# iTunes and MP4 files **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 26, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561 "2007-03-26T16:36:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/1 "2007-03-26T16:36:44Z")
Right, so I hear a song by Hem. It’s a cover of South Central Rain. Well and good. There it is! It iTunes! So I purchase it. But my iPod nor iTunes will play the thing. I get a ‘cannot play this format’ from iTunes and a ‘Was not tranferred because your iPod cannot play this format’ messages. I looked at the file, which I am at pains to point out I _purchased from iTunes_ and it’s .mp4. Can anyone clue me in about this situation and how I could convert the file to something that will play? ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/2 "2007-03-26T17:23:47Z")
An m4p is a protected mp3; that’s how all iTunes purchases appear. Make sure you have authorized the computer you are on through iTunes; if you haven’t you won’t be able to play it or transfer it to an iPod. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/3 "2007-03-26T18:55:59Z")
It plays everything else I’ve got and purchased through iTunes. For whatever reason it’s wigging out because of this one file. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/4 "2007-03-26T19:03:29Z")
Call’em. iTunes customer service is reported to be very accomodating. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/5 "2007-03-26T20:37:29Z")
Well, I’d love to do that. But I can’t seem to find a number. Got one? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/6 "2007-03-26T21:56:03Z")
1 800 275 2273 is the number given in a Slate magazine piece. Enter 7, 0. Say iTunes for the product and answer the rest of the questions as appropriate and have the serial number for your iPod available. If you go under the iTunes menu you can check for updates. You may have a slightly out of date version of the iTunes or iPod software. ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/7 "2007-03-27T00:22:09Z")
[QUOTE=Jonathan Chance] I looked at the file, which I am at pains to point out I _purchased from iTunes_ and it’s .mp4. [/QUOTE] Wait, is the file extension .m4p or .mp4? It should be the former, so if it’s the latter, try manually changing it and see if that fixes the problem. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/8 "2007-03-27T01:19:57Z")
[QUOTE=tanstaafl] An m4p is a protected mp3; that’s how all iTunes purchases appear. [/QUOTE] It most certainly is not. An m4p is a protected .mp4 (or .aac) file, not .mp3. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/9 "2007-03-27T01:30:03Z")
Let us know if you find an answer! I’ve been too lazy to try and figure it out myself, but I have one music video I bought through the iTunes store (White Stripes - Hardest Button to Button) that will play fine in iTunes but won’t copy to the iPod, with the ‘Was not tranferred because your iPod cannot play this format’ message. I noticed that the video is no longer available at the iTunes music store. I wonder if this problem had something to do with them pulling the video from the store? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/10 "2007-03-27T01:34:34Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] I’ve been too lazy to try and figure it out myself, but I have one music video I bought through the iTunes store (White Stripes - Hardest Button to Button) that will play fine in iTunes but won’t copy to the iPod, with the ‘Was not tranferred because your iPod cannot play this format’ message. [/QUOTE] When I have had this problem it’s been because I was running an older version of iTunes. Check for updates if you haven’t recently. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/11 "2007-03-27T02:02:36Z")
Updated tonight (I was only a week or so behind) and still no go. It’ll play stuff I purchased before and after this one song…but not that one. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/12 "2007-03-27T04:36:22Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] When I have had this problem it’s been because I was running an older version of iTunes. Check for updates if you haven’t recently. [/QUOTE] I doubt it, I have automatic updates turned on for my Macintosh. I’m on iTunes 7.1.1 right now. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/13 "2007-03-27T14:50:02Z")
Try downloading something like [MediaMonkey](http://www.mediamonkey.com/) and using it to convert from mp4 to mp3. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/14 "2007-03-27T15:39:30Z")
[QUOTE=Jonathan Chance] Updated tonight (I was only a week or so behind) and still no go. It’ll play stuff I purchased before and after this one song…but not that one. [/QUOTE] It’s not outside the realm of possibility that this particular file is just corrupt, or maybe the download is incomplete. ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/17 "2013-08-23T08:47:05Z")
Reported ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Caine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Rick\_Caine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Caine)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/18 "2013-08-26T07:54:18Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Right, so I hear a song by Hem. It’s a cover of South Central Rain. Well and good. > > There it is! It iTunes! So I purchase it. > > But my iPod nor iTunes will play the thing. I get a ‘cannot play this format’ from iTunes and a ‘Was not tranferred because your iPod cannot play this format’ messages. > > I looked at the file, which I am at pains to point out I _purchased from iTunes_ and it’s .mp4. > > Can anyone clue me in about this situation and how I could convert the file to something that will play? iTunes can handle just about any file format that works with QuickTime and will play any file purchased or downloaded from the iTunes Store. If you’ve got video files that end with a .mov, .m4v, or .mp4 file extension, you can import them to iTunes with ease. However, the video especially the MP4 video must meet the following specifications: it must be encoded as 540 kbit/s (minimum) MPEG-4 video (H.264) with an approximately 128 kbit/s AAC audio track or encoded as 1.5 Mbit/s (minimum) MPEG-4 video (H.264) with a minimum 128 kbit/s AAC audio track. If not, you will fail to import MP4 to iTunes. Even if your MP4 files meet the above specifications and are added to iTunes successfully, it may still fail to sync to iOS devices. For iPhones, iPads, and video-capable iPods play videos in more specific video formats and codecs. In order to successfully [add MP4 to iTunes](http://www.bigasoft.com/articles/how-to-add-mp4-to-itunes-ipod.html) as well as sync MP4 to iPod, iPhone, iPad, we have better convert the MP4 files to both iTunes and iOS supported MPEG-4 format. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/19 "2013-08-26T16:00:18Z")
Spa reported. ( **Rick Caine** ) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/20 "2013-08-26T16:34:20Z")
That’s an article, not spam. Or a spa. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/21 "2013-08-26T16:39:26Z")
It’s a software company. Guess what they sell? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561/22 "2013-08-26T16:45:23Z")
You ever follow a recipe on the back of a package and not use the exact brands that are in the recipe? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-and-mp4-files/397561.md?page=2)