DRM is one of the more controversial technologies to be used in modern media. The basic idea of DRM is “Digital Rights Management.” The principle is that the copyright owner would be able to protect a digital file from being copied. While this could pertain to just about any type of file, DRM is most often used in audio and video files.

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Part of the problem with DRM is that it makes it impossible (without the aid of some external program) for you to make a backup of a DRM-protected file. If the file you have becomes corrupted or gets deleted, you can’t just recover it from another location. DRM also interferes with your ability to translate the file from one medium – let’s say, for example, a physical DVD disk – to another medium.

Fortunately, there are programs like SoundTaxi that can get past DRM. You can use SoundTaxi to convert files that are protected by DRM into standard formats that can then be played back using whatever type of device you’d like to use.

There are many DRM removal software packages out there, and you should definitely take a look around before settling on a particular package. One of the best on the market is SoundTaxi. With SoundTaxi you can convert audio files – even audio files that are DRM protected – into MP3, WAV, AAC and other formats. You can also use the companion product VideoRip to convert movie files from a number of formats into aVI, MP4, MPEG4, AAC and MP3 files. This then lets you use your audio or video files with whatever type of device you want to use.

Here are the basic steps in removing DRM using SoundTaxi:

1. Install the SoundTaxi Pro software. If you intend to remove the DRM from a video source, make sure you have VideoRip installed, as well.
2. Launch SoundTaxi. When you start up the program you can click on “settings” and it will ask you to set up your output file format. Simply choose the format you want the file to be in.
3. Add the files. Next, you’ll click the “Select Files” button. Browse to the file location, and select that file or files that you want to convert. Once you select the files, SoundTaxi will begin the conversion process right away. You can choose to convert as many as 16 separate sound files for each conversion process.
4. Wait for the conversion process to complete. Soundtaxi will remove the DRM protection and create a file that you can then copy and view wherever you want.
5. Open the file. Once the conversion process is complete, you should go ahead and open the file or files up in your favorite player program to make sure that the conversion process worked.

SoundTaxi can convert files from a number of formats, including wma, m4p, aac, wmv, m4v, avi, mp3, wav, ogg, rax, ra, aa, mp4, snd, aif, and audio books. In addition, you don’t have to convert only protected files. Even if you have audio files that aren’t protected with DRM, you can still use SoundTaxi to convert the file into the format that you want to use.

Other programs to Remove DRM and some information about DRM

Digital Rights Management or DRM technologies are used by a number of entities, primarily copyright holders, to limit the way in which you can access, use and manipulate digital content. DRM in the broadest sense is a limitation that keeps you from using content in a way other than what the content provider wants you to be able to use it.

There is some controversy surrounding the use of DRM, and because of that a number of programs to remove DRM have hit the marketplace over the past several years. Opponents of DRM suggest that the technology limits the use of material beyond what the existing copyright laws allow, and that it amounts to an anti-competitive practice.

Removal Methods

There are a number of methods whereby programs to remove DRM can get past these particular restrictions. One way is to burn the DRM content onto an audio CD and then use a ripping program to rip the content into DRM-free files. The problem is that most of the time the software that plays your DRM audio files won’t allow CD burning.

Other programs to remove DRM work in a different fashion They actually intercept the data stream and then used the data to create a file that’s DRM free. This kind of program needs to have a decryption key to bypass the DRM algorithms. These decryption keys are contained within the software itself, and tend to be universal.

A third means for removing DRM, and the means that has the least amount of concern in the way of cracking the decryption keys, is the so-called “analog hole.” The analog hole simply used the analog outputs of a computer’s video or sound card to play the file and then record the file in a DRM-free manner.

Removal Programs

There are a number of programs to remove DRM on the market today. Here’s a selection of the ones we think are most interesting:

• SoundTaxi. This is perhaps one of the best programs to remove DRM. SoundTaxi will remove DRM using a high-speed output method. You can use SoundTaxi to process as many as 16 audio files in a single task. The list of file formats that are supported by this program is impressive, and for the most part you’re going to have a hard time finding a file format that isn’t supported. You can also use the Pro+VideoRip version of SoundTaxi to process video files as well as audio. If you need any more Soundtaxi information, you can get it here.
• Tunebite. One part of the Audials One suite of programs, Tunebite relies on the analog hole to remove DRM. IT records a protected file that’s DRM-free. Tunebite has a number of options, including video conversion, CD burning and audio recording. Read more about Tunebite here.
• AppleMacSoft DRM Converter. If you’re on a Mac computer, your options for programs to remove DRM are more limited. This program uses a virtual CD writer alongside Apple’s iTunes to create a DRM-free copy of your files. It relies on the import feature in iTunes to be able to pull in any given format, so if the format isn’t supported by iTunes this program isn’t likely to be able to handle it. Read more about the program here.