MusicBee for Audiobooks

Krazykiwi · 06-29-2016, 12:19 PM

I've just spent a couple of days organising my audiobooks in MusicBee and I think I've finally found a useful Audiobook manager/player for Windows desktop that isn't Itunes.

http://getmusicbee.com/

It's a little intimidating on first install, but it's worth it (and actually very easy to use.) Most importantly, it happily maintains where you're up to for multiple audiobooks no matter how much you switch back and forth between them, or how many files it came in. Such a simple little feature but so few media players on Windows can cope with it. Has all the other things you'd expect (art, tagging, custom tags for managing audiobooks since they aren't music, synching to devices, etc.)

Oh it's a full featured audio/music manager and player too, of course.

I have no relation to this program, I ran across it completely by accident but I'm a happy user after only a couple of days. It's freeware, but accepts donations.

CRussel · 07-06-2016, 01:18 PM

MusicBee is a useful little program, and now my preferred application for playing non-streaming music. I've considered it for my audiobooks, but then I'd have to convert them ALL from their native Audible format, and the Audible reader is still quite useful. Especially since I primarily read on my phone, not on my computer.

If MusicBee had a plugin that allowed native playing / coverting of .AA and .AAX files, I'd likely move to it for audio books as well. As it is now, however, only Library books come in as MP3.

Krazykiwi · 07-07-2016, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRussel

If MusicBee had a plugin that allowed native playing / coverting of .AA and .AAX files, I'd likely move to it for audio books as well. As it is now, however, only Library books come in as MP3.

Ah, yes a fair caveat.

On the other hand, the Audible player is pretty nice, if it supported adding your own audiobooks not purchased from Audible, it'd make a credible choice.

The situation for desktop audiobook aware players on Windows 10 is really dire.

CRussel · 07-07-2016, 05:52 PM

Windows 10 has the same choices as Windows whatever -- you can use the native Audible app for their books, and your choice of player (MusicBee in my case) for non-Audble books, but you can't use them for each other's books. The only app I know that does both is iTunes, and I personally hate it. I use it when I have to (to get books onto my ancient iPod for swimming), and avoid it at all other times. What I really want is someone to do a plugin for MusicBee that Alf's my Audible directly into MusicBee, and I'd be a happy camper.

The technology is out there, but it's a multi-step process right now.

Of course, the other plug-in I want for MusicBee is to have it be able to play Amazon Prime Music. I don't want much, do I?

06-29-2016, 12:19 PM	#1
Krazykiwi Zealot Posts: 137 Karma: 2156958 Join Date: Jan 2013 Device: Too many random androids to list	MusicBee for Audiobooks I've just spent a couple of days organising my audiobooks in MusicBee and I think I've finally found a useful Audiobook manager/player for Windows desktop that isn't Itunes. http://getmusicbee.com/ It's a little intimidating on first install, but it's worth it (and actually very easy to use.) Most importantly, it happily maintains where you're up to for multiple audiobooks no matter how much you switch back and forth between them, or how many files it came in. Such a simple little feature but so few media players on Windows can cope with it. Has all the other things you'd expect (art, tagging, custom tags for managing audiobooks since they aren't music, synching to devices, etc.) Oh it's a full featured audio/music manager and player too, of course. I have no relation to this program, I ran across it completely by accident but I'm a happy user after only a couple of days. It's freeware, but accepts donations.

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07-06-2016, 01:18 PM	#2
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,159 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	MusicBee is a useful little program, and now my preferred application for playing non-streaming music. I've considered it for my audiobooks, but then I'd have to convert them ALL from their native Audible format, and the Audible reader is still quite useful. Especially since I primarily read on my phone, not on my computer. If MusicBee had a plugin that allowed native playing / coverting of .AA and .AAX files, I'd likely move to it for audio books as well. As it is now, however, only Library books come in as MP3.

07-07-2016, 05:52 PM	#4
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,159 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	Windows 10 has the same choices as Windows whatever -- you can use the native Audible app for their books, and your choice of player (MusicBee in my case) for non-Audble books, but you can't use them for each other's books. The only app I know that does both is iTunes, and I personally hate it. I use it when I have to (to get books onto my ancient iPod for swimming), and avoid it at all other times. What I really want is someone to do a plugin for MusicBee that Alf's my Audible directly into MusicBee, and I'd be a happy camper. The technology is out there, but it's a multi-step process right now. Of course, the other plug-in I want for MusicBee is to have it be able to play Amazon Prime Music. I don't want much, do I?

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