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Fixing Audible Files

When we get Audible Files they are a single MP3 file. Converter Plus does not parse these down into correct sections and chapters, so you will have to edit the file with the directions below.

This is a temporary fix that Pamela came up with until we can update Converter Plus to mediate this issue.

You will need to have a copy of Audacity on your computer to complete these edits.

Opening Audible File and Set Up

Make sure the Audible MP3 file is downloaded onto your computer and open Audacity. To open the Audible MP3 in Audacity:

  • Go to File
  • Select Open
  • Navigate to the file you wish to open
  • Select the Open button

Now that the file is open in Audacity you need to first mix it down from Stereo to Mono. We do this because Mono files are smaller and easier to download, upload, or play on your device.

To mix the file down to mono:

  • Go to Tracks
  • Select Mix
  • Select Mix Stereo down to Mono

Zoom

You will need to use zoom in and zoom out to help you see the breaks in the wave files to help you find pauses that indicate new sections and chapters.

You can use the Zoom in and Zoom Out icons on the Zoom toolbar at the top left of the Audacity screen.

If you have a Mac you can use the following shortkeys:

  • Zoom in = command + 1
  • Zoom out = command + 3

If you are on a PC you can do similar commands with the control key.

If you have a trackpad you can use the spread gesture on your trackpad. Make sure you have two fingers on the trackpad at the same time and spread them apart to zoom in and bring them back together to zoom out.

Playing File and Moving Through Track

You can use the double finger swipe gesture to move back and forth through the track in the viewer.

When you hover your mouse over the time-track toolbar above the viewer you will see a green arrow. This is your quick player. When you click down on this it will start to play from the point it is over. You can move this by moving your mouse back and forth over the toolbar.

You can also use the Pause, Play, and Stop buttons on the top-right menu above the viewer.

See this video for a quick demo on playing in Audacity.

Editing the Track

Once you can see the track in more detail, you will be able to see the gaps in the recording that will help you to see where there are pauses between sections and chapters.

To Edit the tracks:

  • Locate the section you want to create a separate track for
  • Select it with your selection tool by:
    • Clicking at the endpoint where you want the section of this new track to end
    • Hold down your mouse and scroll over to the left highlighting the full section
  • Go to File>Export>Export Selected Track

Once you select Export Selected Track a popup window for Save. You need to save this selected track as follows:

  • Rename the file to the name of the section. For example, your first track will be 01 Title Page
  • Select the file type as MP3
  • Create a New Folder named the title of the book to save all your files in.
  • In format options:
    • Select Constant
    • Quality = 192 kps
    • Select Force export to mono
  • Hit Save

This will take you to the metadata section. Fill out the following:

  • Artist Name = Name of Author
  • Track Title = Name of Section (example, Title Page)
  • Album Title = Name of the Book
  • Track Number = Number in Sequence for Book Sections (example, if this is for a Title Page then the Track Number is 01)
  • Year = The year you are creating this version
  • Genre = Audiobook
  • Comment = Put the narrator here and enter it as Narrator: Firstname Lastname
  • Save as Template to use it again for future tracks

You will then be taken to a window for Invalid Sample Rate. Change this to 44100 and hit the Ok button.

You should only have to do this the first time, and then all the following exports should save in the same folder with the same settings. You will need to change the Track Name and Track Number each time.

Repeat this for each section of the book. Once you have each book section exported as its own track you can zip the file and upload it to Converter Plus.

After you get the Title Page complete, you can zoom out a bit to see more of the book. Look for long instances of pauses (places in the track with no sound waves.) Every chapter and book section will have such a pause, but remember some book narrators do dramatic pauses as well. This means you may have to click around a bit to find the beginning and end of a track.

Video Tutorial for Audacity

Below is the full video tutorial with Pamela for the above instructions.

public/nnels/mp3todaisy/fixing-audio-audacity.txt · Last modified: 2021/03/22 19:17 by rachel.osolen