iPod Classic throws all audiobook chapters into one long list

[epiktet]

I just bought a 160gb iPod Classic, but I'm disappointed to find that the audiobook feature is rather lacking. Instead of organizing my books nicely into "author" - > "book" -> "chapter list" like it does with my music, it just throws all the chapters into one long list regardless og which book it belongs to.

Has anyone got a nice solution to this?

My best guess is to rename all audiobook files from m4b to m4a/m4p and mark them all as genre:"audiobook". That way I will have to acces them from the music menu, but they should organize OK by "author" - > "book" -> "chapter list".

However I would appreciate if anyone has found another solution to this.

[epiktet]

OK, I tried to rename a DRM protected audio book bought on iTunes (LOTR) from .m4b to .m4p hoping that this would place the audio book in the music library rather than the "audiobook" area of my iPod, but that didn't make any difference. The book still shows up in the rather unpractical "audiobooks" category in my iPod.

Isn't there any way to force DRM protected audio books to list in the music library?

[Paula]

Sorry I don't have a solution, but I would love to know HOW you managed to get an audio book into the audiobook folder. Are your audio books purchased from the music store or did you load them up? I can't figure out how to get them in there.

[hexonxonx]

I have several audiobooks that I have purchased from Audible. When I download them from Audible, they get imported into iTunes automatically and then sync up to the audiobooks folder on my iPod automatically.

If a book is in several sections such as the Talisman by Stephen King, each section will be listed in the audiobooks section. When I select one of these, it brings up the chapters listing. This is how it's supposed to be, you can't get an audiobook to show up in the music listing such as artists. It will not break it down by author, it's just a listing of what books you have on the iPod.

[Germansuplex]

I don't think that's what he's getting at...

I think that when an audiobook is three separate parts, it should be listed under one main part (much like a regular music album) and then you click on that, you get the separate parts of that audiobook.

It treats audiobooks downloaded from the iTunes music store in the fashion mentioned on the first post, which I find annoying. I downloaded a free audiobook that was three parts... when I go to "Audiobooks" on the iPod classic, all three parts are listed one after the other, even though they all share the same album info/artwork/etc. I think it would be better if it treated audiobooks much like albums.

[hexonxonx]

Originally Posted by Germansuplex

I don't think that's what he's getting at...

I think that when an audiobook is three separate parts, it should be listed under one main part (much like a regular music album) and then you click on that, you get the separate parts of that audiobook.

It treats audiobooks downloaded from the iTunes music store in the fashion mentioned on the first post, which I find annoying. I downloaded a free audiobook that was three parts... when I go to "Audiobooks" on the iPod classic, all three parts are listed one after the other, even though they all share the same album info/artwork/etc. I think it would be better if it treated audiobooks much like albums.

I agree, it should put them all together if a book comes in three parts, it should be listed as one "folder" and then selecting that will open the three sections but it doesn't. As far as I know, iPods have never done this and my old iPod Photo didn't do this either.

[sebulr]

Audiobook support on the IPOD is sadly lacking. I spent about 4 hours + yesterday converting a few audiobooks I have to put on my Classic. Waste of time. I manaaged to get 3 on there by converting to AAC (read mpa renamed to mpb). What is the point in that? It should work by using regular mp3's with audio book in the genre tab. Not too hard to figure that out by apple is it?

A couple of my books being over 20 hours long wouldn't play in itunes, so I couldn't convert them. But quicktime will play them. WTF? makes no sense. A book that is 23 hours played and converted fine but one that was 17 hours failed.

I am going back to using my rockboxed sansa for audiobook support it is drag and drop, no two hour conversion process. It is way too much hassle.

I guess audible books work fine, I haven't tried any of mine yet, that would be one small mercy at least.

I could split my books into small chapters to get them to convert, and it works; But then you get the problem of hundreds of chapters appearing in your audiobook folder as mentioned above.

Sort it out Apple! Conversion is crap

[idahoski]

Playlists seems like the best way to handle them. I converted MP3 chapters from multiple books to AAC, then changed the extension to M4B. All were dumped into one list on my iPOD. So, I have to make playlists for each. At least the audiobooks won't play when shuffling songs.

[alinkens]

I am having the same problem.. My old iPod used to sort them by artist... The new one does not... There has to be a fix for this... I was really hoping it was a firmware bug, but I dont think so since it has not been fixed yet.

Originally Posted by epiktet

OK, I tried to rename a DRM protected audio book bought on iTunes (LOTR) from .m4b to .m4p hoping that this would place the audio book in the music library rather than the "audiobook" area of my iPod, but that didn't make any difference. The book still shows up in the rather unpractical "audiobooks" category in my iPod.

Isn't there any way to force DRM protected audio books to list in the music library?

[jlc46]

There is a way to get items to move to audiobooks from music (or from audiobooks back to music).

You right click, select get info, then select Options and set media kind to audiobook or music depending on what you want.

The problem that I (and I think the author of the original post) are having is that when we rip an mp3, set it as an audiobook, then it seems to group ALL our audiobooks into one menu on the ipod. Itunes correctly separates them out into different books, but when we view them on the ipod classic, they are all in one large un-organized clump. Currently I am solving this problem by creating playlists for them, but there MUST be a better solution.

Since some of you are saying that things you purchased from itunes end up in organized groups (perhaps not the exact organization you wanted, but at least they are not ALL in ONE place), there MUST be some way of setting the info to get them to organize themselves... unfortunately, I don't know what that is...

Does anyone else?

Before you respond remember, they are organized in itunes, but NOT in the classic, so just getting it right in itunes is insufficient....

Solutions?

James

----
http://james.jlcarroll.net

[Dragitz]

Ok here is a handy way of doing all that select the files and go to the handy get info section we all know and love... now this might not work for every generation but so far works for all the ipods i have. Once there go to the options section There is a helpful little thing there called a Media Kind. click there and there is an audiobook option hell, you can make it appear in your TV shows section. Doing one can be a hassle so that is why i said select all the files you want to make audiobooks. Have fun!

Dragitz

[SkeeK]

That is a useful abillity which I have discovered, Dagitz.. however unfortunately there's absolutely no use converting the files to audiobooks because the ipod treats them all as one big playlist.. no way to categorize them by album/book.. which really doesn't make any sense at all. I could switch them back to music and set them not to be shuffled with other songs, but I liked the idea of them being in their own little area. I have to wonder why they make the device allege that it supports audiobooks when it does so in a way that is beyond useless.

[jakeburner]

This is a major problem that, almost certainly, is keeping a good chunk of people from buying ipods. I have an ipod classic and wasn't aware until recently how broken and dumb the audiobook feature is.

There is a petition here that I hope Apple takes notice of and fixes the damn problem, not just lamely suggesting to make a playlist or put our audiobooks in with our music library.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/giv...ome-love-apple



Apple, why have you decided that audiobook users aren't worth the time to give some decent features. It's like they are saying "We don't really think users want a refined audiobook feature...want to buy a book from audible on the itune store?"

[Sparkee]

Sign all the petitions you want, however you should also be sending Apple Feedback a note as well.

[josh_manson]

This is sooo darn frustraiting, but heres how i get around it.
import or drag or do whatever it is you do, to get your audio book into your itunes, then drag it onto your ipod. Once its all loaded into your ipod, locate it, still in itunes, should be in the "music" or "audiobook" section of your ipod.

Highlight all the chapters, right click( or whatever apple users do) >Get info
then in info fill out artist/album info, i usually put author as artist and book title as album, Most IMPORTANTLY set "genre" as "audiobook"
Then click on the tab that says "options" here set "media kind" to "music".
Set remember position to "yes"
and the other sections to yes if you like, id recomend skip when shuffling and gapless playback then click ok and eject your ipod,
Then, on your ipod screen, go to "Music"> scroll down to "genres"> then in genres scroll down to > "audiobooks" in this folder you will then have all your audio books sorted by author, and in the author folders, you will have all the books by that author seperated into folders aswell, if your books one long file, it will remember your position, and if its seperated into chapters, just remember what chapter you where on, click that next time you listen and it will start at whatever point in that chapter you left off...i hope this helps someone, as i got sooo angry trying to listen to my harry potter i nearly smashed the thing, this is the best alternative i know of and it works really well