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Topic: ipod audiobook utilities? (Read 4539 times) previous topic - next topic
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ipod audiobook utilities?

What's the best utility for converting existing mp3 as well as ripping audiobook cds into the .mpb format?

ipod audiobook utilities?

Reply #1 –
windows or Mac?

ipod audiobook utilities?

Reply #2 –
Assuming your on windows, I prefer EAC (Exact Audio Copy) for all my CD rips (including Audiobooks) as I've found it to be the most secure ripper. On the other hand, if your on a MAC, I wouldn't have the slightest clue on how to help out.

Now, you mentioned MPB format, and unless you mean M4B, I have absolutely no idea what your talking about. So I'll just assume that you mean M4B (the standard iPod audiobook format). The easiest way (that I know of) to convert to this format is by using dBpoweramp Music Converter and simply downlading and installing the required codecs: M4A & M4B.

Just so you know, the way I listen to audiobooks via my iPod, is simply by encoding them to MP3 and setting up temporary playlists to accommodate for either each CD or each chapter of the book. I find this system ALOT more simple and easy than the awful iPod audiobook feature. I think I tried the iPod's audiobook feature once, and absolutely hated it.

I usually encode my books with LAME 3.97 using the -V2 --vbr-new switch. _MAJOR_ overkill, I know, but the books only stay on there for as long as it takes to listen to them and I have a 160GB iPod Classic, so it's no real issue for me. Though the recommended setting for encoding books (I believe) is --abr 56 -mm (recommendation reference here), and this will save a huge amount of space compared to a book encoded in -V2.

ipod audiobook utilities?

Reply #3 –
okay.. assuming you're on a mac........ you can go to doug's itunes scripts an download "join together". this will give you bookmarked m4bs out of separated mp3s or m4as.




(Apple's chapter tool is required)

ipod audiobook utilities?

Reply #4 –
This is the correct link for Join Together.
--
dougscripts.com

ipod audiobook utilities?

Reply #5 –
Perhaps it's worth adding a little more as this one has come up again.

This is something that Macworld regularly revisits with advice for both Mac and PC users.  Their articles are worth looking at:

1. Feb 2007

2. July 2007

3. Sep 2007

The first link (Feb 2007) is a general discussion and has information on how to join tracks, including a link to a Windows program called "Merge MP3".  It then tells you how to convert to AAC and change the file extension, so that the file is recognized as an audiobook and added to an iPod's "Audiobooks" section.

The second link (July 2007) tells, among other things, how to use Doug Adam's script together with Apple's free download "Chapter Tool".  That solution is only going to work on a Mac.  It also has some useful information on how to navigate the chapters and on playback speed settings:

Quote
To play an audiobook at a faster or slower speed—for those times when you want to zip through a less interesting section or slow down to glean more information—go to the Audiobooks section in the iPod’s Settings menu. There you’ll see Slower, Normal, and Faster commands. If you choose Slower, your iPod will play the material more slowly while maintaining its original pitch. Faster also maintains the pitch but plays the material more quickly.


The third link (Sep 2007) is a review of a program for OS X called "Audiobook Builder 1.0.7" that sells for $10.  It will build an audiobook from QuickTime-supported formats and from unprotected WMA, Ogg, FLAC, and Speex files.
 

ipod audiobook utilities?

Reply #6 –
Thanks for the links, Nick E!