Audiobooks don't show up in roster of titles

I just downloaded an audiobook from my local library.  The library is connected to OverDrive Media and uses the ODM console.  After I downloaded the WMA audio file to my computer I hooked up the Sansa Fuze via USB.  I then hit the transfer button on the console and it showed the three-part file being downloaded to the Fuze.  But once that happened I went to the audiobook library on the Fuze and looked for the file.  I had two other audiobooks on the drive at the time.  Those two titles still show up but so far I can’t find the new book.  I’ve looked under audiobooks, recordings, songs, you name it.  But nowhere do I find the new title listed. Also, since that point I downloaded new firmware from Sansa’s site.

@tbooth wrote:

I just downloaded an audiobook from my local library.  The library is connected to OverDrive Media and uses the ODM console.  After I downloaded the WMA audio file to my computer I hooked up the Sansa Fuze via USB.  I then hit the transfer button on the console and it showed the three-part file being downloaded to the Fuze.  But once that happened I went to the audiobook library on the Fuze and looked for the file.  I had two other audiobooks on the drive at the time.  Those two titles still show up but so far I can’t find the new book.  I’ve looked under audiobooks, recordings, songs, you name it.  But nowhere do I find the new title listed. Also, since that point I downloaded new firmware from Sansa’s site.

Looked for the file where? In Windows Explorer while still connected to your computer, or on the Fuze itshelf? If you 're looking for it on your Fuze, remember the information displayed on the Fuze’s screen is not that of the file name, buyt rather the information contained in the ID3 tags of the files. You’ll have to download a tag-editing program (MP3Tag is excellent  and free) and correct the tags so they show up on the Fuze.

Well what would the tag look like on the Fuze?  It’s not like there is a list of numbers or letters that would cue me there was something to be edited, there is nothing at all in the book title roster other than the two books that were already in the roster

Download MP3Tag as suggested, and open up the file in the program. You will see the various fields like Artist, Album, Track Title, Track #, Year, Genre, Comments, etc.

You can then edit any field you need (or want) to. I would eliminate any strange/foreign characters and anything in the Comments field. Don’t forget to click on the little floppy disk icon to save your changes.

I downloaded Mp3Tag to my computer and opened it.  The program I got was called AudioConverter v.3.02, by Foxtab

Then I went to My Media in My Documents and went to WMA Audiobooks inside of OverdriveMedia Console.  I attempted to add the one file in it then hit the start button.  But even though it showed the file structure location of the book title it was grayed out, it didn’t show it in black.  So in other words I wasn’t able to open up the file in the program.

Earlier yesterday I attempted to reload the book file onto the Fuze.  A message appeared asking me if I wanted to overwrite the existing file.

@tbooth wrote:

I downloaded Mp3Tag to my computer and opened it.  The program I got was called AudioConverter v.3.02, by Foxtab

 

Then you downloaded the _ wrong program _ from one of the ads on the site. Here’s a direct link to the MP3Tag program:

http://download.mp3tag.de/mp3tagv254setup.exe

Did as instructed.  Same result

You know one question you haven’t answered is why I need to re-tag this in the first place?  As I’ve said, when I downloaded the file to the computer it arrives as a named file,ie it has the name of the book, author, narrator,etc.  There is no code or other gibberish, just the file name which is the name of the book.

By the way, when I clicked on the hyperlink you provided it it took me to a similar website, but I ended up getting the same program.  The icon on my desktop is different, this one says “audio converter” whereas the previous desktop icon says “music converter”.  But when I open up each of them the name on the opened program on the screen is "AudioConverter, v.3.20.

If you 're looking for it on your Fuze, remember the information displayed on the Fuze’s screen is not that of the file name, buyt rather the information contained in the ID3 tags of the files.  That’s the problem, there is no information displayed on the Fuze screen about these files.  Nothing. Nada.

Don’t click on the big blue button at the top of the page that says DOWNLOAD. That’s an ad for a different software altogether.

Cick on the link below that that says mp3tagv254setup.exe. After doing this Windows will give you a pop-up box asking if you want to run or save this file. Verify the file you are about to dowload is named the same thing, then hit Save.

@tbooth wrote:

You know one question you haven’t answered is why I need to re-tag this in the first place? 

Yes I have. And you even quoted it:

@tbooth wrote:

If you 're looking for it on your Fuze, remember the information displayed on the Fuze’s screen is not that of the file name, buyt rather the information contained in the ID3 tags of the files.  That’s the problem, there is no information displayed on the Fuze screen about these files.  Nothing. Nada.

If the ID3 tag is missing, or your Fuze cannot read it for wahtever reason, there will be no information displayed on the Fuze screen about these files. Nothing, Nada.

That is why you have to check and/or edit the tag is the first place.

Okay, I got the proper program, downloaded it and went to the directory where the audio files were stored from Mp3tag v2.54.  It showed the audiobook having been broken up into three separate files.  I highlighted each one separately.  They appeared to be  already properly tagged.  When I highlighted each one the information was then displayed in the entry fields on the left hand side.  Since all of the info was already correct I hit the save button.  I did this for each file.  Then I again transferred the files to the Fuze.  Same result.

Well, you’ve found them on the computer. Good. But Overdrive sends hidden unlock codes to the Fuze, so you need to take the books off the Fuze after you re-tag them on the computer.

The tag version may be one the Fuze doesn’t read.  Open mp3tag  and go to Tools/Options/Tags/Mpeg and change Write to ID3v2.3 ISO-8859-1.  Those are the Fuze’s preferred tags–the ISO is how Windows renders the alphabet. Make sure you save that change–it becomes the default.

Your problem may be that the Fuze simply ignores ID3v1 tags, so if  the book is old, and that’s how it’s tagged, the Fuze won’t show them. But this is just a guess.

Anyway, find the book folder, right-click and open with mp3tag, highlight all the tags with mp3tag, make sure Genre is Audiobook, Save the tags and mp3tag will make them ID3v.2.3 etc. So the Fuze should be able to find them. If you see anything weird in the other fields, blank them or fix them.

Make sure you get the old version off the Fuze and put the newly tagged one on it.

The larger problem is that tags are not standardized. So sometimes they need to be fixed.

I haven’t tried any of this yet but I see some problems ahead.  In the first place I’m not sure how, without formatting the unit, I can get the old files off of it.  I say this because I can’t find the files on the Fuze now, much less know whether or not they have been removed.  I did go to Windows Explorer and found the Fuze listed as a device.  Then opened that and found where it was listed below that as internal storage.  In there were some of the various subfolders like playlist, audiobooks, videos, etc.  All of them were blank.  Even though I’ve owned the thing for five years or more all I’ve ever used it for was listening to audiobooks.  But previously they all came from Audible.com

Settings/System Settings/USB Mode. The Fuze has two different pipelines in: MSC and MTP. The Fuze doesn’t care how files got into it, but only one USB mode, MSC or MTP, is visible to the computer at any time. So if you can’t see files in one mode, switch to the other mode. I’m pretty sure Overdrive uses MTP because it has to send unlock codes. 

The files should be visible in one mode or the other.

Or, anyway, if you’ve fixed them on the computer just have Overdrive send them again–didn’t you say it asked if you wanted to overwrite?

BTW, another idea occurred to me. If you have a recent version of the Fuze firmware, you can scroll all the way down Music, past the first page of Album, Artist, etc., to Folders. That gives you a listing more like what you’d see in Windows Explorer, with folders and subfolders and filenames. You might see the book folder in there somewhere.

If you don’t see Folders, you can update your firmware from the firmware thread. DON’T get the updater–just download the firmware file (from ALL REGIONS links) and follow the directions. But if the Fuze is working for you anyway, you don’t have to geek out with that.

Ok, you may have lost me there in the first paragraph.  Are you talking about going to “C/ Documents and Settings/system settings”.  If not, tell me how to navigate to the spot because I see nothing otherwise.  And under the above I see subfolders of, Administrator’s Documents, Application Data, Cookies, Desktop, Favorites and Local Settings and so forth.

But in looking at “Folders” on the Fuze I see a “Play All” folder with a subfolder of MTP.  Inside of MTP is sub named Audible, presumably for Audible.com

Settings is on the Fuze, between Music and Voice. Spin the wheel…

Try using each USB Mode in turn from Settings on the Fuze. I have the feeling that if you connect via MTP mode you’ll find the book.

Audible has its own proprietary  kind of file, which I think is .aa.  Since they’re different files, the Fuze can group them easily.

The Overdrive system uses more standard audio files–either Windows Media Audio (.wma) files with lock codes (DRM) so they expire, or mp3 files without codes. So to distinguish them from music files, the Fuze looks in the Genre tag for Audiobooks to group them separately…if it can read the tags.

http://www.overdrive.com/Resources/MediaFormats/Audiobooks.aspx

Ok, I found the problem and it never showed up until you said to go to USB mode.  When I did that I still didn’t find it right away.  But once I disconnected the Fuze from the computer while still in Windows Explorer the prompt then went to the next device up the chain, which happened to be an Olympus XD picture card.  Once that was highlighted I could see that the files had been going to the XD card all along.  So I removed that card and then downloaded or transferred the files again.  This time instead of showing up under settings/ audiobooks, it was under folders and beneath the Audible folder that was there before.

Thanks for your help.

@black_rectangle wrote:

Well, you’ve found them on the computer. Good. But Overdrive sends hidden unlock codes to the Fuze , so you need to take the books off the Fuze after you re-tag them on the computer.

 

The tag version may be one the Fuze doesn’t read.  Open mp3tag  and go to Tools/Options/Tags/Mpeg and change Write to ID3v2.3 ISO-8859-1.  Those are the Fuze’s preferred tags–the ISO is how Windows renders the alphabet. Make sure you save that change–it becomes the default.

 

Your problem may be that the Fuze simply ignores ID3v1 tags, so if  the book is old, and that’s how it’s tagged, the Fuze won’t show them. But this is just a guess.

 

Anyway, find the book folder, right-click and open with mp3tag, highlight all the tags with mp3tag, make sure Genre is Audiobook, Save the tags and mp3tag will make them ID3v.2.3 etc. So the Fuze should be able to find them. If you see anything weird in the other fields, blank them or fix them.

 

Note that what your excellent instructions describe is only for .mp3 files. This tag format won’t work on DRM-crippled .wma files. WMA files have a tag format all their own. That doesn’t prevent one however, from editing and/or correcting any typos or wrong data in the fields. It’s just that you can’t save these tags in anything other than the wma format it already is. :wink:

True, but presumably any .wma tags are in ISO-8859-1 already and the Fuze can see them. And it looks like Overdrive also does mp3s.

Anyway, it wasn’t a tag problem. It was a location problem.

Absolutely. It’s good to have the program set to those settings for the .mp3 files one is undoubtedly going to come across. :wink: