-tim foreman
A) If you're a mac user, or you have access to a mac, or you purchased the dual disc, you should have no problems... simply import the songs the same way as you always do.
B) If you're a PC user, and you haven't yet tried to import the the disk yet, download and install a free program called CDEX from http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/downloads.php. Now hold down the shift button while inserting the switchfoot CD (this disables the auto-run feature on the CD). Make sure that you hold it down until you are sure that nothing has run (maybe 60 seconds). Once the CD is loaded without auto-running it's software, open the CDEX program, and select tracks 1-12 (Lonely Nation-Daisy), excluding data tracks 13 and 14. THen select the top icon on the right side of the program "Extract CD tracks to WAV files". THis will extract them to your mymusic folder. Open iTunes and drag the .wav files you created into your itunes library, and you're done, and free to convert the songs into mp3, or whatever format you wish. (If you've already tried to import another copy protected CD like Foo Fighters, etc..., you may already have the protection software installed on your computer, and should go to plan C.
C) If you're a PC user, and you've already tried to import the the disk and accepted the auto-run installation, or don't mind accepting the auto-run installation, place the CD into your computer and allow the Sony BM audio player on the CD to automatically start. If the player software does not automatically start, open your Windows Explorer. Locate and select the drive letter for your CD drive. On the disc you will find either a file named LaunchCD.exe or Autorun.exe. Double-click this file to manually start the player.
Once the Sony BMG player application has been launched and the End User License Agreement has been accepted, you can click the Copy Songs button on the top menu.
Follow the instructions to copy the secure Windows Media Files (WMA) to your PC. Make a note of where you are copying the songs to, you will need to get to these secure Windows Media Files in the next steps.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Scott
Or just download them illegally... because this disc has been on p2p for weeks. Just another incentive not to buy music. Thanks RIAA and major labels. FU!
2 - Chris Beaumont
Illegal downloading doesn't help the artist.
And i agree that the copy protection is going too far...
3 - Guppusmaximus
If you wanna rip any cd(doesn't matter if it has copy protection) just use dBpowerAMP Music Converter(free program)....
You should load the program first then insert the CD....Rip it to wave.
4 - DJRadiohead
I am glad to hear an artist come out and address this directly- especially because I am a Switchfoot fan. Fans have unfairly directed their frustrations. The labels are behind this. I had already posted a workaround here.
5 - Tom Johnson
All you need to do is hold down the Shift key while the disc is loading. No need for extra software. As long as the Sony crap doesn't get loaded, Itunes should see the disc just fine.
But, people, please, download TweakUI, which is a part of the PowerToys bundle for XP, and disable Autorun. You won't have to deal with this crap ever again . . until the labels come up with something that works around this. (I've seen comments about something called XCP that is being used in Europe that does not require anything to be loaded onto the computer that plays the disc in order to prevent copying. From what I understand, this technology has not been used in the US yet. YET. I wouldn't be surprised if we see it soon . . . )
A couple other recent/upcoming titles that I know are copy-protection laden:
Dave Matthews Band: Stand Up
David Gray: Life in Slow Motion
Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine (keep those leaked copies from earlier this year - you're going to need them!)
I'm surprised Switchfoot's okay with the DualDisc version of their albums - that format is notoriously incompatible with a huge number of audio equipment, from the cheapest of the cheap to extremely high-end stuff. DualDisc is pure crap.
6 - DJRadiohead
Tom, actually just hitting the shift key was not enough in the case of Switchfoot. Somehow, iTunes was unable to recognize that I a CD in the CD player so it did not work. I wound up having to go with the CDEx option - which worked.
Holding down the SHIFT key is important though to all you kids out there who want Switchfoot, DMB, etc. on your iPod.
7 - Mark Saleski
the problem is that if you allow the software to install once (which i did with the latest Leo Kottke cd), things are screwed up until you reboot your computer.
in my case it wouldn't even play the cd, popping up instead some diaglog box indicating that a valid copy wasn't inserted.
i had to reboot because my CdMax player was would no longer function properly.
moronic is indeed a good description.
8 - Matt
I am not a Switchfoot fan, but props to them for addressing this and seeming genuinely sincere about it.
I disagree with Tim on one point, though:
"there is no possible way to avoid this new industry policy."
Uhh, yeah there is--don't deal with a major label.
9 - Sarah
See, another problem is that the companies that are making these c.d.'s are not addressing the problems that blind ppl cna't access the player. I was trying to put in another copy protected c.d. Natahsa Bedingfield, and didn't know why it wouldn't play and installed the software. I can load the player but my screen reader Jaws, won't read anothing on the player so I can't even click to play the c.d. in the computer. That's the whole reason why I have a problem with the copyright stuff. It's not fair. I payed like 13.99 for the Tasha B. c.d. and can't even put the songs on my mp3 player. crapy! oh yah, and don't have new switchfoot c.d. yet but love the band! Beautiful letdown is da'bomb! God bless!
10 - Temple Stark
Music Editor Matt picked this his pick of the week. Go HERE to find out why. And thank you very much.
11 - Ethan Hereth
hey.... I tryed the CDex 1.51 solution but I couldn't get it to work. I extracted the tracks to WAV files and tryed to drag them from my "mymusic" folder to iTunes but I get a message saying that "the songs being added are in the protected WMA format and could not be converted." does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?? I would really like to be able to add this CD to my iTunes.
Thanks for any help. Ethan Alan
12 - Lance Fisher
Hey, way to post the full text of Tim's post. I just posted a link to the forum post on Sony's website, and they have removed it now.
13 - Winter Knight
Please forgive me for making several posts, but I'm getting a "banned word" error, and I have to do this to figure out what the word is so I can change it.
14 - Winter Knight
This copy protection software is a "trogan". The EULA is misleading, and you should not load it under any circumstances.
15 - Winter Knight
....If you have already gotten yourself infected,
16 - Winter Knight
...there are software tools that can erradicate or
17 - Winter Knight
...help you to erradicate this,
18 - Winter Knight
...antivirus,
19 - Winter Knight
***********, and of course hijack this. I'm not sure, but I think Spybot S&D detects and removes this one. And I would recommend against installing Microsoft ***********, as they have a severe conflict of interest regarding ******* and trojans.
20 - Winter Knight
To prevent further infection, it is imperative that you disable autorun. As mentioned above, Microsoft TweakUI can do this. Some viruses also spread through CDs, and tweaking this "feature" will curb that.
You can press Shift to prevent the loading of trojans such as these, but this is only a temporary fix, and because this is a security issue, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're using someone else's pc. (Like work or school (wouldn't recommend that either, really) or a friend's (But please refer your friend to one of the tens of thousands of articles on the internet regarding this.))
Also, I'm pretty sure that it is perfectly legal to download the mp3s from p2p software if you own a license to listen to the music. I wouldn't want to go through this hassle if I had the CD in front of me, but it is an option.
As far as special software required for certain protected CDs, I don't know, I stopped buying CDs when the RIAA started harrassing and threatening people. I just stick to downloading mp3s for free now.
21 - Winter Knight
FYI, This forum does not allow you to say at least two specific words. The first word start with an "S". It is a term coined by Steve Gibson, and it is usually software that spys on your surfing habits. It ends with the syllable: ware.
" would be adequately helpful. If I wasn't so determined (say obsessed if you will), I would have left your site without posting. I'm sure several other people have done just that. I don't know exactly how much that means to you, but it must mean something, or your wouldn't have a comment area.
The other word that this forum has banned is software that helps to prevent the other word. Kind of the opposite, like a anti-otherword.
Note to webmasters, or whoever is responsible: I don't know why you would ban an everyday term like this, but that is your right. Giving an error message such as "Banned word" is slightly helpful. Giving a message such as "Banned word:
22 - Winter Knight
Correction: I said the second word prevents the first. Actually, I mean erradicate, it rarely actually prevents. The only real prevention is good security and common sense.
23 - Winter Knight
Correction 2: I didn't realize that part of my ninth post was eliminated by the script. I should have realized it would be, as I used tags instead of brackets. It would be helpful if the banned word error said "Banned word: [word that you used that we do not allow]".
Also, the navigation on this site sucks. When you post a comment, you should be directed back to the post you were reading, not the home page. I apologize for my language in advance.
24 - Gale
I'm a long time Switchfoot fan, and I'm glad to see that they addressed this--directly to the fans--even if they did have to remove it from the site because the record label got on their back. I plan to write the record label about this.
25 - theartfuldoger18
I already had Windows Media Player 10 and burning switchfoot onto a blank cd still doesn't work.