Audacity

>Audacity<

>I started downloading MediaHuman but it wants to also download other conversion programs unrelated to music conversions<

You will need to download the LAME Framework or FFMpeg to convert to mp3 from within Audacity and other free/shareware. The LAME consortium requires this.

Thank you both. Audacity is more than what I want or need, but it seems like it will do the job. Does any one know of a simple program that just does the conversion? Maybe an application that is not expensive? 

If multi-track, back to Audacity or perhaps Reaper.

There are a number of file converters for 2-track stereo to 5.1 surround. Some of the inexpensive ones do not require a separate download of the LAME Framework. If you were on a Mac, I'd be telling you that TwistedWave is the best such file converter I have ever used and the batch conversion functionality makes it worth every penny of the $79 he charges. Google and the advice of others are your friends here. I hear good things about LameXP

http://lamexp.sourceforge.net/

You are on Windows, however. iTunes will convert stereo. I find it a bit convoluted to use but Apple has their own mp3 capabilities. I'm not sure that it can handle WMA, however.

I use AVS Audio Converter. It's safe and works with Windows 10, 8, 7, XP. I downloaded it from CNET so I trusted them. No problems, works like a charm. But there's a catch - there's a free trial version but it inserts an advertisement over your file. To get rid of it, you have to buy the full version. And yes, Finale should absolutely have a built-in method for producing mp3/4. Seems simple enough and long overdue.

LAME is now free too, if you decide to go with Audacity.

LAME is open source and has always been free. It used to be that no one could bundle it but there are now arrangements that let commercial apps include it (under the proper license, of course). Freeware and shareware apps do not have this license, of course. 

There are also LAME alternatives such as that developed by Apple and others.

The LAME framework usually sets off anti-virus flags. If you don’t like that, don’t download.

Seems to me Finale should have a stand alone conversion program. We all have various versions of Finale. Many do not want to upgrade. The upgrades are not always better ! A stand alone program to convert to MP3 would make a lot more sense - AND they would get more money for their trouble from all those earlier version users ! 

You’ve got to be kidding.

The Mac OS has two apps with that functionality. Free conversion apps exist for Windows including those that can do batch conversion. Why would MM develop a separate, redundant, stand-alone app that they would have to support and no one needs? 

The request to add this functionality to Finale is not unreasonable, even if not really needed. MM would have to license the LAME framework (as MOTU, TwistedWave and others have done) or develop their own mp3 converter as Apple has done. I can imagine that, if they thought it would sell more copies, they’d consider the former—I give it a snowball’s chance in hell that they would dedicate the resources to do the later. 

Don’t let that stop you from putting it in the suggestion box. Let us know if they ever move forward on it.

Yesterday, I waited about 50 minutes for Digital Performer 9 to convert 160 minutes of 2-track files to mp3 so that I could send them to my clients to show the work in progress. It was like watching paint dry. So, I bounced to .wav which took about two minutes, then I converted those 15 files to mp3 in TwistedWave using the Batch Converter. That took another minute and a half. 3’30” vs 60’. Never bouncing to mp3 from within the app again.

I use Twisted Wave on iOS -- but haven't asked it to do as much work as you describe.  Still, I wanted to mention the iOS version which isn't as much as the Mac version. 

TwistedWave in iOS does not have file conversion functionality of any kind. It’s my preferred app for iOS editing but cannot do what he Mac version can. 

I HAVE WINDOWS 7 !!  There is a LOT of talk about APPLE here. WHY? Can someone PLEASE advise me what I can do in Windows? 

>Can someone PLEASE advise me what I can do in Windows? <

You should read all of each post. That has been answered a few times now. I'll make my suggestion easier to read.

http://lamexp.sourceforge.net/ 

People's signature files (at the bottom of their post if they have created them) will normally show you what software they use.

I recommend everyone who hasn't to use the pull-down behind their name at the top of the screen to use the Profile > Signature option to fill in the "Description" text box with their Finale version and Computer Operating system.

It’s interesting that our signatures don’t show, unless the reader is logged in. A casual visitor won’t see them.

I agree with MikeH. If something is out there already, there is no reason for Finale to duplicate and bundle it.