Topic: Audible Store is now in MC11.0 (Read 9088 times)

JimH · « **on:** March 18, 2005, 07:53:22 am »

MC11 has been able to play Audible content for several months, but we've now got the Audible store running inside JRiver Media Center 11.0 (build 218 and above).

It's in the MC build available near the top of this board.

If you've previously installed MC11, you'll need to do Tools/Service Manager/Hide and then Install.

You'll see an Audible icon in the tree. Like other services, when you click on it, MC will display the store's web page on the right in the Content Window. You can use that page to register, to find content and to download. The download will start in MC and when finished, the new file will be imported into MC. After that you'll find the content in the tree under Audible Store / Downloaded Titles. Double click to play.

Thanks to Jim Nordgaard and John Thompson of JRiver for getting this going.

BlueGlow · « **Reply #1 on:** March 18, 2005, 02:25:48 pm »

Please make this a sticky. I almost missed it. Thanks for the new feature!

>>If you've previously installed MC11, you'll need to do Tools/Service Manager/Hide and then Install.
I've previously installed MC11, of course, and Tools/Service Manager/Audible/Install worked for me.

My vote is for Magnatunes next.

park · « **Reply #2 on:** March 19, 2005, 07:01:23 am »

Good news.
How about bookmarks, and MC playing where it left off when the file was last played?

JimH · « **Reply #3 on:** March 19, 2005, 09:19:53 am »

Quote from: park on March 19, 2005, 07:01:23 am

How about bookmarks, and MC playing where it left off when the file was last played?

We're aware of this and will work on it at some point. Exactly when depends on our other work.

lalittle · « **Reply #4 on:** March 19, 2005, 09:34:36 pm »

Quote from: JimH on March 19, 2005, 09:19:53 am

We're aware of this and will work on it at some point. Exactly when depends on our other work.

I'm confused. Audible bookmards DO work with MC10 (and they worked in MC9.1 as well.) Do they not work in MC11 yet?

Thanks,

Larry

lalittle · « **Reply #5 on:** March 19, 2005, 09:45:44 pm »

I'm curious about some of the specifics of this. Using MC10, I download the Audible content with Audible Manager, than copy the file to my "Audio Library" folder, where I use the "artist/album" structure as "author/book" instead. I then retag the name, artist (i.e. author), year, etc. tags, which are stored in the MC library but NOT in the file itself.

How will this change using MC11? Will the location work the same way -- i.e. will MC11 place the files in the "artist/album" tree as I currently do? Will the tags be saved to the actual file now? How about the licensing issue? With MC10, you need AM installed in order to play Audible content on your system because this is what "licenses" the system. Would I be correct in assuming that MC11 takes care of licensing/unlicensing the system for Audible content as well?

Thanks for information on this, and a huge THANK YOU for implementing this feature. Just to let you know, I've mentioned to Audible support on more than one occasion that I prefer using Media Center to play Audible content. I was always hoping that MC would offer native support for Audible content, but I had no idea that you were working on it.

THANKS again,

Larry

JimH · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:52:56 am »

Quote from: lalittle on March 19, 2005, 09:34:36 pm

I'm confused. Audible bookmards DO work with MC10 (and they worked in MC9.1 as well.) Do they not work in MC11 yet?

I could be wrong, but I don't think MC can set them. If they're working, then MC can read them.

Chapters also work in MC.

JimH · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:57:33 am »

Hi Larry,
I don't think you need Audible Manager any longer. It's possible you'll need to install it once. We're using Audible's SDK and getting their cooperation.

MC handles the download now, and the import. Audible's album and artist will show in MC. The file will also be under "Audible/Downloaded Titles".

You can tag after that (in MC). Files show up under the albums or artists you choose.

lalittle · « **Reply #8 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:09:41 pm »

Quote from: JimH on March 20, 2005, 06:52:56 am

I could be wrong, but I don't think MC can set them. If they're working, then MC can read them.

Chapters also work in MC.

Based on the behavior I'm seeing with MC10 (and previously with MC9.1) I'm just not understanding what you're saying here. When you say that "I don't think MC can set [bookmarks]", exactly what does this mean? In MC10 (and 9.1) when I play an Audibile file, I can pause it at any point and play another file, or close MC completely, but when I return to that Audible file in MC, it remembers where I left off. Is this what you mean by "setting" bookmarks? Does MC11 work differently?

Bookmarks are a MANDATORY feature of an app that plays Audible content. When listenning to a 10 hour file, you need to be able to return to the point you left off without having to "remember" it. I'm still unclear if MC11 works differently than MC11 in this regard.

Quote

The file will also be under "Audible/Downloaded Titles".

Does this mean that they'll all be in one big folder without individual subfolders? If so, this seems like a mess from an organizational point of view. I realize that MC will "display" them properly in it's interface, but there are still organizational reasons to keep them in their own actual "artist/album" directories (i.e. "author/book") just like MC does with all the music files. MC lets you configure the way music is stored on the drive (i.e. the folder structure.) Does MC11 allow this with Audible content as well?

Assuming the new system has a different organizational structure for Audible files compared to what I'm currently doing, will there be a way of having MC11 reorganize the storage of my PREVIOUS Audible content? I'd like to have everything consistant, and since I currently use the "artist/album" tree for audible files, I'd like to move them to whatever folder/s MC11 uses for them. How will MC11 handle the "reorganization" of my "old" audible content?

Regarding the tags, are they saved to the actual files, or are they only saved to the "library," which is what MC10 currently does? Will there be a way of utilizing my CURRENT audible tags (which are only stored as part of the MC10 library and NOT in the actual files)? I retagged a lot of my Audible files (which came from audible "poorly tagged"), and it would be very difficult to have to retag them all again.

Thanks for details on all this stuff -- I'd like to be prepared for how it's going to work before switching to MC11.

Larry

JimH · « **Reply #9 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:23:33 pm »

Larry,
Your best bet is to try MC11. We just write this stuff. You probably know a lot more about using it than I do.

You can run both MC10 and MC11 on one PC.

Jim

lalittle · « **Reply #10 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:44:44 pm »

Quote from: JimH on March 20, 2005, 06:23:33 pm

Larry,
Your best bet is to try MC11. We just write this stuff. You probably know a lot more about using it than I do.

You can run both MC10 and MC11 on one PC.

Jim

The problem is that if MC11 DOES change the file (i.e. if it writes tag changes to the actual file rather than just to the library) it could break the way MC10 currently works, and I'd rather not have to take the time to get everything back to the way it "was."

Does somebody there possibly know the answers to SOME of the questions I'm asking?

Thanks,

Larry

PS. My email notification has stopped working -- I am no longer notified when somebody replies to a post I've made. This seems to have started relatively recently.

JimH · « **Reply #11 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:59:42 pm »

I don't think MC11 will do anything to the files that will bother MC10.

lalittle · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:22:04 pm »

Is there really nobody that can answer questions such as:

- Do bookmarks work with MC11 like they did with MC10 and MC9.1?

- Are tag changes saved to the actual aa files in MC11, or are they just saved to the library as they are in MC10?

- How do I transfer my aa tag changes made in MC10 (which are only saved to the library) over to MC11?

Thanks,

Larry

Fixer · « **Reply #13 on:** March 22, 2005, 08:19:43 pm »

Jim,

What is the staus of this downloaded music? Are the files mine to use like a cd I purchased (with all the same legal copying restrictions).

And most importantly, can I purchase lossless music? I suspect not. But it would be a unique thing you offer if you did. I'm an old audio snob and lossy music is just wrong to me (even if I can or can't hear the difference, snobs are like that).

Just a thought.

JimH · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2005, 09:16:28 pm »

If bookmarks work in MC10, they will work in MC11.

No change in tagging between MC10 and 11.

Tags should be updated when the library gets converted during install of MC11.

JimH · « **Reply #15 on:** March 22, 2005, 09:18:10 pm »

The Audible site at www.audible.com would be the best source of information on rights issues, but I believe that they allow you to burn a CD.

They aren't lossless files, and I don't think there are any services yet that use lossless formats.

lalittle · « **Reply #16 on:** March 22, 2005, 11:38:01 pm »

Quote from: Fixer on March 22, 2005, 08:19:43 pm

What is the staus of this downloaded music? Are the files mine to use like a cd I purchased (with all the same legal copying restrictions).

It's a bit different, and it varies depending on the specific content. With actual aa files, you have to license any system you play them on. The licensing process requires you to connect to the Audible site, which keeps track of each system you license. You only get 4 system licenses. If there is a problem, it's easy to call Audible and have them "reset" your licenses, but it's best to remember to UNlicense a system when you're going to move to a new system.

That said, some (most?) audible content can be converted/copied to CD, at which time it can be played on any system. Bookmarking, however, will no longer work -- you need the aa file for that, which of course requires the system to be licensed. Note that a portable player like an iPod does NOT count as a license.

It's not as totally "open" as a CD, but 4 licenses should be enough for most "legal" use.

Larry

Fixer · « **Reply #17 on:** March 23, 2005, 09:28:26 pm »

Quote from: lalittle on March 22, 2005, 11:38:01 pm

It's not as totally "open" as a CD, but 4 licenses should be enough for most "legal" use.

As long as I get a copy on my hd and can burn a cd for my car that just perfect for me.

But until we get lossless downloads....

kaiynne · « **Reply #18 on:** March 29, 2005, 04:53:54 am »

we are not talking about music here but audio books... If you need audio books in a lossless format you are not a snob, you are insane.

lalittle · « **Reply #19 on:** March 29, 2005, 05:10:51 am »

Quote from: kaiynne on March 29, 2005, 04:53:54 am

we are not talking about music here but audio books... If you need audio books in a lossless format you are not a snob, you are insane.

Not to mention that the size of a 15 hour audiobook at this quality level would be a rather LARGE file.

Larry

JustinChase · « **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2005, 01:47:48 pm »

I have already downloaded my audible.com files, and have them stored on my iPod for archival purposes.

Is there any way to 'move' these files within MC so that MC will treat them as files that have been downloaded through MC?

Moreover, is there any reason to do this?

Thanks

JimH · « **Reply #21 on:** April 16, 2005, 01:54:51 pm »

If they are on your PC too, just import them. If not, copy them to your PC and import.

Try a few before you do them all.

JustinChase · « **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2005, 06:57:46 pm »

Having them on the iPod works better for me, since I don't have the room to put them on the PC. I just have the path info different to point to the iPod for them and all works well.

i looked at the playlist created by the Audible.com install and it is looking for this info...

[Content Distributor]=[Audible]

I figured i could just update that field in my audible files already in the library, but it is a read only field.

Will importing the files again into MC change this info, or do they have to be downloaded again. If they need to be downloaded, how can I tell MC to download them onto my ipod, instead of the PC?

Thanks again for any help here.

I just want to use the audible stuff they way it's supposed to be used, since that's usually easier.

park · « **Reply #23 on:** May 05, 2005, 02:32:07 pm »

The last few days I have been posting a bug about the audible store not downloading audible files. Following advice I went to service manager and removed the audible service then installed it again. After restarting MC a shiny new looking audible icon was in the tree and downloading the books and then tagging and moving them was as smooth as silk.
(Recently purchased an ipod mini too and would like to extend the similie to the much improved [since v10 when I used it last] handheld functionality too.)

So, just a post to congratulate you on implementing such smooth integration of such a great service. I think you do each other proud.

Would like to suggest that you make the services auto update inside MC when necessary though.

JustinChase · « **Reply #24 on:** May 05, 2005, 07:12:52 pm »

I didn´t see that post, so thanks for bringing me the info here. I have installed it on a different machine, and after downloading the service, it does in fact download.

Thanks again.

Now if anyone knows how to get the bug with the playlist showing under audible, but not being editable, or how to add one there instead, I´d love to know.

Matt, Jim?

Thanks guys.

runemail · « **Reply #25 on:** May 08, 2005, 10:41:35 am »

Audible store works great, but the .aa files won't play in mc, however they play just fine on my ipod.

running 11.0.261. unistalled and reinstalled audible service with no luck.

get this error msg:

"Playback engine: This computer is not registered for playing Audible files.
Please make sure that the path in your media library points in the right location."

had to dl and innstall audible manager software and then activate my computer.

makes the audible service in MC kind of useless if audible manager is still needed for it to work?

park · « **Reply #26 on:** May 08, 2005, 06:56:06 pm »

I think this is kind of standard for media center though. It relies on other programs for all kinds of file types (rm, mp4a,mov etc.). It's benefit is in that you can see all of your files and play them in one inferface.

There does at least seem to be some dialogue between audible and jriver though. So I guess there's a chance for even deeper integration.

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Author Topic: Audible Store is now in MC11.0 (Read 9088 times)

Fixer

Fixer