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how to restart audiobook from where I left off?

I have a Nano 6th Gen. How can I get it to restart playing an audiobook from where I left off? It always restarts by shuffling my music and I want it to restart at the place in the book where I left off. I have to fast forward and guess at where I left off- it is annoying. (My 1st Gen Nano started where I left off.) I can't find anything in the settings to fix this. If anyone knows better, please let me know. Thanks.

lenovo thinkpad, Windows XP Pro

Posted on Mar 23, 2011 5:26 AM

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Posted on Mar 23, 2011 8:27 AM

In iTunes right click on the audiobook of interest then click 'Get Info" then in the 'Options' tab check the 'Remember playback position' box. Hopefully, like with the other iPod range, the Nano 6G will remember where you left of in your audiobook.
12 replies

Mar 27, 2011 8:51 PM in response to Schrodinger56

The problem is that "remember last position" is checked by default. The behavior I'm concerned with is that the gen 6 Nano doesn't remember that you left off playing an Audiobook. Turning it back on from sleep or from dead cold always returns you to the music menu and starts playing music. If you want to go to your audiobooks you have to swipe to bring up the audiobook icon, then get to the audiobooks and then scroll down to the book you were last listening to. You then have to remember which part you were listening to (Audible books tend to come to 2 or 3 parts) and have it then "Resume". This is completely different from the way the gen 5 and earlier Nanos worked. Before, you could just sleep the Nano and resume exactly at the point where you left off. Nothing I do can get me back to the place I last left off immediately and by default.

Apr 5, 2011 7:21 PM in response to Purple98

While I'm in the car I listen to audiobooks on my Gen6 Nano...If I hit the sleep button to bring the screen up, I can hit the Play icon to put it on PAUSE. Then I let it be until I get back in the car and hit the sleep button again to wake up and then hit PLAY. It starts right up where I left off....
HOWEVER...if I hit fast forward by accident....it goes up like 5 tracks! Then I end up losing my place. I hit BACK and it goes back to the beginning of a track WAY BACK....not jsut one track. I cannot figure out why. That *****! Then I have to listen to 20 minutes all over again so I don;t skip ahead. UGH!

Apr 7, 2011 6:33 AM in response to shawzie

I have a nano G5, so doesn't have the same button.
If I'm very careful when I turn off and then back on later, then I can get back to the resume command. But, like you discribed, if anything happens (a fumble of the device, or listen to music) then Heaven help me find my place again.
The way audio books are done in general (by tracks that have no bearing on chapters) is a paradigm that needs some work.
Also, the device (ipod) assumption is that you want to listen to music. It might be helpful if Audiobooks were not stored under the Music catagory.

Apr 7, 2011 9:26 AM in response to shawzie

I've just bought one of these Nano 6Gs today to test the hypothesis that it now does remember the last position played of an audiobook irrespective of what happens e.g. turn it off or select another book or song from another playlist then go back to the audiobook etc. All my other iPods remember the last position played when it comes to audiobooks and the Nano 6G is no different now that the update (1.1) has fixed this. Of course it's essential in iTunes the option *'Remember Playback Position'* is checked for the particular audiobooks concerned, this was something of an revelation to the Apple employee that assisted me in buying the Nano 6G he knew nothing of this function within iTunes!!

So as long as you have the latest software update on your Nano 6G (1.1) it will remember the last position played.

Jun 3, 2011 9:35 PM in response to lkg90265

I use the 6th every day. I HATE IT. But it's the only mp3 player I have and so I have to use it. I use it for nothing but Audio Books and I've listened to well over 100. What I hate are the tiny controls. I don't have big fingers but even so, it's just too dam fiddly.


With mp4 audiobook files you have a slider which is impossible to place at the exact point you need it - sometime required after a re-charge. This needs to be addressed.


There is a 30sec wind back icon which {I suppose} is to help zero in on the exact spot you desire after the cumbersome slider has been used. Whatever - it's just fiddly.


The designers at Apple were obvioulsy none audio book users. They need to ask those specific users to test the deature before release.


The slider needs an update so we can 'wind on' [remember the old wheel in previous nano's - brilliant] to the desired spot.


With mp3 files there is no slider or 30sec wind back. Nightmare once you lose your place or wish to go over a part again.


Another thing - I dropped it a week after getting it. Dropped onto a soft surface and the glass cracked. I'd never buy another version 6.

Jun 13, 2013 1:19 AM in response to richardfrommasterton

iPod shuffle has same problem.


I've just tried converting the audiobook to AAC rather than mp3. I read somewhere on here that would fix it (they were wrong). Of course it remembers your position if you just turn it off or pause it. It's if you listen to something else then go back and listen to the audiobook -- at that point it starts from the start not where you were up to.


Can't iPods do this? Seems very important basic functionality to me. But they can't do it. What other mp3 player makes can do this?

Jan 5, 2014 10:41 AM in response to john cummin1

John, yes just converting to AAC is not enough to make an mp3 file remember its place. You also need to change the extension of the file (or files) from m4a to m4b.


You can do this with Doug's AppleScripts for iTunes (http://dougscripts.com/itunes/)which are also very useful for other audiobooks adjustments. The one you want for converting the extension to m4b is Make Bookmarkable (http://dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=makebookmarkable).


I've used this method on over 80 audiobooks with great success.

how to restart audiobook from where I left off?

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