Audio book downloads

You would need to convert with WMA to an MP3 in order for your nuvi to recognize the file.

There are a lot of options if you google WMA to MP3. Audacity will do it as will Media Monkey.

You might want to check with your library to ensure that you are observing any copyright issues.

Thanks. Answered by question as well

Thanks for the info. I had in the back of my mind that I could use Audacity might I'm not familiar with Media Monkey.

I reviewed with the library the copyright issues relative to the Audio book download and they were very comfortable with it, in fact they promote the library to PC to portable devices downloads in their brochure. When I talked to a Garmin rep it was indicated that Garmin was formatted for the Audible Manager format (.aa?) and hinted that I could Google a free software program to convert to MP 3 in order to download.. Anyway I appreciate your concern re the legal implications.

Oh, is there anything, based on your experience,I should be wary of when I try an extension conversion?

are available for free audio books in mp3 downloads. They work in my 660. You have to sort through them, but one is: http://www.freeclassicaudiobooks.com/
The story of Buffalo Bill is a good one.

I don't think there are any programs to convert other formats to AA format since it's proprietary. Your best is going to be MP3 format.

You shouldn't have any issues converting. Just be aware that if the book is all one big file, you won't have any easy way to skip through the book (ie there won't be any chapters or bookmarks). If this is the case, you might want to break it up into segments manually.

This is a good place to get free audio books

http://librivox.org/

that site also. I listened to the written report on Lincoln's death. Very detailed. It was written by the doctor that attended him, and how they attended him, from the time he was shot until his death. Very good site for books and short stories.

But how do you load mp3 's to your audio books file on your gps ?

Just drag them over. No special s/w needed.

And they won't show up under the Audio Book player.

They will show up in your MP3 player.

So, just save your mp3 audio file to your music folder and then drag to you audio folder on your gps?

That will do it. I use iTunes because it allows you to fill in all the info categoires like Artist (Author), Tiltle, Genre, etc.

Thank you, very much.

Check this thread:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/10660

RT

I took all of the info you guys gave me and thought I would easily convert my library audio book(WMA) to a MP3 and download it to my Garmin. I used Audacity and was able to convert the book from a saved WMA file to a MP 3 file but it play as if it was in a zipped mode- too fast to hear. Then I move the original "saved" file to the Media Player- at this point I was asked for my library info to transfer the license(?) to my PC. The WMA file played fine might I couldn't convert it to MP3 or sync to the Garmin. I checked for help on Audacity and its hpyerlinks without sucess. I know I'm missing something very basic but can't figure it out. Any suggestions??

I don't understand what you are saying.

What do you mean when you say "I moved the original "saved" file to the Media Player".

What Media Player? On your computer? What program? And what connection does this have with getting the file to play on your GPS unit. You lost me on that one.

And if you were asked for your library information to transfer the license to your PC, perhaps you don't have permission to convert the files.

Try Media Monkey and see if you get the same results.

Motorcycle Mama
Sorry for that confusion probably an indication of my frustration. When I download a book from the library I must first add my library info (pasword & usernamme)then I have the choice to save it to file or to open with Windows Media Player. I saved the "test" book to file- that is what I mean by the original saved file. That is the WMA file that I then selected to convert to an MP3 file via Audacity. This resulted in a coversion to MP 3 but it wasn't recognizable- I think it played way too fast to understand. I then put this converted file (in my head it is no longer the "original" file) into the Windows Media Player and it played the same way. I tried another download from the Library but this time I opened it directly to the Windows Media player; I was asked for the Library info again and after I gave it the book was download in WMA format and playable. I am comfortable that all is fine with the legallity issue. Perhaps the book has to be converted after it has been downloaded into the W.media player but I don't know how to do that-also I think I miss a step or two in the audacity but could locate help on that issue.

I use a free converter that is pretty basic, but works well and without learning curve. I got it for my 10 year old daughter who needed to convert MP3s to WMA files.

Free Mp3WmaOGG Converter

Thanks to everyone that helped me with this issue. While I was never successful in doing a download (to my Garmin) of the books that were transferred from my public library to Windows Media Player on my PC I was able to get those books on my Garmin my checking the CD audio books out of the library and then ripping them into the Media Player as MP3s and then sync ing them to the Garmin. When I was checking out the CDs( because I have a great deal of respect for the concerns of Motorcycle Mamma) I inquired again if there was a legal/licensing problem that kept me from downloading books that were electronically transferred. The folks at the library said there should not be a problem because the license was transferred to the PC.
The info I received on other sources for audio books was great. All's well that ends well! Thanks to all.
Ciege

anyone know of a good audio book site?

.aa is the file system that "Audible.com" uses and since your GPS already has an "Audible" reader built in you should have no problem loading books in their original .aa format. I have an "Audible.com" subscription and have listened to many on my Garmin and have transferred them back and forth from my iPod to my GPS.