Tech: Spotify has wrecked my music

Subject: Tech: Spotify has wrecked my music
From: alex s
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 10:45 AM

So much for free music! - Spotify has changed all my own recordings to an .m4a extension, so they no longer play on Windows Media Player or anywhere else. AND they were stored on a separate hard drive!
All my other music files have suffered the same fate and are unplayable.

I've uninstalled Spotify and rebooted to no avail, so, Mudcatters, HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: Tech: Spotify has wrecked my music
From: brezhnev
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 11:04 AM

try the following:
click start
click set programme access and defaults
click custom drop down menu
select which ever media player you want

should work. you may have to reboot

Subject: RE: Tech: Spotify has wrecked my music
From: Simon G
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 04:22 PM

Perhaps ask Spotify for help, the solutions are here

new_spotify_client_renames_my_local_files_help

Subject: RE: Tech: Spotify has wrecked my music
From: Tangledwood
Date: 26 Nov 10 - 04:43 PM

You could try a google search for "m4a codec for windows media player"
There are a number of codec packages which should enable wmp to play your files.

Subject: RE: Tech: Spotify has wrecked my music
From: alex s
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 10:42 AM

many thanks, chaps

Subject: RE: Tech: Spotify has wrecked my music
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 07:55 PM

Place your "good stuff" in read-only files. Dates work well, but almonds, wives, birthdays and chocolate are also nice ... and would suffice.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Tech: Spotify has wrecked my music
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 01:17 PM

"Can I stop Spotify automatically changing the information in my local files?
- Easily. Go to Spotify Preferences and uncheck the box: "Allow Spotify to automatically update track, album and artist info in your local files"."

My Spotify preferences doesn't have anything like that in it, and I haven't noticed anything untoward happening to my music files. Does this mean that this problem only arises if you sign up for some supposedly better membership option? Or is it something that only happens in other countries?