OverDrive WMA Audiobook and iTunes?

Hey, I just joined this library audiobook service. http://nwwanytime.lib.overdrive.com/3C976B44-8233-4FB1-BF03-31B0FF85F967/10/504/ en/Help-QuickStartGuide.htm The books come in various formats including MP3, trouble is it seems every one in which I might be interested is marked "OverDrive WMA Audiobook." It says they play on iPod but I don't see how, since I know regular WMA format is completely incompatible with iTunes, and if I can't get material into iTunes I don't see how to get it onto my iPod. I joined NetLibrary through my local library and more than half the titles were completely useless being in WMA, including most of those I most wanted. Someone here gave me the name of some program which converts WMA to MP3 but I haven't had time to mess with it yet. Thing is, NetLibrary is free through my local library, so I can mess with those books anytime, but if Washington Library Anytime has something NetLibrary doesn't, is it worth my time trying to download titles in OverDrive WMA Audiobook? Because I had to pay to join this other library and the card expires at a certain time. If it's going to expend gallons of blood, sweat, toil, and tears to get the books to play, I'll have to give them the go-by, but if it's not too much of a struggle I wouldn't want to miss titles I could have otherwise obtained if I knew what was involved. Is this some kind of special WMA or are they just misinformed or lying? Is there something special I should do to make it work, or should I just give those books up as a bad job and concentrate on what I can actually make work? Thanks.

Posted on May 14, 2011 9:49 PM

40 replies

BrendaOR

Level 1

0 points

Aug 8, 2011 1:43 PM in response to cyberbiker

Cyberbiker,

I guess I"m lucky because mine never expire on my ipod. I know this for a fact. I've had them there for a several months before I've listened to them even though i have a 2 week checkout that I've chosen from Library2Go. 🙂

Aug 8, 2011 9:21 PM in response to BrendaOR

Now, see, that's interesting. I was wondering how they had the power to make things disappear from your iPod.

Aug 8, 2011 9:55 PM in response to Cornelia Shields

The audiobooks will remain on the portable device after the expiration date until you delete them per Para 6, below.. However, the portable device software checks for expiration and if the date has passed, the audiobook will not play.

6. To remove a book from a mobile device plug the device into the USB port and open iTunes. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of your iPod, iPhone, or iPad in the Device section of the left hand menu of iTunes so that you can see the device’s subcontents. For an MP3 book select the Music subsection, right click on the book and choose Delete. For a WMA book, select the Book subsection, right click on the book and choose Delete.

Aug 9, 2011 12:01 PM in response to cyberbiker

I have the same situation as Brenda. I never checked expiration date but as I recall, the service my library was using chose one for me. I've had the book on my iPod for months and last time I checked it still plays. If it stops I'll know why, but I'm so far along in that book I can just read the last part in the print copy. I do have print copies of many of these titles, just neither the eyesight I used to nor the time to sit and read them.

My original issue was, I got a card to an out-of-town library which expires in one year, in part because the online service my local library offered had most of its titles in plain WMA, not Overdrive. The title I'm still listening to was one of the very few in MP3 that I could put straight into iTunes and onto my iPod. I was wondering if/how I could download as many as possible titles from the other site, that my site does not offer, before the card expired, if many of them are in WMA Overdrive. The point is now moot as the site associated with my library is offline, so I can't crosscheck the titles. (Could this be why no expiration date? Because the service itself doesn't exist? You'd think they'd have put some code on there at the time I checked it out that would work regardless of whether they're still around or not.) They are merging with a much larger site which will probably not only offer more titles, but says they will offer ALL titles in MP3. And, of course, my card to this library does not expire as long as I live in this town. Problem solved! Thanks for the answers.

BrendaOR

Level 1

0 points

Aug 9, 2011 12:13 PM in response to Cornelia Shields

My following paragraphs aren't addressing Cornelia's last post and I'm not sure understand what you mean by crosscheck. I'd think if the title already was put onto the ipod in it's entirety that you'd be ok. If not, then as the service is down, you wouldn't be able to connect to it if you need to.

But, with regard to the previous comments I've made and in response to cyberbikers last post to me:
I'm not sure how to make my point any clearer but the WMA books that I've transferred to my ipod from OverDrive do not expire on my ipod. I am able to listen to them well past the expiration date. They expire in OverDrive but do not expire on my ipod. I just need to make sure I've transferred them to the ipod before they expire on OverDrive. Perhaps they're supposed to expire on my ipod and something is wrong with my ipod. I don't know, but i know what the behavior is of my downloaded books and it's not the behavior you're describing.

My recommendation to someone is to try transferring to the ipod before they expire on OverDrive, then play the book after the expiration date. It might work fine for you.

The other option is to burn the book to CDs which I've also done. The CDs don't expire. Then I've copied those CDs into itunes and downloaded them to my ipod just like I would a music CD. I put the files into a playlist in the correct order and it plays perfectly, in order.

I'm running all this off a Windows XP laptop. Maybe, somehow, there is a difference if you run off a MAC. And if that is the difference, I apologize for the confusion.

Aug 9, 2011 10:37 PM in response to BrendaOR

By crosscheck I simply mean I can't compare titles offered by my regular library's online service with titles offered by my temporary library's online service as my regular library's service is currently offline. What's more, since they are merging with a larger service, when they return they're bound to be much more awesome than this other service anyway so no prob, I'll wait.

I believe you about downloaded books not expiring on your iPod. They haven't on mine either.

Aug 12, 2011 9:15 AM in response to Cornelia Shields

This has been my experience (I've been downloading audiobooks from our library's Overdrive account for a couple of years now):

WMA files (Those that say that they can be played on an iPod) can be transferred - using the Overdrive Media Console, which works in conjunction with iTunes - onto your iPod (also on iPhone) as long as you're downloading on a Windows computer. You also have to have the Overdrive Media Console on your Windows machine. They won't expire on your iPod, once you have transferred them. If you leave them on your PC to read, they'll expire.

MP3 files are the only file types that you can transfer to your iPod if you are using a Mac machine. Again - use the Overdrive Media console on your Mac to do the transfer (through iTunes) to get the audiobook on your iPod. Again, once you have them on your iPod/iPhone, they won't expire.

And yes - to do this, either on a Windows PC or Mac machine, you have to "manually manage" your music in iTunes. It's a bit of a pain to have to do that, but for a good selection of free audiobooks, it's worth it.

There is an Overdrive APP for the iPod/iPhone, also. You can put it on your iPod and download books directly TO your iPod, BUT: Only MP3 books, and these DO expire.

There are several good guides to how to do this on the web, many of them published by public libraries for their patrons. Here's one pretty good example - just substitute your own library information for the information in the document that points to the library that wrote the guide. http://www.bel-tib-lib.org/tech/Overdrive_WMA.pdf

Good luck, happy listening.

Aug 12, 2011 3:41 PM in response to robertabw

Thanks, I have only a Mac. Glad I didn't waste time trying to do things which can't be done. Now that my library is switching to an all-MP3 service, problem solved.

Sep 1, 2011 11:04 AM in response to Cornelia Shields

I was given wrong information and spoke too soon earlier. Now it seems I may not be able to get audiobooks off that site in any format, alas. On the previous site, at least the titles in MP3 worked.

"Thank you for your recent email to OneClickdigital Support. The OneClickdigital Media Manager is currently in development for Mac computers. Unfortunately, we do not have a time frame for when this application will be released. We apologize for the inconvenience, but thank you for much for your interest in OneClickdigital. We look forward to being able to serve you in the future."

Sep 3, 2011 6:10 AM in response to cyberbiker

After several attempts to transfer files using the Omni Drive Media Console I couldnr fin't d the converted files in iTunes. The files were were clearly being transferred and were visible on my iPod Touch under the Audiobooks tab.

Sep 3, 2011 1:50 PM in response to susanfromillinois

Susan, I don't no if it's different in the Mac version, but, in the Windows version, the audiobooks are not transfered to iTunes even though iTunes is the essential transfer conduit. They are transfered only through iTunes to the portable device.

Sep 12, 2011 9:38 PM in response to BrendaOR

Brenda, glad you and others corrected me about audiobooks not expiring on portable devices. Sure is nice not to have them turn into a pumpkin at they expire so I can get through them.. Thanks

Oct 18, 2011 5:02 AM in response to cyberbiker

I've been downloading WMA audio books to my iPhone for a few months. The books I downloaded were arranged nicely under Audiobooks in my iPhone. Last night I upgraded iTunes to 10.5.0.142. Now the books are no longer in Audiobooks. The only place I can find them is in Playlists --> Recently Added. There are no book titles just some random 5 digit numbers. What can I do to fix the problem? Thanks.

Oct 18, 2011 12:28 PM in response to bettywhill

Today I upgraded iTunes to 10.5.0.142 on my Gen 4 ITouch. Now ITunes which with previous version used to accept/convert Overdrive WMA files, now considers those files as still in a protected format. Overdrive will transfer them but ITunes refuses to convert them even though their properties in the Overdrive Media Console show the files as permitted to be transferred to the IPod. I restored my Touch to factory settings but those included the new version of ITunes not the previous version which worked. What can I do???

tamihend

Level 1

0 points

Oct 18, 2011 6:19 PM in response to bettywhill

Check this thread for several temporary fixes

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3383340?start=0&tstart=0

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OverDrive WMA Audiobook and iTunes?