iTunes: How to Remove Personal Information from DRM Free iTunes Plus Songs using iTunes
Recently Apple announced the availability of DRM free music files from iTunes stores branded as iTunes Plus tracks, by now all of you might be aware that Apple embeds your iTunes account information in the DRM free songs that you purchase from them.
Now let us see how we can remove these information from the DRM free songs using iTunes.
1. Open iTunes go to Edit > Preferences now in the window that is displayed to you select the Advanced Tab and click on the importing tab.
2. Now change the setting “Import Using” to AAC Encoder, select “Custom” for Setting. Now select bitrate that you feel appropriate, I would recommend you select 256Kbps bitrate.
3. Now you are going to re-encode the songs that you purchased from iTunes stores. Select the songs from which you wish to remove iTunes account information, now right click those selected songs and select “Convert selection to AAC”.
4. The re-encoded songs will appear in a few seconds (that depends upon your CPU’s number crunching abilities). Now select the songs that you re-encoded, now right click it and select “Get Info”. Check if your iTunes account information has been removed and you will find it gone. 
Found Via Peppery9.net, refer to this link for more screen shots and more detailed explanation.
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I think this is probably one of the greatest things I’ve read today.
Except for the fact that when you attempt to convert a protected file, it will tell you that it can’t be converted, because it’s protected.
You can always burn the tracks to an audio cd, and re-import them.
Plus, why would you convert a 128kbps file to anything higher? It’s not going to improve the sound quality…
Maybe it’s just me.
[...] iTunes: How to Remove Personal Information from DRM Free iTunes Plus Songs using iTunes [...]
Matt T:
These are for iTunes Plus songs, they’re unencrypted (no DRM) and are at 250kbps AAC.
[...] like StolenIpod.com. Apple claims that they don’t keep a database of iPods, but then why are songs encoded with personal information? It’s obviously not to protect the consumer, so why do [...]
Obviously, they don’t want the file ending up on a file sharing network. Putting your identifying info in it should deter you from sharing your library. If they find a ton of songs on filesharing networks with your id, then you probably were actively sharing your files with the world. If you have money and they catch you, you will most likely pay alot of money. They offer the songs at a reasonable price now. There’s no longer justification for taking them without paying for them. It used to be that you would have to pay $15 for a CD to get the 1 good song, provided you followed the law. If you can’t pay a buck or two for the song, then contact the artists. Maybe they’ll give it to you since your starving, don’t smoke and don’t drink. Otherwise, pay for the song and quit bitching.
On a technical basis this stripping mechanism should degarde the quality slightly, since AAC is a lossy format. Everytime you reencode the file you add 1 more level of loss. The original work was not compressed. Then it was compressed once. This is the copy you bought. Reencoding it adds 1 more leel of loss. It still is probably pretty good, but not as good as what you bought.
The method you mentioned re-encodes the files, which either decreases sound quality (if you write to another lossy format) or unnecessarily blaots the files (if you write to a lossless format).
Below is a better option. Note, however, that the EFF has found [http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2007/06/privatunes-0-9-does-not-anonymize-itunes-plus-files] that the personal information may exist in many other hidden places in the file, so this may not be bulletproof. It’s a step in the right direction, though, and certainly better than re-encoding the songs.
First, you’ll need to clear the Apple ID field (usually just your email address) and purchase date (which is different from the iTunes “Date Added” field)
* Download AtomicParsley [http://atomicparsley.sourceforge.net/] and unzip it.
* Open a Terminal window (it’s in Applications/Utilities)
* Drag the AtomicParsley application’s icon into the Terminal window. Do not hit enter.
* Drag the m4a file into the Terminal window. Do not hit enter.
* Enter the following command. Note that the dashes before “manualAtomRemove” are double dashes, even though they may not be displayed as such here because of HTML encoding.
–manualAtomRemove “moov.udta.meta.ilst.apID” –manualAtomRemove “moov.udta.meta.ilst.purd” -W
* Hit Enter
Now, you still need to remove your name:
* Install HexFiend [http://ridiculousfish.com/hexfiend/]
* Open the file in HexFiend
* Find your name
* Replace those characters with the exact same number of periods.
* Save the file
Just convert it to AIFF at 44.1K then there’s no sound loss.
Afterwards convert it to whatever and keep the lossless AIFF file
for backup. AIFF is WAV with metadata. You could convert to WAV but
you’d lose Artist info song info etc.
Hi,
I did enjoy the article. It was interesting, informative and well written.
I can’t say I will buy you a beer on this but there is something I need help with and if you could provide an answer I will click that link and buy you a twelve pack.
This is my question.
How can I save specific custom EQ settings I have created when using
iTunes>Equalizer>Make preset feature so that I may then import that is a
preset into Garagband for use via the Master Track Multiband EQ?
Help me with that and I will gladly and promptly get with you via the buy you a beer link provided above.
The following are my ramblings.. err, I mean my reasons for wanting to be able to do this in case that helps streamline any suggestions.
Thanks!
I want those settings as part of the mastering bounce because when people stream my content via Quicktime and Media Player embedded EQ settings don’t apply.
I have tried to do it by making manually adjustments to the multiband eq while working in Garageband(GB) but find it difficult because while GB’s eq allows for precision adjustments the iTunes eq…
Anyways, I could sure use a solution.