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Level 1

26 points

iOS 5 Music.app on iPad doesn't support audiobook chapters

The "new" Music.app on iOS 5 on iPad does not support viewing of Audiobook (.m4b / .aa) chapters and their titles. Nor does it provide for direct selection of chapters. This is a loss of functionality compared with the iPod.app on iOD 4.3 on iPad. The prior app provided a means of viewing the chapters and their titles and the direct selection of a desired chapter.

The current Music.app does provide for the user to tap the fast forward / backward buttons to skip to chapter marks but there is no display of the chapter title for a selection so there;s no useful way to know where one is in the Audiobook. Further, Audiobooks frequently contain 10s of chapters in a segment (usually limited to around 100 MB / segment (track if you prefer) by Audible).

The iPhone (and I presume iPod Touch) version of the Music.app retains the chapter viewing and selection functionality from previous iOS 4.3. Only the iPad version of the app has lost the functionality.

Without viewing of chapters and their titles and direct selection of chapters, Audiobooks in the Music.app are basically unusable on the iPad.

I filed a bug report on this as a regression - since it is functionality that was present (and still is on the iPhone) and is now lost.

iPad 2, iOS 5.0 (9A334)

Posted on Oct 12, 2011 9:47 PM

187 replies

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Oct 28, 2012 3:55 PM in response to Ross Frank

Then why even purchase a product you know is defective?

Why go through the time and aggavation to simply open it, turn it on see it does exactly what you know it will do then return it?

Seems to me, not being able to properly display or play Audiobooks

So you canot even play or display any audiobook?

Then it is not a "core software defect as as everyone else in this thread is able to do this.

dieterfi

Level 1

0 points

Nov 14, 2012 11:45 PM in response to xristy

I have many audiobooks and made M4B audiobooks with love using AudioBook Builder. Chapters are individual named like the book chapters for better orientation.

- All OK on iPhone using iOS 4.x

- Chapters with same name merged on iPhone with iOS 5.0

- Chapters loosing individual names on iPhone with iOS 5.1

- Chapternames comming back in iOS 6, but merged like iOS 5.0

BUT ON IPAD NO CHAPTER SUPPORT EXISTS:

- Audiobooks with more files will shown with this parts (identical to files)

- I can using ">>" and "<<" to jump between chapters

- BUT not information about chapters and chapternames are displayed

I very disappointed in my new iPad mini!

anmorton

Level 1

10 points

Nov 15, 2012 2:46 AM in response to dieterfi

Welcome to this thread, your misery now has company. Many here feel your pain. Be sure to let Apple knowhow you feel. And read this thread to find out what others have done in a effort to fix this problem. Maybe you will find the magic bullet to finally prompt them to put the code that ALREADY EXISTS on the iPhone back into the iPad.

dieterfi

Level 1

0 points

Nov 15, 2012 2:58 AM in response to anmorton

All points send via bug report to Apple.

Year ago (5.0), months ago (5.1), days ago (iPad) ... no reactions from Apple at all!

dieterfi

Level 1

0 points

Nov 15, 2012 3:43 AM in response to dieterfi

I have reconvert some M4B to MP3 and split them at the chaptermarks using a python script. This MP3 pieces i put to iTunes and made it to a compilation. Now i can see the parts (files) and there title-tags.

What a ****, that MP3 compilation audiobooks are better supported than M4B Apple audiobooks!

xristy Author

Level 1

26 points

Nov 15, 2012 5:01 AM in response to dieterfi

I really sympathize with you. I truly wish there was some way to get a response from Apple regarding whether there will ever be an improved audiobook player or not. I know it's not the Apple way but I think it should become the Apple way.

It is simply incomprehensible that the iPad has no way to actually play audiobooks with chapters except for the Audible player which only lets you load from the Audible library in the cloud.

Even on the iPhone the Music app doesn't have a built-in sleep timer, but at least Chapter titles are displayed and chapter artwork when available.

It is beyond frustrating why a company with so much caché and money won't or can't re-enable the iPad as a firstclass audiobook device.

Well either we can hope or maybe someone will actually implement a player that does at least what the Music app on iPad iOS 4.3.3 could do - with a sleeptimer.

dieterfi

Level 1

0 points

Nov 15, 2012 7:13 AM in response to xristy

Anyone find a Solution for M4B Ort a useful App.?

iOS 5 Music.app on iPad doesn't support audiobook chapters