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Topic: How to create chapters in MP3 file (Read 17529 times) previous topic - next topic
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How to create chapters in MP3 file

Hello, I was wondering if anybody can help me. I am fairly new to working with audio files and there is a particular format I want to create. I want to have a single MP3  talking file that has been broken into chapters such as you would hear when doing an audio tour in a museum. I have downloaded Wavepad sound editor and used several options such as bookmarks to no avail. I am testing it on an android phone and was hoping to be able to choose chapters / topics using the number keypad. Can anybody advise me where I'm going wrong?  Or if it's possible. Any help would be much appreciated by a newbie.

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #1 –
I'm pretty sure it can't be done.
 

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #2 –
I think the best you can do with MP3 is make a playlist of multiple files, one per chapter.

Maybe check in the android market and see if theres a special app that can do this?

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #3 –
You could use MKVToolNix to encapsulate the MP3 in an MKA container and add Matroska chapters to it, but MP3 doesn't have its own chapter format. Players that expect "plain" MP3 files won't play them muxed to Matroska, though.

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #4 –
Yeah...  Maybe it could be done, but it's not standard and your player would have to support it.  You might be able to do something with a cue sheet, but again your player would have to support it.

On an MP3 music album, each song is a separate file and there is an embedded ID3 tag for the track number, so you can play the tracks in order.    (There are also tags for Song title, album title, artist, genre, year, etc.)

Another option use a track (or chapter) number as part of the file name.    That way, they are always displayed in order.

When I converted a couple of CD audio books to MP3, I did both.  Each chapter was a seperate file and the filename started with the chapter number, and the track number tag was the chapter number.    (I think you have to use 01, 02, etc,  in the file name to make sure that chapter 11 doesn't show-up before chapter 2.)

I use MP3Tag to write/edit the tags.  (Sometimes I use the tag editor built into Winamp, but Winamp is being discontinued.)

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #5 –
Everyone, thanks for the advice and the suggestions at least I can stop headbutting the table now every time I failed. Thanks again.

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Aleron Ives on
You could use MKVToolNix to encapsulate the MP3 in an MKA container and add Matroska chapters to it, but MP3 doesn't have its own chapter format. Players that expect "plain" MP3 files won't play them muxed to Matroska, though.

Last I tested it didnt retain delay and padding data.

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #7 –
Quote from: markanini on
Last I tested it didnt retain delay and padding data.

That's curious: MKVToolNix is supposed to strip the encoder delay from MP4-encapsulated AAC (to preserve A/V sync when muxing videos), but I had read that it wouldn't do the same for MP3 files. Perhaps that was a recent addition to the program.

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #8 –
You can multiplex MP3 into MP4 container and add chapters with mp4chaps.
Players that supports both of MP3 in MP4  and MP4 chapters can handle such a file (including fb2k, Media Player Classic, and VLC)

How to create chapters in MP3 file

Reply #9 –
Dear Griswald,
Would you like to have chapters as in audio books, jump from chapter to chapter and within a chapter, from para to para? All without modifying the original mp3? There is a standard for audio books for the blind, called "DAISY". You can use a free program "OBI", available from the daisy web site for free, which can be used to make daisy books. You can hear the audio files on any player without using the chapters facility. To get the navigation facilities from chapter to chapter, or with in a chapter from para to para, one requires a player which can recognise the daisy encoding. Players are available for all platforms. Both hardware as well as software.
Hope this is helpful!
Rigapada.