Yeah, I know you can turn your iTunes purchased protected AAC files into DRM-free MP3s by burning them to an audio disk and re-ripping them as MP3. But that's not as slick as Hijack IT combined with Audio Hijack Pro and also a bit slower. This way you don't need to spend tedious hours fixing track information thats often lost when you do the burn-a-disk workaround.

Yes, you could do something like this with applescript. This is easier and more stable. Face it, jHymn is never going to get updated.

Yes, Hijack IT requires Audio Hijack Pro and Growl. And setting things up isn't something my mother could figure out. But I did set it up and it's worth it for someone who wants his music back.

Here's how it works: Create an iTunes hijack session in Audio Hijack Pro using the desired mp3 compression settings. Make an iTunes playlist of the protected AAC files you want converted to MP3 and then launch Hijack IT. Select the playlist and AHP session you just made in the dropdowns and sit back while your purchased tunes become truly portable.

And you won't regret having Audio Hijack Pro in your toolbox either. Makes you glad you own a Mac. Growl is pretty cool too.

Trust me, this combination works so much better at freeing up songs purchased from the iTunes store than everything else I tried. I'm giving it 5 stars because it saved my library and my sanity.