Thursday, July 23, 2009

Adding mp3 audio books to your Zune

There's nothing better to pass the time on a long drive than a good book. If you don't want to get sick from reading in the car or happen to be the driver, audio books are a great choice. Having just bought my first Zune, one of my tasks was to load some audio books for my upcoming trip. I expected this to be a simple matter of syncing, but since my audio books did not come from Audible or Overdrive it's not.

The Tools:
ZuneWaxCreator2 - Prepares your folder of mp3s for Overdrive
Overdrive Media Console - Copies the prepared mp3s to your Zune

Preparation:
- The specific naming scheme for your mp3s doesn't seem to matter as they will be renamed automatically. Just be sure they are in order alphabetically. If you have your files neatly organized I suggest using a copy of the folder so your original files stay untouched.
- If you want cover art, place a jpg file in the folder with your mp3s.
- Your Zune must be plugged in via USB with no applications accessing it. If your Zune software is running, close it.

Execution:
1. Run ZuneWaxCreator. It will prompt you to select a folder.
2. Navigate to the folder containing the audio book's mp3s and jpg (optional) and click OK.
3. Enter the Author's Name.
4. Enter the Title.
5. Click OK.

At this point there are some optional steps. If you're like me and want the titles of your books to be neat and tidy then follow these steps. Otherwise, proceed to step 6.
5a. Click Cancel.
5b. Open the folder containing your mp3s.
5c. Rename the .wax file to your book title (ie. "Pride and Prejudice.wax")
5d. Open the Overdrive folder (ie. "C:\Program Files\OverDrive Media Console")
5e. Drag the .wax file onto TransferWizard.exe

6. Click Next.
7. Click Next.

The mp3 files should now be copying to your Zune. Once the process is complete click Finish. You should now have an Audiobooks menu item on your Zune.