Importing Audiobooks into iTunes

Recently, I found a page describing how to import audio boooks into iTunes. Well, today, I tried it myself using iTunes 9 and it can be much easier now (since iTunes 9?)

Simply do the following:

  1. Insert CD
  2. Cancel automatic import (since further modifications are necessary)
  3. Select all tracks and click on Menu -> Advanced -> Join CD Tracks
  4. Keep all tracks selected and press command-i to edit meta-data
  5. Fix useless album names (no numbering needed)
  6. Change Import Settings to Spoken Podcast if you like to save some disk space
  7. Import CD
  8. Repeat steps 1 to 7 for all remaining CDs of the Audiobook
  9. Go to your Recent Additions Playlist and search for the recent imports
  10. Select the tracks of the audio book and press ⌘-i
  11. Fix the track number (e.g. 1 from 1) and check the Disk Number field
  12. Add an album artwork if you want
  13. Go to the options tab and select Media Kind -> Audiobook

The only issue left is the index of the single audio book tracks (CDs). They all have 1, instead of 1, 2, 3, … and hence iTunes orders them after their chronological order - as they have been added to the library. If you have a work around, I’ll be glad to add it to the post!

Anyhow, your audiobooks should occur in the Audiobook library only, iTunes and your pods should remember the playback position and the tracks should not be included for shuffle play - if you encounter any problems, though, I’d be glad to know :)

Cheers, iss