iOS 7 and Audiobook Chapters

This is one of the negatives of living in a technology designed by non-readers (non-listeners in this case). In the meantime, I have found that the Audible app does work for playback of books, not only from my Audible account, but also from my iTunes list and the Cloud. The best part of listening through Audible, I can bookmark the end of each listening session, so that when my iPhone decides to play back without me pushing the play button (usually happens when I move the phone lying on a counter to another place like the table) I can retrieve the correct location by clicking on bookmarks. Although the Audible can't go backwards in 15 second clips like iTunes can, but it has an amazing amount of incremental speedups for playback (but only when playing Audible books, I guess).

In any case, bottom line, Apple should fix their software for audio book playback! It's just bad tech.

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I agree that it is worth getting the word out in a wider set of forums.

I should point out that the Audible.app does NOT provide access to the chapter marks in audiobooks in the iTunes library - this includes Audible books that are sync'd into iTunes as well as non-DRM'd content prepared otherwise.

Apple knows the problem. My developer Report is closed because it is duplicate:

Rank: 3 - Medium

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Duplicate of 10535951 (Open)

It's been known a long time. Apple is just ignoring it which feeds the conclusion that it was intentional.

Seems so. Now it is duplicate of 15004321 (Open)? My report is 1,2 million "later"

I had a chat session with someone from Apple today following the last update - and apps not working. Well my apps are again working but I told them ONE MORE TIME to get this thing fixed and put the chapters back into audiobooks listened to on iTunes. They, of course, assured me they would bring this to everyone's attention. Yeah? Well I don't think they have every listened to an audiobook so they don't know how frustrating it is. I gave up quite awhile ago and just listen on the Audible app (because that's where I get the majority of my audiobooks. It works great.

Apple one presumes they know this problem if so they gave totally ignored it. In my opinion they have no intension of repairing the situation. Just like the problem of battery life in Mac Book Pro with Mavericks.

This "problem" has been known about since iOS 5 on the iPad as documented in this thread. The issue is evidently one of policy.

There are at least two apps: AudioMark and BookMobile that provide access to chapter marks and so on. There are features and facets of each of these that would be nice to see addressed but they are viable alternatives to an Apple branded app that can usefully play Audiobooks purchased via iTunes (or directly from Audible).

Chapterlist lost on iPad Music App at iOS 5, right! On iPhone/iPod the chapterlist exists UP to iOS 6.1.x. On iPhone/iPod they have Build in bugs, which partially repaired in iOS 6.

iOS 5.0 merged Charters with same name to One chapter in chapterlist, where iTunes and QuickTime Player on OSX do Not. Never repaired

iOS 5.1 renamed all Individual chapternames with language-based default: Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , ... repaired with iOS 6.0

Now on iOS 7 also iPhone/iPod has no chapterlist. Only files are displayed in a list. Should i cut my m4b to hunderts of individual files? Workshop for selfmade m4b, but not for audible or FairPlay M4B.

Yes i do use iOS 6 on my iPhone or AudioMark on iPad, but i want back the old fuctionality (best from ios 4.x)

See links to Screenshots on different versions on page 20 of this thread.

The point is that the removal of usable audioboook features was begun back in iOS 5 on iPad and has now moved to iPhone with iOS 7.

The removal of these features was not accidental or recent.

I've been following this thread swince it started in the hopes that a Smarter Person had a solution. This person has not appeared:-)

However, Bookmobile is a worthy alternative, and I use it.

What I was hoping to learn, aside from Apple fixing this little blooper, is what file formats are bookmarkable, and which are not?

The multiciplicty of formats is confusing.

And I'm posting the question here, recognizing that it is sort of hijacking, because I've seen a wide-ranging discussion in this thread, most of it very informative. I will make a new thread though if it bothers anyone.

Any audio format that iTunes accepts can be made bookmarkable via the Get Info>options>check Remember Playback Position. Also in the Options tab, set Media type to Audiobook.

I too called Apple sometime back and they followed up and called me back later admitting the problem but wouldn't give any hint of when it would be fixed. They asked for my patience while working on the issue. Well after 6 months my patience is gone. I would recommend everone who can to call support since the more calls they log possible the higher importance they will give to this issue.

Recently Apple has been advertising the CarPlay feature with the iphone integrated into new cars. There is even the posibility that after market suppliers will build units to replace the stock radio in your car. I was excited about this news until I thought about it. They show that CarPlay will support the native Apple Music and Podcast apps on the car screen. I usually listen to Podcasts and Audiobooks while driving and since neither of these Apple apps support Chapters that kills the CarPlay feature for me.

The Podcast app does support chapters for enhanced podcasts and this feature has recently been "fixed" so that chapters show as they should.

teacher24_70,

Unfortunetely I haven't seen any fix in what I listen to using the Apple Podcast app. I wish it worked better because I really like the native app but I am now having to try out some other Podcasts apps which support chapters and chapter lists very well until Apple can do better.