Is there an easier way with iTunes 8 and the new gens?

[RBodnar63]

I am a total newbie at this. I just ordered a new iPod Touch and I want to load some of my CD audiobooks on it. The threads on the Markable shareware and the manual method of transferring CDs look like they've been around a while. With the newer version of iTunes and the newer iPods, is markable still the easiest way to go for technologically challenged PC users?

Have I emphasized sufficiently that I am technologically timid and want something easy?

Thanks

Roberta

 

[studogvetmed]

Actually it's not anymore!

iTunes 8 has introduced a new media kind under the option tab in the get info for music files in iTunes. You can change their kind from music to audiobook which moves the files into the audiobook section of iTunes!

Now all you have to do for any audiobook is select all associated files, change the media type to audiobook and set "remember position" to yes for all the files.

The only thing that is missing is the ability to "join tracks" which would have to be done when you first are ripping from CD.

Good luck!

 

[mdelcotto]

This works great except the files do not show up on my Nano under audiobooks. They show in iTunes in the Library and in the Audiobooks section on my Nano when the nano is plugged into itunes. Seems weird.

Doesn't really matter for me because I use smartplaylists but it just seems weird.

 

[studogvetmed]

What nano, the new one or an old one. You're right does seem weird.

Perhaps try unchecking, sync to remove, then check back to sync and see if it forces it to the right menu when disconnected maybe?

 

[robert]

In iTunes 8 import is now under General tab rather than advanced tab as in prior v. I need to update the sticky guides after I try a CD conversion.

 

[robert]

How to Change a track/Song/File to Audiobook

After downloading iTunes 8, go to View > choose "as a List" > search for and highlight files/songs that you wish to change to audiobooks

Highlight all the files you wish to change to audiobooks (sort by genre, kind, etc to bunch together -- click on top or bottom file, then hold shift and click on bottom or top file to highlight all.)

Right Click on the highlighted group

Choose Get Info from drop down

Choose Option tab

Go to Media Kind and check box

Click on up down arrows at Media Kind entry and select Audiobook

Click on OK,

There you have it.

I have yet to see if this changes the files to audiobooks in my iPods which are older models. I need to restore them both to change over to Mac from PC before I try it. I am also installing Fusion soon and will verify if PC version works the same.

I have read that this not only changes to audiobook to insert in Audiobooks folder in iTunes and some iPods, but also allows faster/slower play. I assume the files will bookmark. This will greatly simplify converting CDs to audiobooks for iPod. Guess I need to get to Tutorial to update.

Way to go Apple!

 

[plazman30]

Firmware is the key...

Obviously firmware on the iPod needs to support this also. I have an 80GB 5G and the feature worked flawlessly. It even let me speed up my MP3. I wonder if the same 4 hour restriction applies to MP3 files. Guess I'll have to test...

Andy

 

[RBodnar63]

Thanks for the help. I finally got the touch and I loaded a couple of audiobooks I had on cd. I have no idea why, but the first one I loaded let me join the tracks and the rest did not. It doesn't seem to matter much, though, because I have been using the smart lists as someone here suggested and that seems to do the trick. The audiotracks have a static pop in the background that's mildly irritating, however. Any ideas why? All of the files I loaded have it, and it's not on the cds.

 

[mdelcotto]

What nano, the new one or an old one. You're right does seem weird.

Perhaps try unchecking, sync to remove, then check back to sync and see if it forces it to the right menu when disconnected maybe?

I tried this but it didn't work. Must be the firmware on my Nano. Not sure which generation my Nano is but it is older. Black, 4GB.

Thanks for all the help. I'm just happy not to have to change all the file extensions in explore anymore. I will just use a playlist.

 

[timbo81]

I like the new way iTunes handles audiobooks. The only problem I have is that I start to listen to a book on my PC, and when I want to continue it on my iPod, it only plays one mp3 file at a time. Lets say a book contains 5 chapters, each is a mp3 file. I import them into my library and tell iTunes that the mediatype is audiobook. They show up in the rightsection of iTunes. iIunes plays the 1st chapter and jumps to the second. I have set it to remember the position and skip the tracks in shuffle. So if I go and play the 2nd chapter on my iPod, it picks up where i left, but wont jump to the next chapter. I have an iPod Classic 160gig.

Anybody else with the problem? Or even with a solution?

Thanks

 

[honeybee1236]

We use playlists. This is the only way to get the iPod to play audio books, TV shows or movies consecutively. This is best when you have short chapters or your gonna listen to the whole book.

With longer sections of the book (like 5 or 8 hours) you can listen from the audiobook section of the iPod.

 

[robert]

10 hour file playing iTunes 8 file without skipping out and losing bookmark

GREAT NEWS!​

iTunes 8 m4b 10 hour file is playing on an updated Mac format 2nd generation Nano without former problems at restart of skipping out of file, going to menu, losing bookmark, upping playcount +1, and sometimes garbling speech (see this link to id your iPod: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1353).

Get Info > Options > Media Kind = Audiobook moved to Audiobooks folder and provided bookmarking and skip on shuffle, but DID NOT speed up speech on my updated Mac format 2nd generation Nano (see this link to id your iPod: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1353). To get speed up, it was necessary to change file extension from m4a to m4b.

Andy reports 5G speeds up without file extension rename:

Obviously firmware on the iPod needs to support this also. I have an 80GB 5G and the feature worked flawlessly. It even let me speed up my MP3. I wonder if the same 4 hour restriction applies to MP3 files. Guess I'll have to test...

Andy

The same file (m4b) playing on an iPod Photo (PC format) which hasn't been updated since Jan, 2008, has the problems at restart of skipping out of file, going to menu, losing bookmark, and upping playcount +1. I will update it to mac and see if these problems go away.

Simplifies greatly using SoundTaxi.

 

[stevehaley]

So is there any advantage to m4b files on any of the Ipods apart from the ability to insert chapter marks?
Does the MP3 trick work on all generations?

 

[cjmnews]

The only reason to use m4b is to get it to show up under the Audiobook section and use the faster/slower playback.

Neither item interests me so I stopped using m4b a couple of years ago.

 

[TheSquare]

I changed all my audiobooks thru the Media Type option to audiobooks and although they show up in separate folders for each book on itunes on my ipod each book is in a million different sections! Annoying!

I'm considering converting each one into one big long m4b track hmmmm

 

[studogvetmed]

I changed all my audiobooks thru the Media Type option to audiobooks and although they show up in separate folders for each book on itunes on my ipod each book is in a million different sections! Annoying!

I'm considering converting each one into one big long m4b track hmmmm

If they are in different sections, how are there tags? Make sure that they have track tags and album tags and artist tags just like any other album of music to help keep them together.

 

[cjmnews]

Originally Posted by TheSquare
I changed all my audiobooks thru the Media Type option to audiobooks and although they show up in separate folders for each book on itunes on my ipod each book is in a million different sections! Annoying!


I'm considering converting each one into one big long m4b track hmmmm

I think the iPods do not support the iTunes 8 method of reclassifying audiobooks yet. I haven't bothered to upgrade from 7.7.5 yet so I don't know.

If you read through the many stickies as well as search for threads on combining files and making them m4b files, you'll find:
- The combined file can't be more than 5 hours long or the iPod does not handle the bookmark properly.
- It's easier to manage books with smart playlists, and unless you want the faster/slower playback and appearing in the Audiobook section, there's no point to m4b files.

 

[jde2399]

so i changed my files to audio book files and now i cant seem to find them in my library at all ???

 

[jde2399]

nevermind, it was disabled in settings... fixed it!

 

[studogvetmed]

nevermind, it was disabled in settings... fixed it!

PEBKAC!

Glad you got it sorted!

Happy iPodding.