# This song does not have sync rights **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2010, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514 "2010-09-21T10:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/1 "2010-09-21T10:09:23Z")
I was trying to sync some music to my Sansa mp3 player, and I got this message for several CDs worth of music: **This file does not have sync rights. If you obtained this file from an online store, go to the online store to get sync rights.** The problem is that I own the CDs for this music; I didn’t download or pirate them from the Internet. Is there any way to get around this? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/2 "2010-09-21T10:16:13Z")
Over-protective IP protection software, I have a similar problem with a CD and DVD set: trying to play it in my computer (not even rip it!) would produce a message saying that “you can’t copy this!” (I’m not trying to copy it, you morons, only play it) and threatening me with criminal charges which by the way do not apply in Spain nyah nyah. Whether you’re supposed to be able to rip CDs you actually own or not varies by location; how to break the protection is the kind of detailed information which we’re not supposed to post due to being illegal in some locations. Yes, there are places where copying your own CDs is illegal; those CDs of yours seem to think that is the case wherever you bought them. In my case half of the solution was not buying any more CDs or DVDs from Sony… ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/3 "2010-09-21T10:55:40Z")
Do you have the latest firmware for the SANSA? Sometimes upgrades will cause you to lose synch right. Are you using WMP? If so what version? How did you rip the CDs? Using WMP or some other CD ripper? ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/4 "2010-09-21T10:56:03Z")
I found this… \*NoteBurner converts any DRM protected and unprotected music to unprotected MP3, WAV, and WMA formats. For the solution to convert iTunes music for SanDisk **Sansa** MP3 Players, NoteBurner will convert iTunes AAC, M4P, M4A and M4B songs to MP3 and unprotected WMA. NoteBurner installs a virtual CD-RW, it helps you burn any unprotected or DRM protected M4P, M4a, WMA music files onto the virtual CD, rips tracks on the virtual CD, encodes tracks onto MP3, WAV or WMA music files. It can repeat this audio converting procedure until your whole music collection is done.\* [http://www.noteburner.com/Play-iTunes-music-in-SanDisk-Sansa-MP3-Player.html](http://www.noteburner.com/Play-iTunes-music-in-SanDisk-Sansa-MP3-Player.html) ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/5 "2010-09-21T11:00:21Z")
Here’s a 2001 article that may address the type of problem you are running up against. [http://www.pcworld.com/article/69504/music\_labels\_target\_cd\_ripping.html](http://www.pcworld.com/article/69504/music_labels_target_cd_ripping.html) If I wanted to bypass such a problem, I would probably consider ripping the CD to disk and then syncing to individual files in directory they ended up in. If we assume that the problem is a form of DRM - which may or may not be the case (obviously I have no way of knowing for certain) - then such a procedure would probably be illegal in the US although ostensibly within the concept of Fair Use. Since the matter has not been adjudicated at the highest level (SCOTUS), it is at least arguable that even in the US, it would constitute such fair use. But that truly is hypothetical since you have stated that you are in Spain and therefore this sort of use is completely legal. Therefore I would suggest trying the rip/transfer method - as would seem to be your legal right. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/6 "2010-09-21T11:17:10Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Do you have the latest firmware for the SANSA? Sometimes upgrades will cause you to lose synch right. > > Are you using WMP? If so what version? > > How did you rip the CDs? Using WMP or some other CD ripper? WMP 12 I used WMP to rip the CDs. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/7 "2010-09-21T11:21:08Z")
My take was that he tried to sync from the cd. I too believe that any successful cd ripping operation would have solved the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/8 "2010-09-21T12:29:08Z")
> [@dzero](#): > > But that truly is hypothetical since you have stated that you are in Spain and therefore this sort of use is completely legal. _I_ am in Spain, but can’t recall the OP stating a location. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/9 "2010-09-21T12:34:41Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > > [@dzero](#): > > > > But that truly is hypothetical since you have stated that you are in Spain and therefore this sort of use is completely legal. > > _I_ am in Spain, but can’t recall the OP stating a location. Good point. Been awake all night. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it. The truth is that identities often tend to mix and merge a bit for me online. Apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/10 "2010-09-21T14:26:28Z")
I ripped the CDs onto my hard drive, into my music folder. I was syncing the music folder contents into the Sansa. BTW, I’m in Israel. Spain? I don’t speak Spanish. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/11 "2010-09-21T14:38:24Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > I ripped the CDs onto my hard drive, into my music folder. I was syncing the music folder contents into the Sansa. > > BTW, I’m in Israel. Spain? I don’t speak Spanish. 🙂 Yes, yes. Very funny. Schmuck - kidding 😃 That’s weird. did you get the error for all of the song files? I’m assuming yes. What did you rip the CD with? Can you play the songs on your computer or do you get errors of any kind? I don’t do CD’s, music or music players except to burn an occasional CD-RW for the car. But from some of the google hits I got on the error message, it looks like some sort of DRM. So if you ripped with no errors and can play the computer files with no errors, then there must be an aberrant setting on the Sansa. I’ve dl’d stuff for the SO who has a Sansa and uploads were smooooooth. Anyone know if there is some bogus region bs like on DVD’s? But even then, how would that survive the rip? I did check the slysoft site here - [http://www.slysoft.com/en/](http://www.slysoft.com/en/) - and they do have a product for CD’s, so there must me some kind of DRM on some music CD’s, but as I keep saying, I don’t get how that would allow a clean rip. edit - guess you could trying syncing from the CD directly. {shrugs} ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/12 "2010-09-21T15:18:37Z")
I’ve never had any problem with my Sansa and WMP, but here goes a wild stab: is it possible that you’ve been adding copy protection when ripping the CDs? Go to the “Rip Music” tab under “More Options…” and make sure you don’t have the “Copy protect music” box checked for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/13 "2010-09-21T21:21:13Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’ve never had any problem with my Sansa and WMP, but here goes a wild stab: is it possible that you’ve been adding copy protection when ripping the CDs? Go to the “Rip Music” tab under “More Options…” and make sure you don’t have the “Copy protect music” box checked for some reason. Nope, the box isn’t checked. And to answer **dzero** , it wasn’t all the files - just some. For example, most of the Keith Urban stuff had the error. Band on the Run had the error. There was more, but that’s all I can think of off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/14 "2010-09-21T21:47:45Z")
I would try ripping the CD with another ripper such as EAC or CDEx or even Audiograbber (and old ripper that still is kind of cool) just to see if you get the protection. Another way to do this is simply rip the CD to a .WAV Then you can use [Foobar](http://www.foobar2000.org/) to convert it to any format you want. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-song-does-not-have-sync-rights/554514/15 "2010-09-22T14:28:24Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > > I’ve never had any problem with my Sansa and WMP, but here goes a wild stab: is it possible that you’ve been adding copy protection when ripping the CDs? Go to the “Rip Music” tab under “More Options…” and make sure you don’t have the “Copy protect music” box checked for some reason. > > Nope, the box isn’t checked. > > And to answer **dzero** , it wasn’t all the files - just some. For example, most of the Keith Urban stuff had the error. Band on the Run had the error. There was more, but that’s all I can think of off the top of my head. I vaguely recall that at some point some CDs had CD-ROM autorun features installed so that if you put them in your computer, the CD would run a program; some might even have WMA tracks (not MP3?) that you could copy, maybe thinking you were actually ripping the CD-audio version of the tracks. MP3’s by default AFAIK don’t give a hoot about anything copy protection which is why the RIAA dislikes the format. Possibly there’s some code buried in the tags (labels embedded in the file like Title, Artist, artwork) that the SANSA will obey. Otherwise, odds are it’s WMA - WIndows Media Audio - which can contain all sorts of crappola; or AAC (?) for Apple products. A good ripping program should ignore any CD-ROM programming and just process the audio normally. Turn off “autorun” on your PC’s CD, since (a) the program may be clever ad pre-empt your ripper, (b) some older (Sony?) discs did have a root-kit embedded in them, and (c) you should be deciding if you want something to run every time you insert a disc, not trusting the disc to be well-behaved. You don’t know where that disc has been.