books in iTunes 6 library- weird behavior

[javabird]

I've noticed some weird behavior in how books appear in the library in iTunes 6.

I ripped some books from library CD's to AAC files, and used the "Make Bookmarkable script". In iTunes 5.0, these appear in the "Audiobooks" menubar>"Books & Spoken." All well and good.

Then I upgraded to iTunes 6 and ripped more books from CD's, this time using newer "Selected Tracks Bookmarkable" script. These don't appear in the Audiobooks> Books & Spoken menu (but the books I made before still appear there.) However, they are listed under the "Music" category.

Both sets of books are "Protected AAC files".

Is this a bug?
Does anyone have a trick for getting them to appear under the Audiobooks menu?

 

[moriond]

Use MakeBookmarkable AppleScript (in addition) to have tracks show up as Audiobooks

I've noticed some weird behavior in how books appear in the library in iTunes 6.

I ripped some books from library CD's to AAC files, and used the "Make Bookmarkable script". In iTunes 5.0, these appear in the "Audiobooks" menubar>"Books & Spoken." All well and good.

Then I upgraded to iTunes 6 and ripped more books from CD's, this time using newer "Selected Tracks Bookmarkable" script. These don't appear in the Audiobooks> Books & Spoken menu (but the books I made before still appear there.) However, they are listed under the "Music" category.

Both sets of books are "Protected AAC files".

Is this a bug?
Does anyone have a trick for getting them to appear under the Audiobooks menu?

Hi javabird,


I think the Make Selected Tracks Bookmarkable AppleScript uses the new checkbox option (select track, cmd-i, go to Options pane and check "Remember Playback Position") that appeared in iTunes 5 and 6 to make AAC (.m4a) tracks bookmarkable. This script will also work on mp3 audiobook files. If you want your (AAC audiobook) entries to appear in the Audiobooks section of your iPod, and also be able to play these files back at faster or slower speeds, I believe you'll have to also use the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript on these files, or use it instead of the Make Selected Tracks Bookmarkable AppleScript. Hope this helps.

 

[javabird]

Thanks for your reply. I might have been a little confused, because I thought the Make Bookmarkable script was replaced by the newer Selected Tracks Bookmarkable script for versions of itunes later than 5. But I will try it out again and see if that solves the problem.

 

[javabird]

I tried running the Make Bookmarkable script last night on some of the .m4a tracks, with no success. They are still .m4a (iTunes 6) and do not appear in the Audiobooks menu.

The strange thing is that some of the .m4a files I made previously in iTunes 5 DO appear in the Audiobooks menu. (I guess I should have stuck with iTunes 5.)

If there is anyone that IS getting this to work on a Mac, I would love to know what they are doing.

 

[moriond]

Placing files in Audiobooks Section of iPod -- Making sure iPod updates status

I tried running the Make Bookmarkable script last night on some of the .m4a tracks, with no success. They are still .m4a (iTunes 6) and do not appear in the Audiobooks menu.

The strange thing is that some of the .m4a files I made previously in iTunes 5 DO appear in the Audiobooks menu. (I guess I should have stuck with iTunes 5.)

If there is anyone that IS getting this to work on a Mac, I would love to know what they are doing.

This may be a change with iTunes 6; I haven't updated to iTunes 6 yet. Out of curiosity, did you uncheck the "Remember Playback Position" of any of the files before trying to run the MakeBookmarkable Script?

If you're using autosync to update your iPod and already have these files on your iPod as bookmarkable files which are not in the audiobooks section, be aware that you'll have to put in some small change (like adding a comment) to make iTunes update the iPod with the new information. The MakeBookmarkable AppleScript doesn't update the timestamp on the iTunes Music Library.xml file that is used as a database, so the new information won't get written to the iPod unless some small change has been made.

If you manually sync'd, you may have to delete and then retransfer the audiobook files to the iPod to get the changes in place.

Hope this works. There are a couple of ways of forcing the file to show up as an Audiobook, but they involve editing either your iTunes Music Library.xml file, or your audiobook files themselves, which is kind of ugly and shouldn't be necessary.

 

[javabird]

Yes, I ran the Make UNBookmarkable script first.

Now I'm wondering about something else. When I run the Selected Tracks Bookmarkable script on a test file, it is now an "AAC Audio file." But the Make Bookmarkable script converts it to a "Protected AAC Audio file." (This is in iTunes 6)

This is just really getting confusing. There definitely seems to be something that has changed in the way iTunes 6 handles these.

(Incidentally, I manually sync audiobooks because I have a Shuffle. All these tests were done on files that were not on my Shuffle.)

 

[moriond]

(Incidentally, I manually sync audiobooks because I have a Shuffle. All these tests were done on files that were not on my Shuffle.)

I think the Shuffle will not bookmark files that are made bookmarkable by checking "Remember Playback Position". This feature only works on 4G iPods whose firmware has been updated with the 2005-06-26 (or later) iPod software update. It also works on the nano and the new 5G iPod. It does not work for the Shuffle, 3G and earlier models, or 4G models that still have working dynamically updating smart playlists (i.e., 4G iPod models with the 2005-03-23 or earlier iPod software update).

Yes, I ran the Make UNBookmarkable script first.

Now I'm wondering about something else. When I run the Selected Tracks Bookmarkable script on a test file, it is now an "AAC Audio file." But the Make Bookmarkable script converts it to a "Protected AAC Audio file." (This is in iTunes 6)

Unchecking the "Remember Playback Position" checkbox is not the same as running the MakeUNBookmarkable AppleScript.

AAC files that you rip from Audio CDs (.m4a files) have similar internal file structure to that of audiobook files (.m4b files) purchased from the iTunes Music Store. If you identify the .m4a file to Finder as having file type .m4b, iTunes will identify this file as having the same file type as .m4b audiobook files purchased from the iTMS, set the file type code in the Music Library's database file to match that of an iTMS audiobook, and show this be a "Protected AAC Audio file".

This has nothing to do with DRM, etc. but iTunes will treat the file as though it were an iTMS audiobook file in some ways -- it will implement bookmarking, and classify it under the Audiobooks section of the iPod. The Make Bookmarkable AppleScript identifies the file as having type .m4b. The Make UNBookmarkable AppleScript changes the flle type identification for Finder back to .m4a.

Up until iTunes 4.9 and the 2005-06-26 firmware, this was the only way (known to users) that an audiobook file could be made bookmarkable. It's still the only way, I believe, for 3G iPods, Shuffles, and 4G iPods that can still use dynamically-updated smart playlists.

In iTunes 4.9, Apple introduced bookmarking of mp3 files -- but this only applied to podcasts, and only to podcasts that were subscribed from the iTMS.

In iTunes 5, Apple introduced checkboxes to "Remember Playback Position" in AAC (.m4a) and mp3 files. This scheme, which continues in iTunes 6, is completly different from the earlier hack method of getting bookmarkable files. There's no particular reason for these files to show up as "Protected" audio files (and what would it mean to have a protected mp3 file under iTunes, anyway)?

The Selected Tracks Bookmarkable AppleScript works with the checkbox option. This means that it will work with both mp3 files and .mp4 AAC files. It will make them bookmarkable. But it will not necessarily give even the AAC files any of the other attributes of .m4b audiobook files, such as placing these files in the Audiobooks category of your iPod, or letting them play back at a faster or slower rate.

If you want to look into this in more detail you can try this:

Look at the File Type associated with one of your tracks in the iTunes Music Library.xml file When I import an audiobook track, the AAC file is
<key>File Type</key><integer>1295270176</integer>
before I run the MakeBookmarkable AppleScript and
<key>File Type</key><integer>1295270432</integer>
after I've run the script. This is presumably true for all the files you made bookmarkable under iTunes 5, and which show up as Audiobooks. Is it also true for your files under iTunes 6? (Try it on one small .m4a file that does not have checkbox options set -- you can always reverse this with the MakeUNBookmarkable AppleScript). For a detailed description of what the settings for these files look like before and after, see this post; it's probably more than you want to read through.

My suggestion is that you continue to make audiobook files bookmarkable the same way you did under iTunes 5 (don't use Selected Tracks Bookmarkable) and see if that works.

 

[javabird]

Thank you so much for your explanation. This can all be rather confusing to a non-geeky person. (And, as a Mac user, one has to sift through all the PC-oriented instructions to sort out the parts that will work with Macs.)

The bookmarks do seem to be working now on the Shuffle, so this may be one plus in upgrading to iTunes 6.

You asked if I unchecked the "Remember Playback Position" before running the MakeBookmarkable Script... I thought the "Make UNbookmarkable" accomplished the same thing as unchecking the "Remember Playback" box, or am I mistaken?

My suggestion is that you continue to make audiobook files bookmarkable the same way you did under iTunes 5 (don't use Selected Tracks Bookmarkable) and see if that works.

Unfortunately, the problem is that I tried this and it doesn't work in iTunes 6 (they are still .m4a after running the original "Make Bookmarkable" script). I guess I didn't do a good job of explaining it. (I really don't care if they are protected or not, but I had read in a previous post somewhere that they needed to be protected AAC in order to show up in the Audiobooks menu.)

However, I may have found another solution. Last night I upgraded to QT Pro 7 and used the "Join and Chapterize" script to convert some mp3 audio files to AAC-- and that did successfully convert them to .m4b's and now they appear in the Audiobooks menu. Yay! Tonight I will try it on some files converted from CD's.

 

[moriond]

I'm glad you found a solution, even though my suggestions didn't work for you.

Thank you so much for your explanation. This can all be rather confusing to a non-geeky person. (And, as a Mac user, one has to sift through all the PC-oriented instructions to sort out the parts that will work with Macs.)

I think it's much simpler on a Mac; I usually just insert a CD and import my audiobooks as AAC files with tracks joined by CD. Then I just use the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript.

However, I may have found another solution. Last night I upgraded to QT Pro 7 and used the "Join and Chapterize" script to convert some mp3 audio files to AAC-- and that did successfully convert them to .m4b's and now they appear in the Audiobooks menu. Yay! Tonight I will try it on some files converted from CD's.

This definitely works! The only reason for not suggesting that you get QT Pro 7 immediately is that it costs money ($29.99). But with QT Pro 7 you also get easy access to other options, such as a robust way to join AAC tracks and also a straightforward way to use ChapterTool. And you can make high-definition movies in the format supported by the 5G iPod. Good luck!

 

[javabird]

I'm glad you found a solution, even though my suggestions didn't work for you.
I think it's much simpler on a Mac; I usually just insert a CD and import my audiobooks as AAC files with tracks joined by CD. Then I just use the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript.

Yes that worked for me before itunes 6.

[B
I was actually suggesting that starting from scratch and using the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript alone on a .m4a file (leaving aside the Selected Tracks Bookmarkable script) -- just the same way you did for earlier versions of iTunes -- might still work under iTunes 6 as a way to get your audiobooks to show up in the Audibook category on your iPod.

The quick way to test this is to try it on a small .m4a file (even a music track) and see whether it shows up in the Audiobook section of your iPod. Running Make UNBookmarkable is not like unchecking the checkboxes. [/B]

Thanks for your explanation and help with this. I didn't realize the differences. I will experiment more with virgin files when I have more time.

[B
This definitely works! The only reason for not suggesting that you get QT Pro 7 immediately is that it costs money ($29.99). But with QT Pro 7 you also get easy access to other options, such as a robust way to join AAC tracks and also a straightforward way to use ChapterTool. And you can make high-definition movies in the format supported by the 5G iPod. Good luck! [/B]

I probably wouldn't have bought QT Pro just for this purpose but I wanted to get it anyway for some of its other capabilites (working with video), so I'm happy it's working for this too. I'm really starting to get hooked on listening to audiobooks

 

[teacher24_70]

>>>I was actually suggesting that starting from scratch and using the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript alone on a .m4a file (leaving aside the Selected Tracks Bookmarkable script) -- just the same way you did for earlier versions of iTunes -- might still work under iTunes 6 as a way to get your audiobooks to show up in the Audibook category on your iPod. >>>

What if I've already used the "Selected Tracks Bookmarkable" script? I didn't use it to change to .m4b--I used "FileMatch" program from versiontracker for that. However, if it's the "Make Bookmarkable" applescript that I need to make the "protected" files that will show up under Audiobooks, can I run it even if I've previously run the "Selected. . ." and the files are already .m4b.

 

[moriond]

What if I've already used the "Selected Tracks Bookmarkable" script? I didn't use it to change to .m4b--I used "FileMatch" program from versiontracker for that. However, if it's the "Make Bookmarkable" applescript that I need to make the "protected" files that will show up under Audiobooks, can I run it even if I've previously run the "Selected. . ." and the files are already .m4b.

I don't actually know the answer to this, but I think that the Selected Tracks Bookmarkable script only reproduces the checkbox settings, so that unchecking the boxes on a test track will allow you to see what happens. The "core" of the Make Bookmarkable script sets the file type to .m4b so it may do what FileMatch is doing. (I've never used FileMatch, so I'd have to look at this). Unchecking the boxes should allow you to run the AppleScript again.

Another thing that works (though klugey), is to transfer over the files to a PC and rename them as .m4b there, add them to iTunes, and then bring them back to your Mac. Haven't tried this myself, but others have reported it working. The reason is that on PCs the only way to identify .m4b files to iTunes and the operating system is via the extension.

 

[teacher24_70]

I went ahead and did it and it worked fine. By the way, FileMatch (do search on VersionTracker.com) is SO easy. It is very user friendly and will allow you to add either an individual file, or an entire folder to perform various tasks. The only task I've used it for (in the couple of weeks that I've had it) is to change the extension. I can't remember what else it's supposed to do.

The moving to PC and then back to Mac sounds like a royal pain. And the only PC I have available to me is at school--and I've never installed iTunes on it.

I don't actually know the answer to this, but I think that the Selected Tracks Bookmarkable script only reproduces the checkbox settings, so that unchecking the boxes on a test track will allow you to see what happens. The "core" of the Make Bookmarkable script sets the file type to .m4b so it may do what FileMatch is doing. (I've never used FileMatch, so I'd have to look at this). Unchecking the boxes should allow you to run the AppleScript again.

Another thing that works (though klugey), is to transfer over the files to a PC and rename them as .m4b there, add them to iTunes, and then bring them back to your Mac. Haven't tried this myself, but others have reported it working. The reason is that on PCs the only way to identify .m4b files to iTunes and the operating system is via the extension.

 

[moriond]

Summary on successfully getting books to show up in Audiobooks section with iTunes 6

Since the original post by teacher24_70 started in a thread in another forum, I'm posting a summary recap.

The original problem post stated that only one out of half a dozen audiobooks imported from CDs and "converted" to file type .m4b showed up in the Audiobooks section of the iPod. A check of the Summary information for these files in the iTunes Music Library using cmd + i (the Mac keyboard shortcut for File -> Get Info showed that only files for the book that showed up in the Audiobooks section showed Kind: Protected AAC Audio File -- all others showed up simply as AAC Audio File, and these audiobooks which did not show as "Protected" also showed up under Music.

teacher24_70 then ran the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript on these files, and didn't see a change in status to "Protected" AAC Audio File, but upon opening the get info window and closing it. found that the status updated to "Protected". Going through the files by clicking the "Next" button updated all the information to "Kind: Protected AAC Audio File". These files then (apparently) all registered correctly as Audiobook files when a re-sync forced the iPod iTunes Music Library.xml database file to update.

What I think is going on & summary recommendations for users
The command to set filetype to m4b in the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript and the "File Match" program teacher24_70 used to change the filetype of an audiobook file doesn't set a modification timestamp. The iTunes Music Library.xml database file that stores the information on filetype doesn't automatically update file status without such a sign that files have been modified. Modifying a file (by editing a tag or adding album art), opening a file with File -> Get Info, or starting to play the file are all ways to force the system to compare information read in the file headers with other file status information and update the iTunes Music Library.xml database file. Make sure the summary panel from Get Info shows that Kind is Protected AAC Audio File for all your audiobooks before you transfer them to your iPod. If necessary, open these files with File -> Get Info and click through the next buttons to force status to update to "Protected".

I suspect that if you create a merged file (using iTunesJoin shareware or the "Join and Chapterize" AppleScript) out of individual segments that have been made bookmarkable, the result will automatically show the "Protected" status without the user's having to check this. The reason is that in modifying files to create the merged result, iTunes will have to read and update the status of all the component segments, and assign the "Protected" status to the resulting file, as well. This could also explain javabird's success with "Join and Chapterize" as well. I don't know why this latency in updating filetype status emerged with iTunes 6, but it seems to be a characteristic that was not present in earlier iTunes versions.

teacher24_70, since FileMatch allows you to change the modification times as well as the file type, you might see whether running that setting at the same time you change type to .m4b forces the iTunes Music Library.xml file to update to "Protected" without your having to click through in Get Info. And you may not have to use the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript at all.

The Selected Tracks Bookmarkable AppleScript may also be a viable option, if someone can test this under iTunes 6 while checking that Kind is set to "Protected" before trying any syncs with the iPod. In any case, using the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript should continue to provide a way for users to get their homemade audiobooks into the Audiobook category of the iPod, provided they check that the status of "Kind" has been updated to "Protected" before syncing.

On Older Model iPods Use Make Bookmarkable and NOT Selected Tracks Bookmarkable

The Selected Tracks Bookmarkable AppleScript works on both AAC (.m4a) and mp3 files via the checkbox options to make selected entries (mp3 and/or aac) bookmarkable. This means that users with 3G iPods and 4G iPods that are running firmware before 2005-06-26 (anyone who rolled back or decided not to update in order to keep dynamically updating smart playlists) should not use this script -- the earlier iPod models don't support the checkbox options. Those tracks will bookmark in playback under iTunes (5.0 and later) but not on an older model iPod, because the firmware does not support it. AAC files run through the Selected Tracks Bookmarkable AppleScript will not be bookmarkable on these iPod models or appear in the Audiobook section of your iPod. Use the Make Bookmarkable AppleScript instead for these AAC files.

Edited to add paragraph warning users with old-model iPods to use Make Bookmarkable script instead of Selected Tracks Bookmarkable.