# iTunes and AAC compatible phones



## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

In my innocence I thought that any iTunes files without DRM could be freely played on any AAC compatible device; so my songs ripped from CD should be playable on my son's Nokia 7600.

However, the phone only seems to accept MP3 files. 
From a Mac I successfully export via BT to the phone, but the phone shows the file as unplayable with file type as 3GP (? WTF?)

From XP, the Nokia PC suite browser doesn't 'see' the AAC (m4a) files. So no luck from that end either...

Anyone has managed to download AACs to a phone yet?


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Ask me after MacWorld


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## autopilot (Dec 2, 2004)

i suppose in the meantime you would just have to re-rip to mp3...?


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Is that model supposed to be MPEG4 compatible? AAC is part of the MPEG4 specification.

If it is supposed to be MPEG4 compatible (or just the AAC subset of MPEG4) then it's probably time to read the phone's manual. Things like supported filename length, illegal characters, the extension it wants to see, etc.


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## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

The phone is a Nokia 7600 which purports to play both MP3 and AAc files. 

The tech specs are a bit thin: 

_*Digital Music Player*

Digital Music Player for MP3 and AAC files

Music file download over-the-air or from a combatible PC via Nokia Audio Manager which is included in Nokia PC Suite

Listen with stereo headset or through internal loudspeaker

MP3 and AAC files as ringing tones_

Ideas? Thanks


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## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

H:

If you want Moto you should probably would wait until San Fran!

Besides, Moto makes - by far - the worst phone software in the world (narrowly beating Siemens). If you are a long time Nokia man, you're in for a shock!


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## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

Sometimes you need to just give up... 

Tried everything. The closest I got was a forum where s.o. was describing how they were able to rename songs from iTunes to .m4a to .aac and it worked on their NEC phone. Tried that via both BT and cable via OS X and XP. No luck (will just rename to .aac.m4a i.e. will not let you touch the real suffix).

So here you have it: Nokia are liars or Apple are control freaks. In my book, both likely to be true!


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

" ... Apple are control freaks. ..."

For using an open standard? AAC is NOT an Apple format.

It's a defined cross-platform standard of the MPEG Group and adopted by the ISO Standards Committee (ISO 14496) and the IEC (IEC 14496). Even Microsoft supports it. The standard was defined in the mid 90's and adopted officially into MPEG seven years ago (1997).

This is what I was able to learn from that all-to-rare exercise called ReadingTheManualThatCameWithThePhone:

Nokia uses RealPlayer to play back all audio and video content. RealPlayer likes AAC files to have the extension:
.mp4

Try changing the extension before you download to the phone, and see if they play on the phone. If they don't see if they will play with RealPlayer on your Mac. If they don't, then see RealPlayer for support.

[ December 28, 2004, 11:13 AM: Message edited by: gordguide ]


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## Chealion (Jan 16, 2001)

gordguide - I think that Moscool is saying Apple are control freaks for not allowing the renaming of the file from .m4a to .aac.

However I was able to change mine to .aac just fine. Just be sure in the Finder's preferences under Advanced to check off show all file extensions. When you change the extension it will ask if you want to change it and you have to say yes (which is not the default button).


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## Ohenri (Nov 7, 2002)

Hmmm... Not tried to run any AACs on mine either, althouth the same claim has been made: 6230.

Since we're on phones, to celebrate some discretionaty funds, I might get my hands on a Moto RAZR. Sorry Nokia, but this phone is way too Beckham for me not to @ the very least consider one. Oh yeah.. my cuz works @ Moto.  

H!


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

Well, it says it's supposed to play mp4. Exactly what that means will be found in the phone's manual. You know, Compulsive Technology Liars Syndrome, "don't believe the box", etc.

Find out what support there is, what quirky conditions must be met, etc. Then tell us if it works. We know AAC is fully mpeg4 compliant; I don't think the issue is with the file format.


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## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

C: Thanks, but even if you rename the file, when the phone imports it (either directly via Mac/Bluetooth or via the Nokia music importer under XP), it renames the file .aac.m4a i.e. it re-identifies it as an m4a file upon importing !

The phone the thinks it's a video file (3GP???) and cannot open it. My son has given up and has re-ripped some CDs in MP3. Worse sound and size, but at least it works!


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

" ... t renames the file .aac.m4a i.e. it re-identifies it as an m4a file upon importing ! ..."

Well, no wonder you gave up.

This reviewer wasn't impressed with the audio performance, and never tried to use AAC at all:

" ... The 7610 supposedly features a MP3 player; however it is played through the RealOne multimedia player. We say "supposedly" because headphones are mono, and the quality is too poor to enjoy. ..."

However, back on topic, perhaps a clue to your problem (from Nokia support pages):

" ... Unable to open files named with characters not belonging to US-ASCII character set in Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

Filename contains characters that are not defined in the codepage that is assigned to be used by non-Unicode applications. In Windows 2000 and Windows XP the filename can contain any Unicode characters. For non-Unicode applications the Unicode characters are transformed using a codepage transformation table. If no corresponding characters exist in the transformation table, the resulting filename no longer matches the original filename. Therefore the file can not be opened by Nokia PC Suite applications. 

Rename the files using characters from US-ASCII character set and/or from the character set defined to be used by non-Unicode applications. The codepage settings can be found in Windows Control Panel, Regional Settings. ..."

Well, OSX uses Unicode as well. The letters a-z, A-Z, and numbers 1-9 should be the same as US-ASCII. If you have any other characters or spaces in the filename, try to rename the files.

I would start by just making a copy of a file from your music library that is already in AAC format and then renaming it; you should have the file extension visible in preferences or change it with Get Info, because we want to change the file extension as well.

Rename a file to something US-ASCII like:
song.mp4

Remember, the Nokia manual for that phone says to use the mp4 extension, not .aac

You might also try:
song.m4a

... although the phone doesn't seem to be able to play them with that extension; it's worth a try since it seems to insist on trying to rename them as that.

My hunch is this is the root of your problem. However, who knows if this will fix it. Try it if you feel up to it.

I can't see the rationale for Nokia's Symbian OS or RealPlayer for Phones (whichever one is the real culprit) not supporting Unicode in this day and age. 7-bit ASCII is ancient history.

[ December 29, 2004, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: gordguide ]


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## Ohenri (Nov 7, 2002)

My Man Mos...



> Besides, Moto makes - by far - the worst phone software in the world


You're telling me... I had a Startac in 2000, and never looked back ever since, after dropping Moto all together. Been with Nokia since. But Nokia styling is boring me with no end - major yawn. +, I'm all in with the new V3 Razr. Way too hot [sorry - i work in Fashion], They have a 'fashion series' of mobile phones that are not that smooth + are no where to be found - for basic consumer purchases. V3 is one it's way to a Rogers Kiosk near you.  

H!


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## Moscool (Jun 8, 2003)

Thanks GordGuide. I must say that I have given up: there is only that much you want to waste on something like that!

I'm pretty peeved at Apple for continuing to ignore the world's largest maker of mobile phones and the 70% owner of the Symbian OS, the only one that really talks to iCal/Address Book... An iSync update is at least 6 months overdue.

Mind you Nokia is pretty much the same: they keep ignoring any existence of Apple throughout their web site! Sony Ericsson is waaaay ahead on that one!


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