How to Convert Mp3s into Audiobooks with iTunes

If you didn't know, iTunes has an audiobooks category similar to the radio and podcast categories. An advantage to audio books is that iTunes will remember where you left off on your book so it will always start where you want it to.

The problem is that if you rip an audiobook CD into iTunes or have an audiobook in mp3 format, iTunes will not let you simply drag your song into the audiobooks category. There isn't even a buried setting to change the category. So Kari's dad had me help figure out a solution to organize his audiobooks using this category.

The short version:

1. Show audiobooks in iTunes (on the general tab of your preferences).
2. Convert your track to AAC (.m4a file type).
3. Rename the actual file to .m4b.
4. Remove the old track from itunes.
5. Add the new m4b file back into itunes.
6. It should magically show up in your audiobooks section.

The long version.

1. Show audiobooks in iTunes
1. Go to Edit->Preferences.
2. Select the General Tab.
3. Check the option to Show Audiobooks.
2. Make sure your import settings are correct (If you already have an mp3 of AAC of your book skip to step 4)
1. Go to Edit->Preferences.
2. Select the Advanced Tab.
3. Select the Importing sub Tab.
4. Make sure you're setup to Import Using: AAC Encoder. By default iTunes is setup to import cds using the AAC Encoder. However, many people change this to mp3 to increase the cross-compatibility of their library. If this is the case, you will have to change it back to mp3 when you're all done.
5. Change the import settings if you'd like by selecting Custom... from the drop down menu. Most audiobooks are 64kbps, but if you'd like higher quality, choose something higher like 128. Be sure to check the "optimize for voice" option. Then click OK on the settings window.
6. Click OK on the Importing tab.
3. Insert your CD and Import it.
1. Skip to step 6.
4. Check the type of file you have.
1. If you're in iTunes right click on the audio track and select "Get Info."
2. Select the Summary tab.
3. Check the file name or Kind of file. If the file type is .m4a or the kind is AAC audio file, skip to step 6. Otherwise you will need to convert it.
5. Convert your track to AAC
1. Make sure your import settings are correct (outlined in step 2).
2. Find your audio track in iTunes (if it's not there, add it to iTunes).
3. Right click on your audio track in iTunes and select "Convert Selection to AAC"
4. Wait as it converts, it may take a few minutes to convert.
5. Your new AAC Track will show up in iTunes.
6. Change your AAC file to an Audiobook
1. Find your new AAC Track in iTunes (if you converted an existing file you may now have 2 tracks with the same name)
2. Right click on the audio track you think is new and select "Get Info."
3. Select the Summary tab.
4. Verify that you have selected the correct track by checking the kind or type. If the file type is .m4a or the kind is AAC audio file, you have the correct file. If not, select the other file.
5. Find the path of your file. It's displayed at the bottom of the summary tab. example: "Where: c:\music\mybook.m4a"
6. Go to that directory on your computer. In my example I'd go to c:\music\
7. Rename your file from .m4a to .m4b. In my example, mybook.m4a would become mybook.m4b.
8. Remove your old track from iTunes.
9. Add your new .m4b file into iTunes.
7. Your track should now be in your Audiobooks directory!
8. If you changed your importing settings in Step 2, be sure to set your Importing options back to your normal settings.