Audiobook CDs, Rhapsody and Windows Media

MP3 players Sansa Fuze
1

I have a Rhapsody subscription and have trouble synching music I buy from there to my Fuze 4. 

My issue is that I want to import a set some spoken word (book) CDs into Rhapsody so I can get them to the Fuze.  But Rhapsody messages that it cannot import the CD.  I tried it with another CD also.  But I was able to import into Windows Media and have labeled each disc numerically.  For example, Ouliers Disc 1, Outliers Disc 2, etc.

But when I sych to Windows Media I only get Disc 1.  The Rhapsody music is still on the Fuze.  

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

How do I get these spoken word discs into the ‘audiobooks’ category under Music?

2

Not the answer to your question of how to solve the problems when using one of those music management programs, but the most straightforward way to get them on the player is to just drag and drop using Windows Explorer, from the location where the CDs were ripped, into the Fuze’s “Audiobooks” folder.  You can also rename the folders and audio files using Windows Explorer, if you need to.  Retagging, if you need to, needs a program, like WMP, but once that is done, you can use Windows Explorer to load.  I’m assuming you ripped the audiobook CDs using MP3 or unprotected WMA.

3

Hi…I am new and just got my player last week. Tried to download a book from WMP and it was not in order. I called (sansa customer service in my instruction book) and they said I would have to use www.audible.com to get books downloaded correctly. I wasn’t counting on doing that each month. Can you help me please?  Thank you so much. glo

4

glosing,

The most important question is the source and type of your audiobooks.  The Audible Manager is needed only for transfer of Audible .aa or .aax format audiobooks, which are protected media.

Books ftom Overdrive Media or NetLibrary need their respective management utilities.

If the audiobooks are MP3 files, they can be sent directly to the Sansa using Windows Media Player or Windows Explorer.  If they are WMA, as long as they are not copy protected, you can transfer them in the same way.

Using Windows Media Player or a tag editing utility like MP3Tag, you can edit the ID3 tag information for these files, as ID3 tags are necessary for the Sansa to catalog your books.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

5

Bob, thanks so much for your help but my head is just spinning from this. This is my first mp3 player ever and I have always been fairly computer savvy but this has me scratchin my little head. Can you tell me step by step like I am in first grade?  I looked up the property of the file and it is an mp3 as far as I can tell. It is in wmp 11 and it is in the correct order (track wise) in the playlist window and in IE but when it syncs, it is out of order! YIKES!!! Thanks ahead of time…I read the rules and I am not being lazy trying to get anyone to do my work for me, I just don’t quite understand. I am 51 with my first little mp3 which I know I stated before…not that that’s an excuse, but its all I have. :dizzy_face:

6

Mp3 files have data (called metadata) in fields like Album, Artist, Track, etc. They’re called ID3 tags.

The Fuze is a little picky about how it reads that data. Your computer has more brainpower and is more flexible. 

Your best bet is to get the lovely free mp3tag and use it to make Fuze-friendly tags. 

Install mp3tag, open it, and go to Tools/Options/Tags/Mpegs. Under Write, choose ID3v2.3 ISO-8859-1. That’s a permanent setting, so save it and never worry about it again.

When you open mp3tag, it always goes to a folder you have previously chosen. Under Tools/Options/General you can pick any folder as a starting place.

I don’t want it to read my whole Albums folder every time, so I made an empty folder within Albums–called mp3tag–just to give mp3tag a place to start that’s near the music files. 

Close mp3tag.

Now go to your folder with the audiobook in it. Right-click, and one of the options in the menu should be mp3tag. Click that, and mp3tag  will open the folder. (You can also navigate to the folder with mp3tag open–Change Directory under File, or CTRL-D to change directory.)

Highlight the list of files. Are the files in playing order? If not, try clicking the Track Number column to see if that puts them in order.

The tracks may be numbered 1/20, 2/20, 3/20, etc. Fuze doesn’t like those, and will probably play 1, 11, 12, 13, etc., 2, 21, 22, etc.

  Under Tools, click Auto-Numbering Wizard. Choose the Leading Zeroes option. It will renumber them 01, 02, 03 and they will then play in order. Hit Save and you’re done.

I do this with every album I download–takes about 10 seconds, and there are no more tag problems. 

Message Edited by Black-Rectangle on 06-30-2009 08:11 AM

7

You are so kind to help me out so thoroughly!!! I am about to try it…will let you know

8

Black-Rectangle phrased it nicely.  Actually, he’s now green I see.  MP3Tag is a powerful tool, making tag repairs a breeze.

Another handy trick, if you’re in MTP mode, is editing the playlist order directly, by opening the playlist, then drag and drop your chapters into the correct order.

The Auto Numbering Wizard makes taking the logical order of your files match the Sansa quite easy.  The Sansa can mess up the playback order at times.  As Black-Rectangle suggested, use the leading-zeroes option to avoid all kinds of madness.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

9

Black Rectangle, I think I got it! I worked with it for a while and I think it’s doing right. Thanks thanks thanks. Now, for another question. I have a book on there in the wrong order and I can’t seem to delete it. Have played and tried all kinds of combinations but it won’t go away!  thanks glo

10

Bob, I think I have it now…I just put the correct order after doing it with mp3tag in a folder on its own in my desktop and copy and pasted it to my audiobook folder as it showed up on my fuse. Thanks…stand by for more questions for a real mp3 virgin.    Thanks so much for your help!

11

Hi…as long as I had a book all together I was fine following your directions using mp3tag. I ripped a book on cd to wmp and could not get them in order. It has 5 discs with about 28 tracks in each. How do I handle that?  thanks so much   glo

12

Hi helpful person…do you do the same thing with a library book that you rip from cd on wmp? I have 5 discs with 28 tracks on each and I am kinda messed up again. Thanks alot!!!  glo