If you own an Apple iPhone or iPod, then chances are that you have purchased music from the online iTunes store. Have you noticed that you can only play the tracks on the music players manufactured by Apple Computers, Inc.? Yes, you may transfer the files on a Windows® PC, but you will still not be able to play those. Wondering why? Well, for one thing, Apple uses a pretty strong DRM encryption, christened as “Fairplay”, on the music tracks.

That prevents the tracks from being played on music players manufactured by any other company. Besides, the file format, .m4p, is not supported by Windows® and most other operating systems. So, is there any way you can enjoy your favorite music on your PC? Thankfully, there are not one, but two ways. Have a look.

The first process involves the wastage of a CD/DVD, but is the simpler of the two, unless you are savvy with the usage of virtual disk creator programs. In order to follow this procedure, do the following:

1. Insert a blank CD/DVD into the optical drive of your PC.
2. Create a playlist based on the music tracks you want to play on your PC.
3. Now burn the playlist on the CD/DVD in the form of an audio CD. Do not try to burn the tracks as an MP3 CD. It may render the files useless.
4. Once the burning of the disk is complete, take it out of the drive, and then re-insert it.
5. Open up Windows Media Player and import the tracks from the CD/DVD in the form of MP3 or WMA tracks to your PC. This will not only let you play the music, but will remove the Fairplay encryption as well.

The second process requires you to use a particular third party software utility, named TuneClone™. This software will create a virtual drive on your PC, and will use that for storing the music tracks prior to ripping. So, no physical discs need to be wasted. Here’s how you go about using it:

1. Create a playlist in iTunes, just the way you did in the previous process.
2. Fire up TuneClone. Click on the tab named Settings. Set the output folder, and the format in which the output files should be created (MP3 or WMA).
3. In the iTunes, select the option “Burn Disc”. In the “Burn Settings” window, select the setting named “TuneClone Virtual CD-RW” from the menu named “CD Burner”. Select “Audio CD” and check the box beside the option “Include CD Text”.
4. Click the button named “Burn”, and wait for the process to be complete.
5. One the process is complete select the tab named “Folder” in TuneClone, to locate the folder where the files have been deposited.

Your M4P music collection is now ready to be played on