bookmarking in audiobooks

I have read some of the previous posts on bookmarking an audiobook but still have questions.  I want to listen to my Zip Clip audiobooks in different ways…through earphones plugged into the ZC, through the USB port/radio in my car, and by plugging in my ZC via USB cable to my computer.

First of all, I haven’t figured out yet how to play my audio book on the ZC through my computer. After connecting the ZC via the USB cable,  I figure that I should use Windows Media Player, but don’t see my audiobook when the WMP screen comes up.  What do I need to do to get my audiobook to play through my computer?

Also, is there a way to bookmark my place in my audiobook so that when I switch between the above 3 methods that I’m using to listen, I will be able to start listening in the same place I left off.  For example, if I listen to the book in my car, then take my ZC inside and plug it into my computer to listen, I will be able to start where I left off in the car.  Same thing if I want to listen to the book through my earphones.   I must be doing something wrong or inconsistent because sometimes when I switch between the car and the earphones, the ZC starts playing my book in a different spot.

I hope this is clear.  If not, let me know and thanks ahead of time!

Wow, I can’t believe that my post has had 350+ views and not one offer of help.  Sure wish someone would help me with my requests for assistance with these bookmarking issues in audiobooks.  Please??

@tnaubie wrote:

First of all, I haven’t figured out yet how to play my audio book on the ZC through my computer. After connecting the ZC via the USB cable,  I figure that I should use Windows Media Player, but don’t see my audiobook when the WMP screen comes up.  What do I need to do to get my audiobook to play through my computer?

 

You need to direct WMP to your player as it’s “Library”. By default, it looks to your My Music folder on your computer.

 

Also, is there a way to bookmark my place in my audiobook so that when I switch between the above 3 methods that I’m using to listen, I will be able to start listening in the same place I left off.  For example, if I listen to the book in my car, then take my ZC inside and plug it into my computer to listen, I will be able to start where I left off in the car.  Same thing if I want to listen to the book through my earphones.

 

Probably won’t be able to do this with WMP, but yes with your earphones. Remember though, you must PAUSE the player before shutting in down in order for it to remember it’s place in your book and ask if you want to resume it where you left off.

 

It also depends on how you are using the player in your car. Are you using an AUX IN connection or connecting via a USB port where the player is controlled through the head unit (car stereo)?

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Do note, you don’t need to use WMP to listen to your audiobooks on your computer.  Instead, you simply can click on your Clip drive, navigate to the file you want to play (such as, the audiobook file you want to listen to), and then play it in the player of your choice.  That’s one of the wonderful benefits of the Clip–no external media organization software needed.  Note that matters may be different  with DRM-protected files (such as Audible files). 

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Tapeworm, thank you for your reply.  I do pause the Zip Clip before I turn it off and it still ends up in different spots when I reconnect.  In the car, I am playing it through the USB port and controlling it using the car stereo.

I just brought it in from listening to it in the car; I paused it before shutting it off.  When I plugged my headphones into it in the house just now, it automatically resumed (without asking me) at a spot earlier in the book that I have already listened to.  This happens everytime I change modes of playing my ZC.

Miikerman, I appreciate your advice about not having to use WMP.  I tried what you suggested and it worked.  Will I have to find my place in the book by fastforwarding everytime I play the book this way?  This has become a real hassle no matter the mode of play.  I always have to FF or rewind to find my place in the book…just can’t get it to save my place no matter what I do…even when I pause the player before shutting it off.

@tnaubie wrote:

Tapeworm, thank you for your reply.  I do pause the Zip Clip before I turn it off and it still ends up in different spots when I reconnect. _  In the car, I am playing it through the USB port and controlling it using the car stereo. _

 

I just brought it in from listening to it in the car; I paused it before shutting it off.  When I plugged my headphones into it in the house just now, it automatically resumed (without asking me) at a spot earlier in the book that I have already listened to.  This happens everytime I change modes of playing my ZC.

This I believe is causing your issue. If you use teh AUX IN (if available) it would most likely resume at the same spot as you are essentially just using the stereo as an amplifier and the player is controlling things and playing through the headphone jack. When you turn over control to the car’s stereo through the USB port, that mucks things up resume-wise.

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@tnaubie wrote:

Miikerman, I appreciate your advice about not having to use WMP.  I tried what you suggested and it worked.  Will I have to find my place in the book by fastforwarding everytime I play the book this way?  This has become a real hassle no matter the mode of play.  I always have to FF or rewind to find my place in the book…just can’t get it to save my place no matter what I do…even when I pause the player before shutting it off.

I think part of the issue is, using the bookmark between devices.  While the Clip will bookmark an audiobook for the next time you access the book on the Clip, that won’t necessarily work when you access the audiobook file on your computer.  I’m not quite sure how the bookmark info. is stored.  What you might try doing is, when connected to your computer, look for a “bookmark-type” file on the player–basically, something that looks different from the others–for your audiobook and see if it might somehow bring up your stopped location when clicked/double-clicked. 

My guess is, if you want to use your bookmarks, you’ll need to do so through playing the Clip itself . . . .

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The “universal solution,” I think:  when playing your audiobook through headphones, your car stereo, or speakers in your house, do so by connecting the Clip to your “sound-emanator” through the Clip’s headphone jack, so that the Clip is controlling and you can use the bookmarks on it. 

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Tapeworm,

Using the AUX instead of the USB is the solution to my audiobook bookmarking problem in the car.  Thank you!!!

Miikerman,

I think you are correct about using the Clip Zip as the controller.  I have it working in the car and with headsets now.  I still am not sure if I can play the CZ on my computer through the headphone jack.  I tried but there was no sound.  Checked all the volume levels and they are up on the CZ and the computer.  Any idea of what else I can do to have the CZ control and play the volume through the computer?

Thank you for your suggestions and help.

For your computer, you would need to play it thru an input to the computer (again, for the Clip to be acting as a controller).  On some computers, I have seen it work in connecting thru the computer’s microphone jack.  But I think that is very specific to a computer, if it has been set up to allow that.  Otherwise, you might be left connecting to your computer via USB, in which case you likely wouldn’t have the use of your player bookmarks (unless you’ve found otherwise).

An alternative:  inside your house, just bypass the computer entirely–you’re only using it for the speakers–and connect the Clip, via its headphone jack, directly to a set of speakers.  That way, you’re using the Clip as the controller and can use your bookmarks; you likely are getting better sound than thru your computer’s speakers; and you likely will save energy besides, in not having the computer running.  Just a thought–

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The reason I wanted to connect it to my laptop was so that I could take it into the kitchen when cooking to listen to my audiobooks.  I really don’t like using earphones…they bother my ears and the cords get caught on things.  Believe it or not, we have no speakers downstairs.  I have a small boombox that plays CDs and radio but it has no earphone/microphone jack.  My computer has two jacks…one for earphones and one for microphone but I can’t get either to work with my Clip Zip.  And as I said in a previous post, using the USB connection does not work with the bookmarks.  So, to use my Clip Zip in the house, I will probably have to buy something to project the sound using through my headphone jack.

At least I can now get the CZ to work with my earphones in the house and with the AUX in the car and can save the same bookmarks.

Thank you, Miikerman, for all your help with this issue!!!

I’ve been amazed at the number of nice, small portable speakers that I’ve seen in the past year–I guess, to get the increasing amount of music off of smartphones.  While often Bluetooth-oriented, they typically have a wired option as well that will play well with a Clip.  A nice Valentine’s Day treat!    :slight_smile:

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Thanks for letting me know about the speakers!

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and just for the record, if you are using audible , like i am, i have found that changing format from 4 to E made my sansa not remember where i left off. so check what format you are using. 4 seems to be the best for this particular player

Cogre,

Thanks for the hint for Audible.  I’ve never used it but will look at it.  I use Overdrive Media console to download audiobooks from the library.

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