Overdrive audiobooks and the clip

MP3 players Sansa Clip | Clip+
1

I just purchased the clip for the sole purpose of downloading audiobooks from my library through Overdrive Media Console. I can download the books and transfer to the clip but cannot get them out of the Music folder. Also, is there no way to bookmark when you have stopped reading for the day? Having a terrible time remembering where to restart and spend a lot of time fast forwarding through chapters.

How long does the rechargeable battery last? Not a charge, but the battery itself.

2

The Clip sorts audio files (.mp3,.wma, and .ogg) into the Music folder on the Clip unless they are .aa files. Then they go in the Audiobooks folder.

The battery should last longer than the SanDisk limited warranty. The warranty is for one year.

Message Edited by Tweet on 07-05-2008 06:44 PM

3

You can download Overdrive audiobooks to the Clip’s Audiobook folder. But it is not automatic, not even easy, and (alas) I’m not sure it’s worth it.

Step 1 is to make sure your Clip is using the latest firmware.

Step 2 is awkward. In the Overdrive software transfer process, the second screen that comes up has an “Advanced Options” button. Pressing that button brings up a screen that includes the download directory path, in a field named “Player Folder.” That path reads: “Music/AUTHOR/TITLE” (Author and Title being the actual author and title). If you take your cursor, highlight the word Music and replace it with the word Audiobooks, voila, the book will be deposited in the Clip’s Audiobook folder. (But, as I think was pointed out in another thread, there’s no way to make Audiobooks the default folder for these downloads, so you have to highlight and replace each time you transfer – at least that’s the best I’ve been able to do so far.)

But you get used to it. It’s not a lot of work; just requires remembering to do it each time. Still, here’s my problem with the new Clip software improvements (and, yes, they are improvements: books start at the beginning now, not with Part 2 the way they did before). Books downloaded into the Audiobooks folder then appear listed in that folder by title only. If downloaded into the Music folder, they are listed in the Artists subfolder (Audiobooks, by the way, also is an illogical subfolder of Music, so all ain’t yet for the best in this Sansa Clip world) by Author AND in the Albums subfolder by title. Since I find a listing by author a lot more useful than a title listing, I’m not that happy with my new Audiobooks folder. How and why they get listed two ways in two subfolders under Music is beyond my ken, but they do and they are accessible from either place, and that’s quite nice.

So the only real advantage I’ve found (logic aside) in maintaining audiobooks in Audiobooks is the new bookmarking feature, which is nice but not nice enough (for me, at least) to forgo the listing by author. Further, it appears that the current firmware also brings you back to wherever you left off, even after the Clip has been connected to a computer for charging and/or further downloads. (The previous firmware would resume where you left it, but would lose its place once connected to the computer.) So, the real advantage of the new bookmarking comes into play when you’re bouncing back and forth between different books or different modes. Again, useful but there are trade-offs.

A caveat to my caveat: Although I’m reasonably computer literate in other areas, I wouldn’t know an ID3 tag from my grandmother’s wedding photo (and would not want to, please, if I don’t have to) and the virtues of synchronization are lost on me (I’ve never synced). So maybe there’s a way to get author listings in the Audiobooks folder instead of (or plus) just title listings if you’re fluent in tags and genres and syncs and the like. All I want to do (like the OP) is download books and be able to find and listen to them.

Apologies for what’s turned into something of a lengthy rant. That was not my intention. Hope there’s some information here – and perhaps some stimulus for corrections in a future firmware upgrade.  

4

Not sure on “Overdrive Media Console” files, but here’s a blurb of mine that I seem to keep typing in these forums…hehe…so again, just a copy/paste of it here for ya:

The latest firmware has automatic bookmarking on any file (books) that you have copied into the “audiobook” folder. It used to be (I believe) that only books from Audible were addressed with the audiobook tag, but this latest firmware is great for audiobook users. Either way, when you return to the audiobook folder and select a book/file, it will now ask you to “resume playback” or to “restart from the beginning”…so hit resume and away you go.

The only issue will come into play when you have several files for the breakdown of the book (sections, chapters, etc). You will have to recall which part of it you were on when you stopped, as they will all get bookmarked…kinda a pain. You may want to merge the various sections/chapters into one whole book mp3 file…ah heck, why am I retyping all of this?..ha!

Gonna paste some of what I just typed for another thread here, some of it is repeat of what I just typed, some of it answers what you ask and some of it you may also find useful, as I have with my audiobooks…so here goes:

I’ll add what seems to be my fave bit of advice (forwarded by some very helpful users here on the forums, BTW):

For audiobooks, you may find it helpful to merge the (typical) numerous individual mp3 files into one huge “whole-book-in-one” mp3 file (or at least a couple/few if one is too big for your tastes).

I did this when I found that the automatic bookmarking feature (in the latest firmware update) still caused me to recall which individual file (section) of the whole book I was listening to before I stopped/powered-down.

If that makes sense…hehe…just remember that there are very simple and very easy programs that can merge several mp3 files to do what I described above. I am currently using mp3merger, again, based on some advice from another user here, in another thread.

Oh, and you will want the latest firmware, especially for audiobooks listening, as it gives you the separate “audiobook” folder that you can add your own (non Audible, etc) mp3s to…and for the automatic bookmarking in any files that reside in that folder (smae goes for the “podcast” folder).

Good luck! You have snagged a very cool mp3 player there bud. Once you get the right updates and get things organized how you like them, you will be diggin your audiobooks, and tunes too.

Message Edited by yoyorobbo on 07-07-2008 11:54 AM

5

Apologies for long posts are not needed. The more information the better. I have seen the advanced options in Overdrive and will attempt next time I download. Since I bought the clip for audiobooks only, I find it easy enough to pause and turn off the player. I guess that’s my manual bookmark. Thanks for the info. You have been a great help. 

6

I downloaded MP3merger this weekend but haven’t tried it yet. FYI, Overdrive is used by libraries for downloads of audiobooks as MP3’s. It is a windows based program and therefore is not yet compatible with the iPod.

This truly is a great little machine for the price but the earbuds can hurt.

7

So far I have also only used my Clip for audiobooks. I’ve turned the radio on once and that was just to see if it worked. I currently have seven books loaded on it.  I use the pause setting for my bookmarking and then let the Clip turn itself off. I turn it back on when I want to listen again and un-pause it and resume listening. 

If you go to the Overdrive Media website, you’ll find a listing of all their books. My library takes requests for their audiobook inventory, maybe yours will too.  

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