Audible.com

I’m getting the .aa file extention isn’t recognized by Overdrive

@nhbfan wrote:

I’m getting the .aa file extention isn’t recognized by Overdrive

It wouldn’t be. Audible uses the .aa file extension. Overdrive (software to d/l & install ‘borrowed’ library books) uses DRM-encrypted .wma files.

Play your favorite content from nearly every source (MP3, WMA, secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, Flac) plus Audio books

^^^

isn’t this misleading since audible.com is the leading seller of Audio books?

1.  Not misleading at all–while Audible licenses out audio books, so do many other sources (such as Podiobooks.com (free serialized audiobooks), emusic.com, Amazon, etc.); plus, your public library may have audio books available for borrowing, and your own audio book CDs can be ripped and put on your player.  “Audio book” and “audiobook” are general terms, not specific to Audible. 

2.  The Clip line has been compatible with Audible, and my understanding is that the Clip Zip is supposed to be as well–Audible just needs to release a plugin for the Clip Zip, which I understand is being worked on and is intended to be released this month.  (It would have been nice if it had been available when the Clip Zip first issued (some people, including me, had spent time trying to get Audible to work with the new player, only to be frustrated), but, ah, well, that’s software life.)

Audible has updated their data base. You can now add the Clip Zip as a new device in the Audible Manager. Once the Clip Zip has been added as a new device you can simply sync books as you normaly would.

Forum Admin

slotmonsta

@slotmonsta wrote:

Audible has updated their data base. You can now add the Clip Zip as a new device in the Audible Manager. Once the Clip Zip has been added as a new device you can simply sync books as you normaly would.

 

Forum Admin

slotmonsta

Way cool–thanks for the good news!

Continuing Audible/Clip Zip issues   :(   and solutions   :slight_smile:

After multiple de-activates/activates, software uninstalls/reinstalls/upgrades, and dealing with 2 Audible techs. between yesterday and today (we’re talking hours, campers), it appears that Audible has not yet amended (or whatever it is) the Audible Manager to recognize the Clip Zip.  When I asked when this would happen by, one of the techs. told me that they couldn’t tell me, as they didn’t want me to be disappointed if the estimate wasn’t reached.  Rather, I was told that I should keep checking the Audible Manager on my computer–when the solution is in place, the Audible Manager will indicate that an upgraded version of it is available.

All is not lost, however, and there actually is a simple interim (or even total) solution:

1.  Connect the Clip Zip to your computer and then “activate” the Clip Zip, via either the Audible Manager or Audible Download Manager.  (Note:  you need to have your Audible username and password for this, as well as an Internet connection, if I recall correctly.)

With the Audible Manager, this can be done via the Devices menu listing at the top of the Audible Manager, or via the pane at the bottom left of the Audible Manager.  With the Audible Download Manager, this is an option under the Options drop-down menu, towards the top left of the window.  (Note:  my original Audible Download Manager didn’t have this feature, for some reason; a reinstall of the Audible software brought the feature back,)

2.  At that point, Audible audiobooks, etc. _ simply can be copied and pasted from where they are stored on your computer, to the Clip Zip _.  Just like copying and pasting (or dragging and dropping) files between folders on your computer.  No Audible Manager syncing is required (nor need you wait until the Audible Manager gets updated).

If you don’t know where the Audible downloads are stored on your computer, the Audible Manager and/or Audible Download Manager will indicate the location.  Typically, the downloads are stored in a downloads folder kept in an Audible folder, located under your computer’s My Documents or a similarly-named folder.  You also could do a search on your computer for *.aa files (Audible downloads use the .aa suffix).

For organization purposes, I pasted my Audible files to the Clip Zip’s Audible folder–I don’t know if this is required or if the Audible files can be stored elsewhere on the Clip Zip.

l actually even prefer this simple copy and paste solution over using the Audible Manager–no need to open the Audible Manager up, for this simple task.  At the very least, it’s just as easy, it seems to me.  

3.  Windows Media Player also can be used to transfer/sync the Audible content to the Clip Zip.  (At least, this works with WMP 11.)  Simply bring WMP up and transfer/sync the Audible selections you select over to the Clip Zip, under WMP’s Sync tab.  In fact, after I brought WMP up, it also, itself, offered to activate the Clip Zip for Audible purposes, via a pop-up window (once again, the Clip Zip must be activated before the selections can be transferred/synced to the Clip Zip; and your Audible username and password are needed for that).

If I recall correctly, WMP stored the Audible audiobooks under the Clip Zip’s Music folder rather than under the Clip Zip’s Audible folder–however, this could just be a matter of the WMP settings.

Under both the above methods, I verified that the Audible files then play fine on the Clip Zip, and appear under the Clip Zip’s books/Audiobooks listing.

Hope this meets everyone’s Audible needs, at least in the short-term!  And now, time to listen to some Audible audiobooks on my Clip Zip.   :slight_smile:

(A last point:  I don’t know if it makes any difference, but my Clip Zip’s USB setting was set to MSC mode, for all of the above.)

Excellent find.

Audible has been interesting on the Fuze+ , which handles authorized media a little bit differently, Audible books in particular.

The standard WMDRM system employs a device license, plus individual “leaf” encryption  for the individual files.  If you load a microSD card in your Sansa, and transfer a protected file to the card, that file will only play on the Sansa it was originally transferred to. I have experienced this with multiple devices in through the years, as I swap cards.

Audible books will still play when using the Fuze+, as it recognizes that the device is authorized by the Manager client, regardless of the device used for transfer.

It appears that the Clip Zip is doing the same thing!  This is good news for Audible subscribers.  I’ll have to do some tinkering with the system during the week.

As with many joint ventures, there’s an Audible side, and a SanDisk side to the equation.  I was confident that the device side was ready to go.  Over the years, I’ve run into similar issues with Rhapsody when new devices roll out, it’s sometimes a real pickle getting the most up-to-date information through the support pipeline.

Tinkering with WiMP12, it shows the Audible library. (Audible had a dual version of the Manager two years ago, but it was problematic- I recommended using the standalone version of the Manager client.)

Bob  :stuck_out_tongue:

I didn’t change anything on my player.  Have been downloading from Overdrive for years on multiple Sansa devices.  I always check to see if I can get an audiobook for free from the library before I purchase on Audible. 

Yesterday I noticed that Clip Zip is no longer listed on Amazon.  Wonder what’s up?

@lynnincolorado wrote:

Yesterday I noticed that Clip Zip is no longer listed on Amazon.  Wonder what’s up?

Several people complained they received the wrong USB cable with their Zip, so it appears that Amazon has removed the listing until they receive new stock from Sandisk with the correct cable.

Thanks!  Got mine from Sandisk.com without problem, except for the Audible.com issue.

@LynnInColorado: While Audible works to update its Audible Manager so as to be able to transfer files to the Clip Zip, keep in mind, as mentioned in the previous page of posts, that you still can transfer Audible files “manually” to your player, simply by copying and pasting the files you want to transfer from where they are located on your computer (the Audible Manager or Audible Download Manager will indicate the location, if you are not sure–it’s usually in a Downloads folder kept in an Audible folder under your My Documents folder) to the Audible folder on the Clip Zip. Easy to do and, quite candidly, I prefer this simple method to firing up the Audibl;e Manager for this simple chore. (Note: as always with Audible, your Clip Zip must have been activated using the Audible Manager or Audible Download Manager first (which they will do without any problem).)

Also (I forgot to add): Windows Media Player also can be used to transfer Audible files, once the Clip Zip has been activated. This worked for me using WMP 11.

Once I have a chance to finalize it later in the week, it may be possible to uninstall / reinstall the Audible Manager client, using the new plugin.  I’ll update later after mashing up the Manager a little bit, and will list the steps required.

The big advantage to the Audible Manager is that you can see the exact points where you left off in each book, while the device is plugged in.  I really like that feature.  What I’d really like is to add the capability to modify the bookmark on the device from the client side after listening on the PC, that might be nice.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

I haven’t had a chance to check the latest Audible Manager software out, but the Audible website now lists the Clip Zip as an Audible-compatible device, and also lists that it works with Audible 4 and Enhanced formats. :slight_smile: http://www.audible.com/dc?mt=MP3&mfid=41

Terrific.  Thanks!

Good news!

I have the Audible Manager sorted out.  The new Manager client has many features in addition to the Windows Media Player compatibility.  If using Windows Media Player, _the device must first be authorized using the Audible Manager.  _If a file is transferred without doing this, it will be unreadable by the device, but it will be visible in the Audiobooks node, including album art.

If you have transferred a book using Windows Media Player and it does not play, or you notice that the total time displays in the order of hundreds of minutes, fear not!  Plug in your device and open Windows Media Player, then click on the Sync tab.  Find the book by “album” title on the device and delete  using Windows Media Player.  If you get a popup asking “delete from library, or from the computer”, you are in the wrong place.  Click on the Clip Zip at the left of the ecreen, selecting Internal Memory > Music > Albums > book title.  Unplug the device and let it refresh its music database first.

Open the Audible Manager, and download the SanDisk Digital Players plugin.  If it shows as already installed, go ahead and let the client download the plugin again, and close the Manager client.

Open the Audible Manager once again, and plug in your Clip Zip.  Give the client a moment to list the device as Clip Zip.  At the left of the screen, right click on the Clip Zip, and select Activate.  Now, select your desired book at the top of the screen from your library, and then click on Add To Device.

Alternately, if you prefer to use Windows Media Player to manage your books, you can also do this now that the device is authorized.  The new Audible Manager will send a reference to your books in the Playlists node at the upper left of Windows Media Player’s main screen.  You can also transfer from there.

There will be a new feature added to Windows Media Player if you try playing a book title while in WiMP.  A small window will pop up during playback with the Chapter Skip feature.  Even if you minimize the WiMP screen to the small view, this popup will automatically follow you along.  If you like, clicking on the Audible logo will open a browser to the Audible web page.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

And so, Bob, has Audible now updated the Audible Manager and does it now work with the Clip Zip?

Yes, I tested the latest build and it works as designed.  If you uninstall the Manager, then reinstall the new one, it should work great!

The new Manager supports Windows Media Player automatically.  There’s a new Playlist created labeled “Audible” from which you can select books to transfer to the Zip while WiMP is running.  If you play  a book, there’s a cool popup that allows chapter skip.  The only thing missing is that WiMP doesn’t give position detail as well as the Manger, but it works well.

I have been rebuilding my library on this computer after the original one was reformetted, killing the entire book collection, but they can easily be redownloaded through the Online Library.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

Cool–finally (and before the month was out!).  :slight_smile: