Transferring protected WMA audiobooks to iTunes/iPhone using OverDrive Media Console

thanks

Has anyone else had this problem? The whole book downloads onto my IPhone 4s and I can see it in ITunes but half of the chapters are light grey and I can't play them. In ITunes they're light grey as well and have the "chasing arrows" symbol next to them, which means the item is being copied or downloaded from the internet, which I don't understand since I've already downloaded it with Overdrive onto my computer. I've tried re-downloading the books from the library, reinstalling the software and reading the help file for hours. Any help would be so very appreciated. Thanks.

Just got an iphone 4S. I was able to transfer a Wilbor audiobook from Overdrive (Windows 7) to my iphone and it appeared as a playlist on the iphone, but it is nowhere to be found in the actual music library on the phone. If I search by artist, album or genre on the phone: not there.

On itunes, when the phone is connected, it is in the phone library in the "book" section (it's also in a playlist), but I can't transfer the book files it to the music section. It isn't in my computer's itunes section at all.

I know where the "sync audiobooks" section is, but I'm afraid it's going to erase everything (because it warns me it will!). I'm not even sure that's the problem.

This is fine (I can play it on my phone and it bookmarks) EXCEPT my iphone automatically shuffles playlists!

How do I either:

- Find the files outside the playlist (so I can tell it not to shuffle).

OR

- Tell my iphone not to shuffle playlists?

Thanks!

(Boy, gone are the days when Apple made life easier! iTunes is a constant mystery to me)

By the way, if I tap the "now playing" screen, I get the "1x" icon in the upper right instead of the shuffle icon (like you would with music). I can't find anything in the "Music" preferences on the iphone either. Is there a toggle somewhere in iTunes?

Hello, i recently downloaded overdrive media player for my iphone and am having the saving problem. My protected WMA's from the public library state that they transfer to my iphone but I cannot find them. Please help.

Thanks

Tracy

Tracy, did you check your playlists on your iphone music app? For me (also a library audiobook) the audiobook appeared as a playlist but was nowhere to be found as a normal music file would. I personally don't know how to explain it...must have something to do with the copywrite protection.

If it is in there as a playlist, you should be able to play it, but the secondary problem for me is that my iphone is shuffling the book parts and I don't know how to turn that off.

Hello shumyum, thank you for the advice but I do not get a play list. When Im in overdrive media and I transfer the audiobook it states to plug in the iphone and select manually transfer music in the itunes summary page.
Which I did and it does place the audiobook as a playlist but it removes all my music on my iphone? I'm puzzled about that, it like I have to choose the audiobook or music. In regards to your issue with your music shuffle, go into settings/music/ and selt shake to shuffle (off). Thanks

I chose "transfer" from the Overdrive program and it did it without me having to do anything in iTunes (except I did have to adjust the transfer bitrate for some reason...you would think that would only apply to ripping DVDs). It is strange because the book files, after transfering them, do not seem to be on my PC at all so it is NOT in the playlist section on iTunes for my PC library only on my iPhone; it is as if it Overdrive bypassed it and put the files directly on my iphone.

I did try to "sync audiobooks" when I was trying to see if I could change the status of the book files to normal musci files and it asked if I was sure because it was going to erase the music (so I didn't do it).

What is also strange is the the book files show up when my iphone is selected in iTunes in the "book" section, which I though was for ebooks (as in text). I can't find them there on my iphone itself, but maybe that's because I need to find an ebook reader app as opposed to looking in the music app.

As for the shuffe problem, it is fixed and I'm not sure how. One thing I did was make a *music* playlist, to which I DO know how to turn off shuffle (the shuffe icon doesn't show up in the book playlist...it's a 1x icon instead). I turned shuffle on then off in the music playlist, then switched to the book playlist had its shuffle turned off. Not sure if it was cause and effect through. Could have been one of the other desperate random things I did (which wasn't the shake toggle, but that is a good idea).

Highlight the relavant tracks, click on Get Info and in Options check Skip when Shuffling.

I've been searching for hours and my hubby and I finally found out a way around this problem...I have an ipod touch & wanted to transfer digital library books (almost all of which are WMA) that are rights protected. The overdrive help will tell you that you can find them under playlist, but not so with mine either. So here's how to get around it:

Connect your ipod touch to your computer.

If it doesn't automatically take you there...open itunes.

On the left click on your ipod under "DEVICES".

Under devices click on "Books". Your books are downloaded in this folder that you can only see on itunes and not on the ipod touch. Tricky thing is they are all named by random numbers and you have to click on them to find what you're looking for or you can simply match the length of each part from what the length is on overdrive console.

Rename the parts to what you want for ease in finding them on your ipod.

Now in itunes on your computer while the "Books" folder (under DEVICES-your ipod) is still highlighted create a new playlist and name it the title of your book.

Drag the list of parts that you renamed onto your new playlist title on the left.

Now back to your ipod...open the Music icon on your ipod and your playlist named the title of your book will now be there. (at least this works for me inspite of it being a pain!)

What bit rate did you use and where do you go to set the bit rate before transferring the audio books to an itouch or iphone? Do you set the bit rate in itunes or overdrive? I finally gave up and found software that removes the DRM so no more juggling devices trying to play an audiobook, but would much rather get my audio books by adjusting the bit rate and not having to mess with third party software.

I came across this post because I am having the same problem and though this post is from a few years back it appears to be an ongoing and current problem and would Like to add some of my experience with it.

i Have been downloading audio books from my library ever since the option became available.... And when I purchased my first iPhone I WAS ABLE to transfer to my Apple device. I transferred dozens of audiobooks with absolutely no problems at all. However, I stopped doing it that way when the overdrive app became available. I was using that to rent audio eBooks and eBooks.

i recently discovered that not all of the libraries audiobook content is available through the overdrive app. I only came upon this because I had downloaded and transferred a book to my iPhone that I was unable to finish and recently wanted to finish it but couldn't find it using the app but if you go to the library website it shows it available for overdrive audiobook download.

it didn't make sense, it says it's overdrive media so why can't I get it in the app?

Anyway, I thought nothing of it and decided just to borrow it through the website and download it to my pc overdrive software, do a transfer and be done right?, not! Now it won't transfer. as I said I have in the past been able to do it this way so I know for a fact it was an option. Now after reading through some support posts I'm wondering if the availability of the aoveDrive app has anything to do with not allowing us to transfer to device anymore because my library says transfer to Apple device permitted Is still permitted. In my opinion, OverDrive appears to be the problem.

all I want to do is listen to ALL the audiobooks available by my library to me on my device and would really like to find a way to go about fixing this issue. isnt that why we have smartphones and tablets.... So we don't have to carry a laptop around with us to listen to a book?!?!

I know this is an apple support forum but I Do have a question about the CD burning If anyone can help...... My library permits burning, so if I burn to a disk am I able to put it in iTunes? Or will it be protected on the disc as well? I really have no problem doing it that way but I've never tried it and have wondered how that might work because I know when I used to transfer to device and now when using the app the content will show expired after the loan period and no longer play. even through the transfer the content is obviously protected with a period of time at least. Will this be the case if I burn it to a disc?

IF that's the case....wouldn't you be wasting CD's if you can't even play the content in a CD player after so much time. Unless it's a rewritable cd that is.

IPill probably try it and see but would appreciate any info or suggestions.

Thank You in Advance to anyone that can offer help or advice 🙂