WMA Audiobook Problem

WMA format files are not compatible with either iTunes or the iPod . iTunes for Windows will automatically convert unprotected WMA files to a compatible format when you add them to your library, however if there is copy protection on them it can't.

I'm sorry you'd need to go back and find out more about the protection that is on the files. As I said WMA format isn't compatible with either iTunes or the iPod so ultimately they would need to be converted. WMA files even if they are unprotected will not play in that format on your iPod so there's something amiss with the information you've been given

See the information here: http://www.overdrive.com/resources/drc/devicesfaq.asp#question2.1

Yes, Overdrive is a pain and barely supports the iPod. The legal way to get the books to your iPod is to do it in Windows. Sorry but the pathetic DRM Overdrive uses gives you no other option. You Download the book into Overdrive Media Manager (or whatever it is called). Connect your iPod, launch iTunes and select Transfer in the Overdrive Software. It will then 'stream' the book into the converter for iTunes, then iTunes transfers it to your Windows Formatted iPod. It has taken me about 15% of the length of the length of the book for the transcoding. The books are iPod compatible. It just takes a PC, reformatting your iPod and about 4 hours to get each book on the iPod (that could only be a lawyer's definition of 'compatible'). Your best bet is to buy one of the dozen or so players Overdrive supports directly (check the model before you buy one - very few players are supported) and let Overdrive copy the files directly to it (in Windows). Much faster, but still requires Windows. Hey, the books are pretty cheap (just a tiny part of your local taxes) so..... You can complain to Overdrive (they don't care - they sell their service to the Library not to you) or you can complain to the Library (they don't understand and they don't care). Or try Librivox.org or Google Books for older free books that you actually can get on your Mac Formatted iPod.

I too have the same problem... BUT you can download a book in MP3 audio book format using the Overdrive software. The book is also copied into "My Documents" - look for a folder called My Media in this folder you will find the book. Connect to Itunes, click on file, add folder to library, locate folder within My media and the book will be added to your music library and you can transfer to ipod. Don't use the Overdrive soft ware to transfer the book it won't work.
Lets hope the problem with WMA is sorted soon.
Good Luck.

I had a lot of problems with this as well. I think I encountered every one of the FAQ that overdrive has to offer regarding Ipod download. In the end I just gave up - I did everything they told me to do and it still didn't work, plus with the WMA audiobooks it is supposed to take a really long time to download (some websites said 3+ hours). Instead - there should be options on overdrive to download MP3 audiobooks (often books are offered as both). You may have to wait longer for these but it is SO much easier to download.

Downloading MP3 audiobooks - first download the audiobook you want, if you have the overdrive software already installed this shouldn't take very long. Right click on the properties of the audiobook and look to see where it has saved (mine goes to My Documents - My media). Now go to where the actual files have been saved, highlight them and drag them into itunes. It should copy the files in minutes. Note: if it doesn't copy, check to make sure the file was completely downloaded before you copied it over.

Good luck!

Yup...I sort of hate that I can't play audiobooks from the library on my mac OR on my iPod Nano. This is so weird and terrible. Why is there not a solution to this yet?

I was able to download free audiobooks from my local public library that were in WMA format and put them on my Apple IPOD Nano 6th generation.
I had trouble at first using Overdrive Media and Itunes and my IPOD.
Once I realized that I had to plug my IPOD in to the PC first it worked.
You alsoneed to run ITUNES and click on the IPOD under devices in the ITunes window on the left. Then check the book "Manually manage music" under options.
I assume you've already used Overdrive Media to download the library audiobooks in WMA format. Some books are also in MP3 format and they can be either manually managed or simply copied into ITUNES and then you can sync your IPOD to your library on ITUNES. I like the manual way better.
The Overdrive Media Console should show the audio book you want to put on your IPOD. Highlight it and click transfer in the Overdrive media menu. The Overdrive Media transfer wizard will come up. Click Next and it will search for a portable player. When it finds the IPOD, a screen will come up called Overdrive Media Transfer Wizard -confirm. Under the title of the audiobook will be a line labeled Player. I has a box with a down arrow on the right side. If the box doesn't read Apple IPOD click the arrow and change the player. The other option in mine is IPOD Nano. If I leave it that way I'll get the WMA protected file security error message mentioned in the prior posting.
With Apple IPOD and the player click Next and the program will start transfering the files directly to the IPOD. On my IPOD Nano the books will appear under Audiobooks. Some of the pictures that appear with each part of an audiobook have been messed up, but otherwise the books seem to be recorded OK.

When you want to delete a file on the IPOD delete it in ITUNES under Devices Apple IPOD. Click on the IPOD name and then Audiobooks which is one of the names that come up under the IPOD. When you have the IPOD connected ITUNes will sync the IPOD to be the same files as are shown in the ITUNES device list. The files deleted in ITUNES will be deleted from the IPOD.

I don't see any reason why this won't work on an Apple computer also.
If you have any questions about any of the above email me at BarryGloec@yahoo.com need to run ITUNES and click on the IPOD under devices in the ITunes window on the left. Then check the book "Manually manage music" under options.
I assume you've already used Overdrive Media to download the library audiobooks in WMA format. Some books are also in MP3 format and they can be either manually managed or simply copied into ITUNES and then you can sync your IPOD to your library on ITUNES. I like the manual way better.
The Overdrive Media Console should show the audio book you want to put on your IPOD. Highlight it and click transfer in the Overdrive media menu. The Overdrive Media transfer wizard will come up. Click Next and it will search for a portable player. When it finds the IPOD, a screen will come up called Overdrive Media Transfer Wizard -confirm. Under the title of the audiobook will be a line labeled Player. I has a box with a down arrow on the right side. If the box doesn't read Apple IPOD click the arrow and change the player. The other option in mine is IPOD Nano. If I leave it that way I'll get the WMA protected file security error message mentioned in the prior posting.
With Apple IPOD and the player click Next and the program will start transfering the files directly to the IPOD. On my IPOD Nano the books will appear under Audiobooks. Some of the pictures that appear with each part of an audiobook have been messed up, but otherwise the books seem to be recorded OK.

When you want to delete a file on the IPOD delete it in ITUNES under Devices Apple IPOD. Click on the IPOD name and then Audiobooks which is one of the names that come up under the IPOD. When you have the IPOD connected ITUNes will sync the IPOD to be the same files as are shown in the ITUNES device list. The files deleted in ITUNES will be deleted from the IPOD.

I don't see any reason why this won't work on an Apple computer also.
If you have any questions about any of the above email me at BarryGloec@yahoo.com

I think I found the solution to this problem. I posted my answer under alternate solution, which came up on the same discussion page.
I think the only thing you need to do is on the Overdrive Media transfer page you have to click on the down arrow and select the other play name. In my case the name showing was IPOD Nano and I got the same error you did. I clicked the downarrow and changed the player to Apple IPOD and the transfer ran. I did take a long time - probably because it was translating from WMA to ACC format.
You might have to plug in your player and have ITUNES running before you run Overdrive Media.
Your posting was 8 months ago so you might already have found this solution. Please let me know if this works for you. Email me at BarryGloec@yahoo.com

BarryGloec wrote:

I don't see any reason why this won't work on an Apple computer also.

Well, it's because Apple doesn't support DRM protected WMA files in any shape form or fashion. Your solutions will ONLY work for PC users using a windows formated ipod using itunes in windows. An Apple computer won't even download the file for conversion.

Which I discovered when I switched all of my media to my MAC (G5 PowerPC) and got a hand-me-down Nano which I immediatly formated with the Apple computer that had all my media. I then proceeded to use overdrive to borrow audiobooks from the library, the MP3 ones transfered fine, no trouble. The Mac won't even download the file if it's an WMA audiobook, forget about getting as far as transfering it to the ipod or even being able to download and convert it. The overdrive site actually does make this clear, it says:

• Windows (supports WMA & MP3 Audiobooks, Music, & Video)
• Mac® (supports MP3 Audiobooks)

Overdrive on a Mac will only download MP3 audiobooks, the DRM put on WMA formatted audiobooks is not supported by Mac in any way, which I wish I had known before I set up my ipod with my Mac instead of my Windows laptop. Now, if I reformat it to Windows 7 in order to download WMA audiobooks, then I have to worry about going back to my MAC, where my media lives, and trying to use itunes and dealing with compatibility problems.

Consequently the app on my android phone also DOES NOT support the WMA audiobook format - which annoyed me considering the number of Windows users out there who have Droid based phones and/or tablets, it can only be put on that device using windows as a bridge between the two. Basically, without a WINDOWS computer, legally aquired WMA audiobooks can't go on any device, it's a very incompatible and annoying format and an unneccessary pain.