I want to convert a large number of .wma files to .mp3 and i want to
include the tag information from the .wma files in the .mp3 files. I
have tried a couple of shareware programs and they don't automatically
move the tags from .wma to .mp3. I want to be able to do this as a
batch.

I would prefer a free program, but am willing to pay for one if it is
the only one avaialable or is significantly better than the others.

Hi,

Thanks for your interesting question.

I have found a free application for you, to do exactly what you want.

It will transfer the following from the WMA tags to MP3: title,
artist, album and genre.

Please get dBpowerAMP from:
http://download.com.com/3001-2140-10125657.html

Once you've downloaded it, please install it.

Then please download:
http://www.dbpoweramp.net/codecs/dBpowerAMP-codec-wmav9.exe
This is the codec that adds WMA support to dBpowerAMP.
When it's downloaded please install it to the same location you chose
for dBpowerAMP.

To convert your files, either create a playlist of the WMA files with
Winamp (if you don't know how to do this I can explain it to you), or
put them all in one directory. Then start dBpowerAMP by clicking on
the shortcut on the start menu called dBpowerAMP Music Converter. This
gives you a window to select files to convert. Here you either choose
the playlist you created earlier, or select lots of files with the
mouse, or by using the keyboard arrows and the shift key.

Once you've selected all the files you want to convert, click ok, this
will popup a small menu, where you click on 'MP3 (Lame)'. You can then
play around with the settings, choosing quality etc.

Your critical function is achieved by making sure that 'Preserve ID
Tags' is selected. Press convert when you're happy with the settings
and let it run.

I hope this answers your question.
If you need any explanations or clarifications, please do not hesitate
to ask.

Thanks.
Regards,
endo

---

Clarification of Answer by endo-ga on 10 Jun 2003 19:04 PDT

Just a quick clarification on how I found this program.
I searched http://www.download.com for 
'mp3 wma'
which got me here:
http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=mp3+wma&tg=dl-20
I then scrolled down till I got to an application that was free.

Thanks.
endo

Try Advanced WMA Workshop from http://www.litexmedia.com it's not free
but it's the best converter.