Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

[damovee]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

will installing this codec allow me to edit out the content i dont want and turn all other content into separate files?

[Spoon]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

You are best editing in Wave, splitting then encoding to m4b.

[volvoguy]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

I found this thread while looking for a way to do the opposite, so I may need to start a new thread - but I thought I'd chime in. :-)

If you encode your file(s) into the .m4b file format, you get the "bookmarking" feature on your iPod by default. It sounds like what the OP is looking for is "chapters" within a given .m4b file (correct me if I'm wrong).

What I was actually looking for is a way to take my input files (separate CD tracks or mp3s), and combine them - with each file starting a new chapter - and then encode it into .m4b. That way you could have a whole book (or whole chapter - if it's a long book with multiple breaks per chapter) in a single m4b file, and have chapter markers (the CD tracks or separate input files), AND have it bookmarkable. Does that make any sense?

If this is too off topic let me know and I'll start a new thread, but it sounds to me like we're trying to do similar tasks.

Aaron

[LtData]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

Currently, dMC doesn't have a method to combine files.

[Sheryl22]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

The most universal device I have seen is my Treo 650. Between Kinoma Player support for .m4a and .aac files with bookmarking and Pocket Tunes support for .mp3, .wav, .wma, and .ogg, I haven’t found anything that it can’t handle assuming that it I can find a way to convert it into one of these formats. I can then bookmark as much as I like.

The problem I am experiencing is in helping someone who has an audible ready Device. Downloading an Audible product gives them all sorts of functionality such as bookmarking. Any other supported format does not. I finally realized that the answer was to convert the audio file into .aa format. But while Audible has been very concerned about forbidding conversion from .aa format, they seem to have no interest in allowing their law-abiding users to perform conversion of their own content to that same format.
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Here is a website Audio Books where I have downloaded lost of books

[volvoguy]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

Hopefully it's ok that I give this thread a "bump". I'm kind of surprised that with the new dMC, DSP and utility plugins that there isn't a way to do what I was asking about ~5 months ago (I know, priorities - and that's cool). Is the difficulty knowing how to make the chapter markers that iTunes/iPods understand? Otherwise, butting a group of files together into one file seems pretty trivial. I can do that part (and even batch combine them) in SoundForge and convert the results to .m4b with dMC, but I still don't know of a good/easy way to put the darn chapter markers in where the individual files started (except a "kind-of" applescript solution, but that's not really easy to switch platforms to do one task).

So, I'm not trying to be pushy or anything - just curious what the hold up is for this kind of feature. Google it - there's a bazillion people asking about the same thing elsewhere!

Otherwise, keep up the good work! I really like the new stuff in 12 Reference and look forward to some of the "todo" features for future versions (like multi-cpu/multi-machine encoding!).

Aaron

[Proteus]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

'Bumped' from several years ago, but I have the same question:

I'll vote for that one too!

The reason is not obvious unless you listen to books on MP3 and .AA formats. Audible players have a bookmark function that saves your place when listening to an .AA file but not an MP3 files. Nobody listens to an entire book at one sitting so a bookmark is REALLY useful.

When I rip audio books from CD, I want them as .AA files so I can listen on my "Audible Ready" player.

I would imagine there are 3 major issues, however:
1. the format is probably copyrighted and I doubt if Audible is interesting in sharing it for free.
2. the copy protection may be implemented in a way such that making the format compatible without the encryption might be prohibitive.
3. lack of universal interest.

(Not to be negative, just technical)
Robbin

I've been an Audible.com member since 2003, and enjoy 'reading' whilst driving. At a pricetag of $20/month for TWO books (any price) its a real deal for me. BUT . . . I also have books that I have transferred from audio tape or ripped from CDs or even downloaded from UseNeXT, and all are in MP3 format. I would like to 'read' these too using my little Audible Otis (the freebie 'reader' Audible used to give new members).

The previous edition of the Audible Manager (v4.x) loaded MP3s (music or book files) no problem, and would bookmark the spot where you had to stop. Since updating to Audible Manager v5.x, this function is no longer available. I contacted Audible Customer Service with this complaint as soon as I noticed it, and got back the usual 'copyright' blah blah (as expected) for the reason. It was really nice to fill up extra space with MP3 music programs.

Audible's .AA format also seems to be much more 'squished' than MP3 files. I can get over 8 hours of a book in the 64Mb the Otis holds, at least 2/3rds more than an MP3 file. Also, the .AA files load much faster into Otis than an MP3 file of the same size would load into an iPod.

So the question remains: Is there a converter or codex available to change an MP3 file into an .AA file? BTW, there are several available to do the opposite function.

Proteus

[LtData]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

Audible's .aa format is proprietary and, as far as I know, there is no way to convert TO .aa. Also, I believe most of the new .aa files are just mp3 files at low compression, about 64kbps.

[thx01138]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

For now, the best solution I've found is the following:

-Use DMC to rip to mp3, individual tracks
-Use the DOS copy command to concatenate them.

copy "Track01.mp3" /b + "Track02.mp3" /b + "Track03.mp3" /b "Combined.mp3"

-Use DMC to convert combined mp3 to .m4a.
-Use Chapter Master to add chapters, manually.

The end result is a .m4b that contains chapters.

Illustrate needs to get on this to automate this process, along with chapter titles. I won't be upgrading again until that happens -- it's the only new feature I need.

[jasmck2]

Re: Codec to convert *into* Audible audio .aa format

There is a lot of talk about converting Audible audio's .aa format into mp3 or whatever, but I'm looking for the opposite. I really like Audible's player on my Palm and I'd like to be able to listen to other audiobooks with it. So how about a codec to convert mp3 or wav into aa? Thanks!

You can use pocket tunes and pause it and when you go back its where you left off