Importing audiobook CDs into iTunes can be a frustrating task - and far less user-friendly than buying them online.
When audiobooks are purchased from the iTunes Store, they appear in iTunes as complete files and are shelved into their own category in the side menu.
But a CD isn't quite so clever. Once it has finished importing, it will split itself into numerous tracks and automatically appear in the music library. This will make party shuffles sound odd and can cause some problems when creating a smart playlist.
Problem Solved
However, there is a way (albeit a rather long-winded one) to stop this happening.
Here are the steps an iTunes user should take to make sure their audiobooks are placed in the correct categories, and are uploaded as single files.
- Before doing anything, adjust the iTunes settings so the CD doesn't start importing straight away. This is done by going into the “Preferences” menu and selecting “Ask to import CD” about a third of the way down the page.
- Insert the audiobook CD.
- Access the track names via the Gracenote database by connecting to the internet.
- Select all the tracks, then click on the “Advanced” menu. Select “Join CD tracks”. A long vertical line will appear down the side of the tracks connecting them all together.
- Click on “Import CD”. Once all the tracks have been imported, the CD will appear in the music library as a single track.
- Select the track in the music library and press Ctrl+I (or Apple+I on a Mac). Go into "Info" and make any necessary changes to the track name and details. Make sure the genre is “Books & Spoken”.
- Switch to “Options” and tick “Remember playback position” and “Skip when shuffling”. Not only will this allow the user to always come back to an audiobook exactly where they left off, it will ensure it never becomes an unwelcome guest in the middle of a party shuffle.
- Finally, change “Media Kind” from “Music” to “Audiobook”. This will ensure the imported CD ends up in the category where it belongs, rather than cluttering up the music library.
- Click on "Audiobooks" in the library menu on the left hand side of the screen. The import should be there, ready to play.
Job Done
It seems like a lot of work, but this appears to be the only way to get the most out of an audiobook, and possibly something for Apple to address in future versions of iTunes.
