I noticed recently that when I updated my iTunes software, it reverted my import settings back to AAC. Not very nice of it.

(As background, AAC is the default audio setting on iTunes. It works great with iTunes or an iPod, but doesn’t work with other players like a Sandisk, Zune, Palm, etc. MP3 is a much more compatible format that is preferred. If you don’t change this setting, all the music you rip on iTunes will not be accessible on other players.)

To change this in iTunes:
- Go to the Edit menu (iTunes menu on Mac).
- Select Preferences.
- On the General tab, click Import Settings.
- For Import using, choose MP3 encoder.

Doing this will save you a lot of time if you ever want to listen to audio on some other device.

Engaging your students in creating standards-based projects is a great way to differentiate instruction.

But what to do when your students want to rip their favorite CDs to include music in their project? If you are posting the work online, this probably doesn’t fall under “fair use,” and it is important to model good copyright adherence with our students.

Creative Commons and open music to the rescue! There is now a wealth of open-licensed music that you and your students can use in your projects.

I love the sites ccMixter (contemporary; note that there is a small amount of music here with “adult language” but this site is not blocked in most schools) and MusOpen (classical) for this, but if you’d like to give students a little more limited selection of music to streamline the time they spend on it, we’ve set up this page with a limited selection of open-licensed music that you can use for free and legally for any student work.

Make sure to have your students attribute the source for any works they use, including music. For these music files, just right-click the mp3 file and view properties to see the source and license details.

Enjoy! And if there are any particular types of music you’d like to see added, let us know.