WMA audiobooks won't move automatically from part to part or show resume point

When I transfer WMA audiobooks to my iPod classic, each part starts over again when it reaches the end of the part. Also, if it stop the book and exit it, I do not Get a "resume" cue inthe listing of chapters when I return. Automatic moving on and resume used to work but no more.

iPod classic, Windows 7, audiobook

Posted on Apr 5, 2014 5:06 PM

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7 replies

Apr 6, 2014 12:48 AM in response to RedMarg

WMA files do not play in iTunes and on iPods. However, the Windows version of iTunes can convert (unprotected) WMA files to a format that iTunes (and iPods) CAN play, such as MP3 or AAC, so my assumption here is that you imported WMA audiobooks into iTunes, and iTunes converted them based on how you have the iTunes import settings configured.


Another assumption is that because iTunes did not know these audio files are audiobooks, they were classified as songs (music) by default. Do they appear in iTunes under Music, not Audiobooks? If they appear in the Music library, that is why the do not resume where you left off (and have other issues). iTunes and your iPod are treating those audiobooks (that were converted from WMA) as songs. (If my assumptions are not correct, please post back.)


You can tell iTunes that these "songs" are audiobooks. First, if the iTunes sidebar (along left side of window) is hidden, from the menu bar, under View, select Show Sidebar. You should also create a new playlist in your iTunes library as a temporary "holding place" to keep these audiobooks together while you work on them.


Put all of the WMA converted audiobooks on that playlist. Select (highlight) all of the items on that playlist, and do a Get Info on the selection (right-click - Get Info). On the Info window, go to me Options tab. Change Media Kind to Audiobook. The audiobooks should now appear in the Audiobooks library, not Music. You can confirm by clicking on Audiobooks under LIBRARY in the sidebar.


Back on that playlist, you need to do some other "housekeeping." For multi-part books, you need to tell iTunes that separate audio segments are "chapters" of the same book, and the correct playback order. To do this, select all the segments for a particular book. Do a Get Info on the selection. On the Info window Info tab, in the Artist field, enter the name of the book's author. In the Album field, enter the book name. This tells iTunes that the selected items are part of one book (not separate audiobooks). Then, select each segment separately (one at a time). In the Name field, enter the "chapter" name (these can be Part 1, Part 2, etc.). In the Track Number field, enter the correct sequence for each item, from 1 to whatever. This tells iTunes the playback order.


Obviously, if you buy an audiobook from the iTunes Store, all of this data is there already. But if you add external audio files to the iTunes library, you need to provide this information to iTunes.


When you sync these audiobooks to the iPod now, they will be treated as audiobooks, not as songs.

Apr 6, 2014 8:29 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

getting these books from the library and they don't transfer into iTunes. They're transferred by a program called Overdrive Media and iTunes does open when the transfer is being made but the books show up only in the iPod which is connected to the computer by usb during the transfer. The books then show up under Audiobooks and as a playlist and always as a string of separate parts. The book name is the album name, author is artist, media type is Audiobook. Individual parts also appear with the information you mention enterd. This is what the options screen looks like for the book as a whole

User uploaded file

I've tried checking the boxesbut it won't hold. When I open Get Info again all the checkmarks are gone. On the individual parts, Remember playback position is checked but it's grayed out.

Apr 6, 2014 11:56 AM in response to RedMarg

Gee, that's useful additional info... 😉


Why do you refer to these as "WMA" audiobooks? WMA is Windows Media Audio. How it that involved in this issue?


What I wrote does not apply, because these files ARE being added as audiobooks by that "Overdrive Media" program. My two assumptions were wrong, based on your new info.

I've tried checking the boxesbut it won't hold.

The checkboxes just mean you are making changes to that setting, when you select multiple items at the same time. It's not part of the setting itself. That's why they don't "hold."

Remember playback position is checked but it's grayed out.

That's because these are audiobooks, and that setting is always ON for audiobooks (unlike songs).

iTunes does open when the transfer is being made but the books show up only in the iPod which is connected to the computer by usb during the transfer.

That seems to contradict what you said elsewhere... How did you show the Info window for the audiobook (Options tab), if the books "show up only in the iPod"?


If they do appear in iTunes, and NOT only on the iPod, is it possible to remove the audiobooks from the iPod using iTunes, and they add them back to the iPod using iTunes?

Apr 6, 2014 3:47 PM in response to RedMarg

Do you have any (owned) audiobooks that do not come from this Overdrive Media -related source? If so, if you sync that book to the iPod, does it have this same problem, or not?


Does this problem occur with ALL audiobooks that use Overdrive Media as part of the syncing process, or only some?


Is it possible to remove one of the audiobooks with this problem from the your iPod, and have Overdrive Media sync it back (through iTunes) again?

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WMA audiobooks won't move automatically from part to part or show resume point

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