MP3? M4B? Zipped?

[rumplestiltskin]

I will initially state I have "zero" experience with audio books so the questions I ask in this post may make erroneous assumptions. Please educate me. Thanks.

1. I have access to a number of audio books that are in MP3 format. As well, I have some that are in M4B format. Both play on my Win10 PC. VLC will play all the files in the folder in order without intervention but if I stop listening, quit the app and start again, I don't see a means to pick up where I left off. So I'm assuming there's an app for that in Windows.

2. I use an Android tablet (a Kindle Fire that's had the Google Play Store, etc. added but still has the Kindle apps if I need them). I've read where an app called Smart Audio Playbook will do the job. I've tried it but there doesn't seem to be a way to advance to the next chapter or return to the start of the current chapter except in time increments (ex. 30 secs). Is it because I have the audiobook's mp3 files combined into a ".ogg" file? The app did mention something about splitting up the book into separate files but, with 233 mp3 files in the book, I was thinking that a single ".ogg" file was much easier to manage. Maybe I need a different Android app; what would you advise?

3. (and this applies, I believe, to both of the questions above): Does a ".ogg" format not support the necessary playlist(?) (that, I assume, separate mp3 files would)? Might just zip'ing the 233 mp3 files together resolve this issue?

I'm just trying to keep the management of the audio books as simple as possible. If, however, I do need to drop all the files into a folder and point the app (Android and Windows) to the folder (or the first chapter?), I will do so.

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks very much.

Barry

[rumplestiltskin]

Originally Posted by rumplestiltskin

I will initially state I have "zero" experience with audio books so the questions I ask in this post may make erroneous assumptions. Please educate me. Thanks.

1. I have access to a number of audio books that are in MP3 format. As well, I have some that are in M4B format. Both play on my Win10 PC. VLC will play all the files in the folder in order without intervention but if I stop listening, quit the app and start again, I don't see a means to pick up where I left off. So I'm assuming there's an app for that in Windows.

2. I use an Android tablet (a Kindle Fire that's had the Google Play Store, etc. added but still has the Kindle apps if I need them). I've read where an app called Smart Audio Playbook will do the job. I've tried it but there doesn't seem to be a way to advance to the next chapter or return to the start of the current chapter except in time increments (ex. 30 secs). Is it because I have the audiobook's mp3 files combined into a ".ogg" file? The app did mention something about splitting up the book into separate files but, with 233 mp3 files in the book, I was thinking that a single ".ogg" file was much easier to manage. Maybe I need a different Android app; what would you advise?

3. (and this applies, I believe, to both of the questions above): Does a ".ogg" format not support the necessary playlist(?) (that, I assume, separate mp3 files would)? Might just zip'ing the 233 mp3 files together resolve this issue?

I'm just trying to keep the management of the audio books as simple as possible. If, however, I do need to drop all the files into a folder and point the app (Android and Windows) to the folder (or the first chapter?), I will do so.

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks very much.

Barry

Did some more research.

1. I used Audiobook Converter (free) and told it to combine all the mp3 files into one ".ogg" but leave the files as chapters. I ended up with one .ogg file which played well in VLC -and- showed the 233 chapters which I was able to select from a menu; would have been nicer with a simple on-screen button but VLC doesn't have that. I can probably find another Windows app that has a better UI.

2. I then transferred the .ogg file to my Kindle and tried VLC there. No individual chapters available. I then installed Sirin Audiobook Player. Chapter selection is available and accessible through a popup menu. Very nice. It's seems to be a free app but $8 yields a lifetime license and adds some interesting features. (And supporting a small developer is a good thing.)

So the free Audiobook Converter lets me stick all those (potentially hundreds of) mp3s or m4bs into a .ogg container for simple book management. Sirin lets me play the books on my Android devices with simple chapter selection. I'll still keep looking for a Windows app that makes chapter selection easy.

Advice on the Windows app choice will be welcomed. Thanks.
{EDIT: Oops; found the proper on-screen buttons for prev/next chapter selection in VLC.}