hiya!
thanks so much for getting back to me. i tried that but what it is, i am downloading mp3 files, however the files already dowloaded on my itunes are wma, am i therefore better to download wma files from lm? i chnaged the prefrences but it did not seem to make any difference!! ahhhhhh

Are you sure that the files in your iTunes library are .wma?? Right click on a file name > get info. You'll see the file format there.

Which version of iTunes are you using (to find out, in iTunes click on 'help' > about iTunes - the version number will show)?

ATM I'm back with iTunes 6 but AFAIK iTunes 7 was the same (ie converting .wma to other formats when adding files to the library). I don't know about iTunes 8, haven't used it.

sorry some songs are aac? and it looks like some are wma (i think its the songs i have dowlaoded via a cd, so everytime i download songs from lw it converts all those songs, it a total mess and doing my head in! i am on version 7, should i downgrade?

And choose mp3's to download, not wma files. Many people put .wma in their word filter.

What happened to the free music on LW is that gone?

No... you can download files for free.
If you're having trouble transferring songs to iPod or iTunes, check post #2 of this thread for info.

yes, but just songs no one wants. I don't want new songs I want oldies (50's 60's) and no one seems to be doing that anymore.

I'm sure at least some people are sharing them suediff, however they will be harder to locate & may be on at different times, etc.
I found if I share similar types of files to what I am looking for, I tend to get such people uploading from me. This makes it easier to find them in searches, also allows me to Browse them from the upload window in many cases.