Four ways to remove DRM from WMV and WMA (Windows Media video and audio files)

How to crack or remove DRM from WMV and WMA

This post shows how to remove drm from WMV, WMA files legally and convert to unprotected WMV, WMA, MP4, AVI, MPEG, MOV, 3GP, MP3 etc, so you can enjoy DRM WMV, WMA files on any portable device iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Zune, PSP etc as your will.

What is DRM? Why do we remove DRM from WMV WMA ?

DRM (Digital Rights Management) - most commonly found in movies and music files, doesn't mean just basic copy-protection of video, audio and ebooks, but it basically means full protection for digital content, ranging from delivery to end user's ways to use the content. For example, if a WMA or WMV you downloaded from WMP(windows media player) that has DRM encryption, you can only play it back on a compatible device, so if every piece of music had DRM on it you would need to buy the same track on CD to listen in your CD player or car, as an iTunes download to play on your iPod, as a ms store download to play on your Zune etc, but since you paid for it once you shouldn't be forced to pay for it again and again and again.

Now, here is a tutorial to tell some ways to remove drm form wmv, wma. I’ve had tons of issues myself getting my wmv, wma files to play drm free.

How to crack or remove DRM from WMV and WMA

1. Use lossless FairUse4WM or freeme2+drmdbg. This is the fastest way to remove DRM protection. It is free, lossless and very fast.
   
   Paid DRM removal software software is often promoted by spam, so don't trust people promoting it, try a demo version instead.
   
2. One of the most common and simple technology to remove WMV, WMA DRM is re-recording the DRM protected WMA and WMV (from sound card and from screen), then use an ordinary converter to convert the recorded and unprotected files. Because this technology is easy to realized and easy to support more DRM formats besides protected WMA and WMV it is welcomed by most of the DRM converters like the Soundtaxi, Tunebite, etc.
   
   You don't have to use lossy DRM removal software for re-recording audio and video files. You can use more universal screen video capture software instead.
   
   But there are some disadvantages for those DRM Removal programs.
   1. The conversion speed won't get much improvement due to the long recording process.
   2. Much audio and video quality could be lost during the recording process.
   
3. Burn and rip DRM Protected WMA files
   
   Actually, there is a common free method to remove DRM from WMA with 2 steps:
   Step 1 Burn the protected WMA to a CD
   Step 2 Rip them off to your computer, then the DRM should be removed from the WMA files.
   
   But it's not very convenient and may wear out your CR-ROM. And windows media player can only burn and rip the WMA (or you will need DVD copy and DVD ripper for other formats).
   
   Programs like Note Burner create a virtual CD-RW burner, which simulates CD burning and CD ripping process. NoteBurner burns your DRM protected tracks onto a virtual CD-RW, then re-rips the music tracks automatically tagging them.
   
4. Hook is another new and more complicated technology which can be used to remove DRM license from protected WMA, WMV files.
   
   Comparing with recording process, these sorts of DRM Remover should have much higher conversion speed, but it's hard to make it support some DRM formats with new and lofty encryption techniques.
   
   The only product that works this way that I know is promoted by spam. I will avoid mentioning it, because spammers never promote any decent software.