeMe2 folder. Now, I can play wma files on other players .

Some topics that I read:

HowTo Instructions for Removing DRM with drmdbg & FreeMe2 (from Windows Media Player)
freeme2 - free software to remove DRM protection from Windows Media WMA,WMV,ASF files

Good luck to u .