Can i only buy music from itunes for an Ipod?

[dab]

I am thinking of getting an ipod.  I have music downloaded from websites and stored in Windows Media Player.  I have tried to put these into iTunes but it says that it can't do this as the files are protected.  I have tried deselecting the protect option but still can't put it into itunes.  If I get an ipod does this mean I can only download music from itunes and nowhere else or am I just doing something wrong?

Thanks

[pagey3]

Hiya - I just asked a similar question about an ipod and was sent to www.advancedmp3players.co.uk, where if you look on forums you will see that Ipods can be a bit of hassle

try this link:
http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=3134

[kags]

I have never had any problems like this, are you sure the files are mp3s? If they are WMA files, or in some other format you will have to convert them to MP3 for your ipod to play them. Anything you download from itunes will be in Apple's own file format, so you can play it on the ipod, or write it to a cd, but it cannot be played on other mp3 players.  

[phl666]

There is a little known method for getting downloaded iTunes songs into any other player.

Simply make a CD of the downloaded song(s), insert the CD into your CD drive, and re-import them - hey presto, they are no longer "protected".

[honkytonkman]

phl666 is dead right - that really is the easy workaround. If it makes you feel better, I'm on a Mac and couldn't get around the protection on songs that I'd downloaded from its own iTunes. As phl66 says, burn them onto CD and then re-import them into iTunes but make sure the 'Import' settings are set to 'MP3 encoder'

I use a Rio Chiba MP3/WMA player and it accepts files converted this way with no problems.

[dab]

Thanks a lot everyone - great advice!

D