Audible Audiobooks on iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, and iPod Touch

May 29, 2010
Alex Sharp

Audible is Native to Apple, but iPod Models Matter - 1HappySnapper Photography (Creative Commons)

Audible.com offers different formats of audiobooks to download. Choose a format based on file size, iPod model, and iPod generation.

An Audible audiobook must be imported into iTunes before transferring it to an iPod. If the audiobook file plays in the Audible manager and the iTunes player, it should play on the connected iPod, but that is not always the case. Before going through iTunes troubleshooting, make sure that each of the Audible books are in right format for the iPod model and generation.

iPod Instructions for Audible Audiobook Files

If an Audible.com download is in iTunes but will not transfer to the iPod, it is natural to suspect that there are ipod problems. If the error message says that the file is incompatible, the problem could have a simple solution: figure out the iPod model and generation before setting the format to download audiobooks.

Apple's Identifying Ipod Models document that helps users determine which type of iPod they have. Later iPods Nanos and all of the iTouches will play the highest quality Audible files. If the computer recognizes the iPod but the files won't transfer, it is time for iPod/iTunes troubleshooting.

iPod Shuffles and early generation iPod Nanos need to smaller, lower quality audiobook formats. The enhanced audiobook formats that work so well on iTouces have large files, and those audiobooks might be too big for an iPod shuffle. The Shuffle can handle Audible format 2 and 3, if file size allows. Audible formats 2, 3, and 4 should work on Nano 2G.

How to Download Audible Books in Different Formats

The Audible Download Manager seems to be the logical place to determine file format because for people using iTunes for Windows, the Audible Manager is just a pit stop between buying a book and downloading it to an iPod. For other devices, the Audible Manager is the end of the line, so for those users it is easier to see why format changes need to be done in the Audible online library.

Steps to download an Audible.com file for an older iPod:

Log into Audible.com.
Go to "My Library". This can be accessed from the Audible site or with the button on the top right corner of the Audible Manager.
Find the audiobook that needs to be re-downloaded.
Change the file format in the "File Size/ Audio Format" field selector next to the audiobook's title.
Click “download it” to get a new copy in the lower format.
Go to the Audible Download Manager and import the new files.
Go to Itunes and import the files.
Transfer the files to the iPod.

Because Audible files are native to Apple, it seems like they should play on all iPods, and they do – but not all formats are native to all iPods. The Audible Device Center is a good guide to determine which files play on which types of iPod.

Audible has a chart of file sizes and audio samples to help customers make sure that the audio quality is acceptable. Sometimes buying a book through the iTunes store might have a higher quality for an iPod shuffle or early generation iPod Nano than an Audible store file.

Related Reading: For more information about inexpensive, child-friendly mp3 players for audiobooks, readAudible Ready Mp3 Players: $30 to $60 Audiobook Playing Devices.