How To Bypass Digital Rights Management Audio Files:


Digital Rights Management (which, now will just be referred to as "DRM"), is
a sneaky way for artists to protect their music.

If you download a song from a legal place - in cyberspace - such as Napster2,
you may find that these files that you download will be playable on that
computer only. They also, only - if the company has set this  up - might be
playable on the companies media player (several companies have done this.)

However, there is a way to get around this.


What you'll need:

*A sound card that can record from itself (in the volume control, in the
recording section, look for 'What 'U' Hear', 'Wave Out Mix', or 'Stereo Mix'.
This is covered later.)

*A good audio editing program, meaning - if you are using Windows - NOT THE
DEFAULT RECORDER that comes with Windows! (Found in Start >> Programs >>
Accessories >> Entertainment). I recommend something powerful, yet, easy to
use, such as the free wave editor that comes with Nero Burning ROM (Nero Wave
Editor). If you are crafty enough, you'll be able to find some good programs,
that you'd usually pay for, for free. 


Such good programs are:

Steinberg's "WaveLab 4"

Adobe's "Audition"

If you are using Linux, there are default recorders that will do what you're
doing, just fine.


*The player, to play your files.

*One last thing, and this is VERY IMPORTANT! You will need all of your sounds
turned off. Things that make sounds (such as msn messenger, windows', or
Linux's sounds). Turn all of those off before recording. Why? Because, you
are recording all of the sound sources that are heard from your computer.
Everything (except beeps emmited from the internal hardware speaker).
Including little msn "bloips".


PROCEDURE:

1. Open up the programs that you'll me using, these will include: Your wave
editing program. Your player. The recording volume control.


To get to this (assuming you are in Windows):


If it's there, click the  speaker in the taskbar, that's in the bottom
right-hand corner, depending on your Windows version, it will either be
yellow, or grey.


If you are in Windows XP, you may need to un hide the icons in the taskbar
to get to the speaker, this is achieved by clicking the big blue, silver,
or olive green arrow by all the icons.

If it's not in the taskbar, you can also get to it by going to Start >>
Programs >> Accessories >> Entertainment >> Volume Control.

Once you are there, go to Options >> Properties >> And, in the next menu
that pops up, select recording >> Check all the boxes in the bottom menu >>
Click OK.

Look for 'What 'U' Hear', 'Wave Out Mix', or 'Stereo Mix' in the recording
control panel in your recording volumes control. Check the box that is under
that name.

Hit record on your wave editor.

Hit play on your player.

Assuming it's working, you should see the level meters bouncing up and down
with the sounds. If you are within "clipping area" or, the red area of the 
meters, go to your recording control volume panel and turn the slider down,
for the one that you selected until you are in the green area in your reco-
rder.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 again.

Once it's finished - if you can, you should normalize the sound level to -
(minus) 6dB. NOT 6dB! MINUS 6dB!

Save to the WAV format if you can. This preserves full audio quality.

Do whatever you want to with your new - unprotected - file!


- Cygnus