0
My audiobook is 600 MB total, comprised of two M4B files. I copied it into iTunes and started the process to burn to CD, but iTunes demands multiple CDs. If a CD can hold 700 MB, why doesn't my audiobook fit?
Are DVDs suitable for audiobooks that would be played in home/car players?
I'm Mac OSX 8.5 user.
Miriam
Posted 2015-07-30T23:22:36.030
Reputation: 1
0
It sounds like iTunes is burning a standard audio CD ("Red Book" format, which has nothing to do with "audio books"). It probably has to do that if the CD is to work in your car player.
Some car CD players (almost all recent ones in my experience, in fact) will play MP3 files but I've never heard of one that will play M4B (which usually uses the AAC codec).
If your car player handles MP3 files you could try converting to that (at a low bit rate) and then burning those to a simple data CD, not an audio CD.
If your car player doesn't handle MP3 I'm afraid you'll be stuck with multiple CDs.
What is the total run time of your audio book? For audio CDs the capacity is 74 minutes by the standard, 80 minutes for the vast majority of blank CDs (which are actually pushing the boundaries of the standard by a bit).
Jamie Hanrahan
Posted 2015-07-30T23:22:36.030
Reputation: 19 777
1Weird... I was about to edit and include the audio CD = 80 minutes max. part, but then it suddenly appeared without the warning about an edit being made. o.O – Michael Frank – 2015-07-30T23:40:40.937
I was using iTunes' audiobook to CD process; I assume it converts the m4b file to whatever is needed for CD players such as car devices. The audiobook is many hours long, so it makes sense that it doesn't fit on an 80 minute disk. I wonder why the CD's 80 minutes = 700 mb, but the audiobook's many hours = 600 mb. Possible to explain? – Miriam – 2015-07-31T17:25:28.750
@Miriam sure: Short answer is, the audio is stored in a different format. An audio CD stores uncompressed digital audio, at about 176,000 bytes/second. Your audio book files use a type of data compression, likely AAC. MP3 is another type. Such formats can store audio in much less space (anywhere from a 4:1 to 10:1 saving) but depending on how much space is saved, the sound quality ios reduced - by anything from a "probably imperceptible" amount to "very noticeable, but tolerable for the purpose". Since audio books are voice only they usually go more toward the "very noticeable" side. – Jamie Hanrahan – 2015-07-31T19:49:29.243