Adding Chapters to audiobook files - step by step guide

[egamer25]

Originally Posted by egamer25

I exported the xml file from itunes put it on my desktop, went to the script page and browsed to the xml file clicked convert and Nothing... Nada... Zip .... something is not right. this doesn't work at least right now for what it's worth I tried it in firefox and IE

Strange the next day I tried it again in IE and it worked. Thanks for a great tool sorry I doubted you

[david1951]

I THINK this thread might be a good place to place this. I'm the author of the MarkAble program that a number of people seem to find a convenient tool.

I'm nearly ready to release a Beta version of a piece of software I'm calling "ChapterMaster". Its function is simply to add chapter stops (with or without optional images) to an AAC (*.m4a or *.m4b) file for use as an audiobook or enhanced podcast on the iPod.

At the moment, it's Windows based, but it's possible there will be a port to the Mac in future (I'm in contact with someone who wants to do that).

I hope I have designed it to be extremely easy to use. You simply open an AAC file and can add and remove chapter stops at any time point within the audio, naming them and optionally associating an image with each. You can, if you choose, listen to the audio, or fast forward through it, and by clicking a button insert a chapter at the current play time. Or you can simply choose to add regular chapter stops at say 15 minute intervals throughout the file.

You then just save the file and it is ready for import into iTunes and transfer to your iPod. Once on the iPod you can navigate between bookmarks using forward and back controls. On later model iPods you'll also see a list of the named chapters when you first go into the book/podcast.

One important feature (compared to some alternative tools) is that you can load, edit and save an AAC file any number of times. If you have previously put images and bookmarks into the file, you'll see those on reload, and can edit or remove them at will.



I'm keen to get the software finished and released, but I do need a small number (say 10) of beta testers to give it a good workout. I should say that I do intend to sell the software once complete, at the same price point as my MarkAble software - $15. Naturally beta testers will get a free copy and - provided they give me useful feedback - free upgrades into the future.

I'll be building a version of this functionality into the next release of MarkAble, by the way; but that is probably about a month off.

I would be grateful, therefore, if anyone who is prepared to test the software could contact me here. I expect to have a version ready to test within about one week.

[SilverBear]

I too have had problems getting a response from the Web based converter - nothing happens. ? Security settings. Can you give me a hint?

[mrgoo]

Originally Posted by david1951

I'll be building a version of this functionality into the next release of MarkAble, by the way; but that is probably about a month off.

I would be grateful, therefore, if anyone who is prepared to test the software could contact me here. I expect to have a version ready to test within about one week.

I think this application is a wonderful idea. the MP3 to M4b converter has been out what a year 2 years. No chapters about the only thing its good for is keeping your music library uncluttered. The files being made are massive. Garage Band for the MAc can do chapters but you of course need a mac and there is a size limit. Any good audio disk is going to be over 115MB.


I posted a private message to you I'd like to join the beta I need to get my Narnia CDs that are now M4B files re-done with chapters. So it's a perfect time to test the results of your application.

[apcsb]

Originally Posted by david1951

I'm nearly ready to release a Beta version of a piece of software I'm calling "ChapterMaster". Its function is simply to add chapter stops (with or without optional images) to an AAC (*.m4a or *.m4b) file for use as an audiobook or enhanced podcast on the iPod.

I would be grateful, therefore, if anyone who is prepared to test the software could contact me here. I expect to have a version ready to test within about one week.

This is a GREAT news to hear! I've been looking for a prog like this for a long time and definitely volunteer to help you finish it.

By the way, I have a suggestion. In order to create an audiobook file from CD you'd have to merge multiple chapters, convert to AAC and then use your prog. If you add the Merge and Convert functionality along with auto-adding chapter stops in the spots where files merge - you'll get a great all-in-one tool! This might be the goal for v2.

[david1951]

Originally Posted by apcsb

By the way, I have a suggestion. In order to create an audiobook file from CD you'd have to merge multiple chapters, convert to AAC and then use your prog. If you add the Merge and Convert functionality along with auto-adding chapter stops in the spots where files merge - you'll get a great all-in-one tool! This might be the goal for v2.

This is the point about folding some of this functionality into my software MarkAble, which I am definitely going to do. But I still think there is a place for a stand-alone chapter tool, which is ChapterMaster.

If you are interested in beta testing, please send me a private message on the forum with your real name and email address.

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NOTE: After accepting your offer, I probably now have enough Beta testers, so no more offers, thanks, from others!

[david1951]

Thanks, but I now have enough beta testers for "Chapter Master" for the time being. It's going well, and I still hope to release the product in March.

[SoundOfEmotion]

Originally Posted by SilverBear

I too have had problems getting a response from the Web based converter - nothing happens. ? Security settings. Can you give me a hint?

My only recommendations would be to 1) try again at a later time (which worked for some users having issues) or 2) provide me a link to an XML file which is failing.

The way the script is designed to work is that when you click "Convert", it will load the XML file into memory, build the POD file on the fly and should provide you immediately with a "Save As" dialogue.

There is a very slight chance that the XML file you are trying is too large, but if this were the case you should be getting the appropriate "Filesize is too large" error which I have built in.

[mccray.9]

Originally Posted by SoundOfEmotion

There is a very slight chance that the XML file you are trying is too large, but if this were the case you should be getting the appropriate "Filesize is too large" error which I have built in.

I have had trouble with files that had more than a certain number of chapters (it seems like it occurs at around 35). I never saw an error message; the app would just blank out the file input text box after I hit the convert button. All other files worked great. Thanks for the tool!

[SoundOfEmotion]

As a security measure I had specified a file limit for the xml file being converted. This may or may not be why some people have been having issues with audiobooks that contain a large amount of chapters. If you hit a snag, let me know.

This post is also to update everyone that hoops10 helped me uncover an issue with the pod file generator where chapters that were greater than 2hrs were not calculating properly (there were also some carriage return issues). These have both been resolved and the generator is back up and running.

As always, let me know if you encounter issues when using the Pod File Generator.

[admi-ral]

thanks for the HowTo

no matter what I'm trying, there are several (nearly all) playlists that I'm exporting as XML-File that get shuffled in the pod-creater at http://www.soundofemotion.com/pod/ - I tried different ways of sorting in itunes and also adding the files in different way but nothing helped. Has anyone a similar problem with the .pod-files?

Thanks a lot! Tim

[admi-ral]

update: i think the problem was the itunes-tag-field "titlename for sorting", several titles had a "the" at the beginning in the title-field but not in the titlename-for-forting-field. Well, anyway it works after removing the "the" from the titlefield either

[hamproof]

I'm using this tool:

MP3 to iPod Audio Book Converter
http://www.freeipodsoftware.com./index.php

which uses SSA for the chaptering.

However, I'm encountering issues whereby when I try to chapterize the entire book (around 122 MP3s) it never completes - the SSA portion that is.

If I drag and drop all the files, say 122 MP3s, it does it thing and I can see it is creating the m4a file then there's the filename.m4b file as well as a filename_enhanced.m4b and a filename.pod file. But it'll keep going and going (I've left it running overnight) and the last modified date never changes. So, it appears the SSA.exe has been running but never finishes.

If I take either the filename.m4b or filename_enhanced.m4b and play them back, the filename.m4b doesn't have chapters and the filename_enhanced.m4b has chapters but there's something wrong with the playback. At times it would skip, stutter and what not.

If I break it up to 3 or 4 parts, then everything works.

I e-mail the author of the software but haven't gotten a response. Does anyone know if there's a limit to the number of files SSA can chapterize?? Or any explanation why this is not working?

Thanks.

[david1951]

Just a quick note to say that my software for adding chapter stops and images to AAC files is now available.

http://www.ipodsoft.com/site/index.p...aster.HomePage

[skraper]

Your programs looks to be exactly what I need, however anytime I try to open and m4a or m4b file I get an unhandled exception error message. This appears to happen with every m4a or m4b on my computer. I looked through your tutorial and wasn't able to find a fix for this problem.

Any ideas?