Using audiobook folders

As you note, sometimes just starting over from scratch can be the cleanest solution.  

Yes, starting from scratch is exactly what I did to remove the duplicate copies. I removed all versions and re-downloaded the enhanced format. Any idea why the Audible Manager device pane doesn’t show all the copies that are actually on the device? (Also, my apologies for my last lengthy post. Even though I’m hitting the return key twice and I have clearly separated paragraphs in my drafts, the final posts do not reflect that.)

Don’t know why the Audible Manager (malfunctions) as it does.  I dislike managers like it–they just seem to malfunction, as versus simple copy-and-paste, which just, well, works . . . .

Audible Manager seems to be working for me at the moment with some unexplainable weirdness now and then. I’ll definitely have to learn how to use the copy and paste method. Both you and neutron bob recommend this method. I’m also playing around with the most streamlined way to put music files on my new Zip. So far, I really like this little device. My first experience with MP3 players was with a 1G Shuffle, cute as can be, but limited.Thanks for all your patience and help, you two. I’ll go experiment and play now and let you lend your wisdom to others.

Drag-and-drop/copy-and-paste is easy as pie.  Just go to where your files are located on your computer, highlight (select) them, right click on the highlighted block and select copy (or simply press ctrl + c), go to where you want to put the files on your Clip, and right click on an empty space in the folder and select paste (or press ctrl + v).  Voila!   :slight_smile:

Hi there, just bought my first Sansa (the Clip Zip) and starting the learning curve (been using a Creative Zen V for years - and that was my 1st player so I don’t have a lot of experience w/ other players).  I have a lot of personal development CDs that I have transferred to MP3 or WMA files and I am hoping I can use the drag and drop functionality and put in the Audiobook or Podcast folder to take advantage of the nice automatic bookmarking feature (very nice) and keep the music folder to strictly music.  Before I drop my entire library on the unit, I tried a few items to make sure it worked and in one case, the folder I dragged to the Podcast folder didn’t show the name of the folder in the list but it did have all the CDs content in the one podcast folder and the other two programs both showed up where each CD was it’s own Podcast even though when I dragged them into the clip, all the files were in one folder and in order.  Any suggestions?  I’ve spent some time searching this site and others and I am hoping someone with more experience than me can save me a few hours of trial and error. :wink:

Thanks in advance!

Why use the Podcast folder? Use the Audiobook one.

And you’re sure that the files are in a format compatible with the Clip and are not DRM-protected?  And are the ID3 tags filled in?

I can easily change the folder to audiobook, however I did put some other ripped programs in the audiobook folder with the same result where each CD was showing up as a seperate audiobook - even though I had made a new folder for the program and copied all the files from each CD into it to have them all in one folder.  

It appears as though all the CDs I have ripped are in WMA format which should be compatible according to what I have read in the manual.  I have done nothing with the tags (yet).  I am a novice at this and am hoping I can avoid putting many hours into getting all my content onto a this player. 

My ultimate goal would be to be able to drag and drop the folders that I have already set up with all the audio programs and have them look like individual audiobooks in the clip zip.  

Thanks again for your feedback!  I know how easy it is to sink hours and hours trying to learn the best way to do something a new device. :slight_smile:

@rrowland98 wrote:

I can easily change the folder to audiobook, however I did put some other ripped programs in the audiobook folder with the same result where each CD was showing up as a seperate audiobook -

 

I have done nothing with the tags (yet).  

This would be your best bet. Otherwise yes, the player will see each CD as a separate ‘book’.

I don’t use WMP to rip files, but I have come to understand that WMP may be set, by default and until changed, to rip into a WMA protected format.  You might want to check your WMP out in that regard, and make sure that it is ripping into unprotected WMA format.  And then also, as noted above, fill the ID3 tags in, if not already done (I believe that WMP will try to fill the tags in as part of the ripping process–but, again, I would check that out).  A well-regareded ID3 tag editor (Internet freeware):  MP3Tag.  http://www.mp3tag.de/en/   These could help.

I don’t use WMP to rip files, but I have come to understand that WMP may be set, by default and until changed, to rip into a WMA  protected  format.  If you are using WMP to rip your files, you might want to check your WMP out in that regard, and make sure that it is ripping into unprotected WMA format.  And then also, as noted above, fill the ID3 tags in, if not already done (I believe that WMP will try to fill the tags in as part of the ripping process–but, again, I would check that out).  A well-regareded ID3 tag editor (Internet freeware):  MP3Tag.  http://www.mp3tag.de/en/   These could help.

Okay.  My goal is to get just one of the audio programs to work and then I can just duplicate for the other ones. I am picking one program that has 3 CDs. I removed all of the multi-CD audio programs off the device.  Downloaded mp3tag software to my laptop.  Opened up each of the 3 folders (disc 1, 2 and 3) and changed the genre to audiobook on each.  Side note, most all of my CDs I ripped to my PC (XP) or laptop (Win 7) were done with the Creative software that came with my old MP3 player (creative zen V) and the only format allowed was WMA.  I am pretty sure these files are not protected as I have put them on multiple devices and have had no issues at all.  This includes converting to iTunes so my wife could put on her iPod.

Okay, so after converting the genre on all the files for each of the 3 discs, I copied the 3 folders to the audiobook folder on the device.  When I viewed on the device, it showed as 3 seperate audiobooks (not a big surprise).  So then I deleted those folders from the device and made a new folder on my laptop with the title of the program and copied the tracks of all 3 CDs into the one folder and then copied that folder on to the device - and there was no difference.  Still showed each disc as a seperate audiobook.  Not sure if I am doing something wrong or if what I am trying to do just can’t done.  Hopefully this makes sense and someone can get me over the hump.  Thanks!

Using MP3Tag, are the ID3 tags for each consistent?  E.g., the album or book title field is the same (and not “Book X–Part 1”, for example)?  The player uses the ID3 tags to organize and navigate, not the folder and file names; if the album/book tag field is different, the player will see the files as different books.  

Thank you Miikerman!  That was it.  Changed the Album title so they were not calling out each disc and then figured I’d better re-number the tracks as each disc starts again at 1 and I didn’t want them to get out of order after changing the disc name. Thanks again for helping out a novice!  Before a few days ago I had no idea what an ID3 tag was!  ;-)  Cheers!

It’s sad when tech. forces all of us to become armchair engineers . . . .   :slight_smile:    Glad it’s worked out for you!

Your conversation about bookmarking has been helpful, but it has focused almost entirely on Audible.  

If you are lucky enough to belong to a public library that subscribes to a digital library, you can get all the audiobooks you can eat for free!  The libraries I use employ Overdrive Media to supply the audiobooks.  Once downloaded to your PC (as far as I can tell the Sansa Clip does not work with Mac,) the Overdrive Media Console (OMC) shoots the book over to your player with one touch of the “Transfer” button.  So far, I’ve only seen it deliver the audiobook to the Music folder.  Managing the folders whilst connected to the PC, you can move the file from Music to Audiobooks, and ~ VOILA!  ~ you can bookmark!

If anyone knows how to get OMC to deliver the book directly to the Audiobook folder, let me know.

Libraries are very good things.   :slight_smile:

Just want to point out that the Sansa Clip does in fact work with a Mac - I just got a Sansa Clip Zip yesterday, and have transferred some audiobooks to it.  What doesn’t work is Audible + Mac + Sansa - unless you use a PC and the Audible manager program to authorize the Sansa Clip Zip - once it’s been authorized, you can drag & drop the Audible books to the Audible folder. 

Just wanted to put that out there for any Mac users who may stumble into this thread like I did when I googled the issue.

Info found here:  http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7320

NOTE: There is no Audible Manager available for MAC computers. In order to transfer Audible files using a MAC computer you must first Activate the Sansa on a Windows PC using Audible manager. Once the Sansa has been activated you can transfer Audible content from any computer by simply drag and dropping the Audible file to the Audible folder of your Sansa.

Don’t you just hate the lack of 100% compatibility at this point in time?  (Of course, Apple probably is a chief violator here, having the view that it doesn’t have to try to be compatible with others, the world needs to adapt to it  . . . .)