Convert music, videos, and pictures from one format to another
In most cases, it's possible to convert a music, video, or picture file from one format to another. For example, if you have an MP3 file, you can convert it to another music format, such as Windows Media Audio (WMA) or Advanced Audio Coding (AAC). Depending on which file formats you’re converting, you might need to install additional software from Microsoft or other companies.
In some cases, it might not be possible to convert a particular file to another format because the creator of the content has encrypted the file using some form of digital rights management (DRM). This can be the case with protected songs and videos that you purchase or rent from online stores, such as Zune Marketplace, Napster, and iTunes, and with movies released on DVD.
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If you want to convert music from one format to another, there are three Microsoft programs or features that can help you do the job.
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To convert from
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To
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Use this program or feature
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Audio CD
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MP3, WAV, or WMA
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Windows Media Player (a feature of most editions of Windows Vista)
For more information, see Rip music from a CD.
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Audio cassette, LP, AIFF, MP3, WAV, WMA, and other formats
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WMA
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Windows Movie Maker (a feature of most editions of Windows Vista)
For more information, see Trapped on tape and Import video files, pictures, and audio into Windows Movie Maker.
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AIFF, MP3, WAV, WMA and other formats
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WMA
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Microsoft Expression Encoder
To download it, go to the Microsoft Expression website.
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If these options don’t suit your needs, there are a variety of other programs that you can use instead. For example, if you want to convert a WMA file to an MP3, you need to use software from another company.
You can download audio file conversion programs that do this from sites such as Download.com. You can also use a search engine, such as Bing, to find similar programs (try using search terms such as “convert wma to mp3”).
If you need to convert video from one format to another, consider using one of these four Microsoft programs or features.
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To convert from
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To
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Use this program or feature
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AVI, DVR-MS, MPEG, WMV
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DVD-Video
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Windows DVD Maker (a feature of Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate)
For more information, see Demo: Make a DVD-Video disc.
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AVI, DVR-MS, MPEG, WMV, and additional formats with suitable DirectShow decompressors installed
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WMV
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Windows Movie Maker
For more information, see Import video files, pictures, and audio into Windows Movie Maker.
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AVI, MOV (QuickTime), MPEG, and additional formats with suitable DirectShow decompressors installed
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WMV
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Microsoft Expression Encoder
To download it, go to the Microsoft Expression website.
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AVI and MPEG with suitable DirectShow decompressors installed
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WMV
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Windows Media Encoder 9 Series
To download it, go to the Windows Media Encoder website.
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You can find other video file conversion programs at sites such as Download.com. You can also use a search engine, such as Bing, to find similar programs (try using search terms such as “convert wmv to mov”).
Microsoft offers three programs or features that you can use to convert from one picture format to another.
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To convert from
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To
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Use this program or feature
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BMP, GIF, ICO, JPEG, PNG, TIFF
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BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, or TIFF
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Paint
For more information, see Change a picture’s file type (file format).
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Print or slide
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BMP, JPEG, PNG, or TIFF
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Windows Photo Gallery or Windows Live Photo Gallery
For more information, see Scan a picture. To download Windows Live Photo Gallery, go to the Windows Live website.
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BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF
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DVD-Video
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Windows DVD Maker (a feature of Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate)
For more information, see Demo: Make a DVD-Video disc.
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You can find other image file conversion programs at sites such as Download.com. You can also use a search engine, such as Bing, to find similar programs (try using search terms such as “convert RAW to JPEG”).
