Filed under: Tips and tricks, iTunes
Convert any file to iTunes audiobook format
This week, Lifehacker pointed out a handy feature of iTunes 8. Specifically, you can convert any file into audiobook format. That way, it will be categorized as an audio book and more importantly, remember where you stopped listening last time.Last year, a friend sent me some audio of a conference he attended. I was glad to have it, but it was a single, 40-minute track. That would have been a perfect candidate for this tip.
Lifehacker even explains how to convert multiple files at once. Check it out.
If you want file conversion that's more powerful than this simple trick, consider Switch by NCH Software. Switch converts a great number of file formats into any of several options. For example, convert aif/aiff, gsm, vox aac, mp2, or m4a (plus a lot more) into Mp3 or wav. You can even import video files and extract audio (avi, mov, mpeg). There's both a free and paid version of Switch.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
HP said 1:00PM on 10-17-2008
Wow. This is great to see! I wrote an Apple Script to accomplish this task before, but I suppose I can retire it!
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Xavier said 1:30PM on 10-17-2008
This news needs some clarification. Convert any file to iTunes audiobook format. At first I thought it was some "Text to Speech" technology...
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Michael said 1:36PM on 10-17-2008
What I want to know is how to add something to the podcasts list. I've tried everything, including editing special hidden apple tags with Windows apps—iTunes still wont do it!
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rusic said 1:38PM on 10-17-2008
http://www.splasm.com/audiobookbuilder/
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Brandon said 1:52PM on 10-17-2008
Audiobookbuilder is a great application for combining multiple tracks into a single itunes audiobook! For the Windows side try Markable - http://www.ipodsoft.com/site/pmwiki.php?n=markable.Homepage
RobK said 6:01PM on 10-18-2008
Audiobook Builder for the Mac is great. Unfortunately, I don't know of any FREE Mac solutions.
For windows, there is a great free Open Source program -- Audiobook Converter.
See http://www.freeipodsoftware.com/
mingistech said 2:09PM on 10-17-2008
You can already add the ability to remember where you stopped listening to any track by simply clicking a check box. Right click any file in iTunes and select "Get Info" under the Options tab there is a "Remember Playback Position" check box. Once checked both iTunes and ur iPod will always resume the track where you last left off.
The big bonus I've found from actually converting files to an audiobook file is the ability to control the speed of the playback.
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Mike said 4:41PM on 10-17-2008
This article seems to suggest that the file's format is being changed, but as I understand it the file itself is left identical (not even the ID3 metadata is altered), and the iTunes library just keeps a record that this file has been 'tagged' as an audiobook.
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Nigel said 3:23PM on 10-18-2008
If the file is in AAC format then all you have to do is change the extension to m4b before importing to iTunes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4b#.MP4_versus_.M4A_file_extensions
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SCOTT said 9:20PM on 10-19-2008
so are you saying that all i need to do on an audiobook file that was ripped from CD is to change the ending to .m4b and it will become an audiobook as far as iTunes is concerned? well im sure you have to redrag the file into itunes for this to happen or does it do it automatically?
i know when i make ringtones for the iphone using my 3rd party software all i have to do is change the ending to .m4r and drag it to itunes and it puts it under ringtones in itunes...is this the same idea?
or does the audiobook have to have a certian ending to be able to do this or can it have any ending? like .mp3 or .m4a?
need to do this for my mother because all of her audiobook rips are in her music folder and its annoying for her...she gets stressed easily...and will this work on PC cuz she has an HP laptop?
thank you in advance
now4real954@aol.com if you want to help me personally instead of filling the post with this info...thanks again
Nigel said 4:52AM on 10-20-2008
i know when i make ringtones for the iphone using my 3rd party software all i have to do is change the ending to .m4r and drag it to itunes and it puts it under ringtones in itunes...is this the same idea?
yes
or does the audiobook have to have a certian ending to be able to do this or can it have any ending? like .mp3 or .m4a?
Not MP3 files, only AAC. Look at the link in my previous post.
Big Mac said 12:20PM on 10-19-2008
Awesome! This is exactly what I've been trying to do for a while. Try looking up audio books in the itunes help, you won't get anything. Thank you so much.
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