This note provides information about how to install and play ICG Press ZIP format audiobooks on computers, tablets, and smartphones This page will be updated periodically as new information becomes available.
Installing your Audiobook
To install your audiobook, download or copy the audiobook ZIP file to your computer, tablet, or smartphone. You may want to organize all your your audiobooks in a “ICG Press Audiobooks” directory in your main documents folder. Next, extract the contents of the ZIP file into a new audiobook folder.
Android
Tap the ZIP file in the built-in file manager (like Files by Google or My Files) and select “Extract”. This will extract the audiobook into a folder with the same name as the ZIP file.
ChromeOS
Right-click the ZIP file (or tap with two fingers on the touchpad).Select “Extract all” from the menu. This will extract the audiobook into a folder with the same name as the ZIP file.
iOS/iPadOS
Tap the ZIP flle in the Files application. This will extract the audiobook into a folder with the same name as the ZIP file.
Linux
Details may vary with the specific desktop manager. Right-click on the ZIP file and choose “Open with Archive Manager” from the popup menu. Select all the entries in the ZIP file, and select “Extract”. Browse to the folder where you want to store the audio book (e.g. “ICG Audiobooks”) and create a new folder with the name of the audiobook. Then select “Extract” to extract the audiobook to this folder.
MacOS
Double-click on the ZIP file in Finder. This will extract the audiobook into a folder with the same name as the ZIP file.
Windows
Double-click on the ZIP file in File Explorer to view the contents, then select “Extract all”. Browse to the folder where you want to store the audio book (e.g. “ICG Audiobooks”) and create a new folder with the name of the audiobook. Then select “Extract” to extract the audiobook to this folder.
VLC Media Player
The most widely-available way to play ZIP format audio books is the VLC Media Player from VideoLAN. VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. VLC is free, but the non-profit VideoLAN gratefully accepts a small donation to help them maintain and develop the program.
Installing VLC Media Player
For information on installing the VLC media player, visit the VLC webpage and follow the link to the version for your platform. Some vendors (e.g. Apple and Microsoft) make the VLC media player available from their online store. This is the simplest way to install the program on those platforms.
- Supported Platforms
- Android (Google)
- Chrome OS (Google)
- iOS, iPadOS (Apple)
- Linux (various)
- MacOS (Apple)
- Windows (Microsoft)
Playing Your Audiobook with VLC
Start the VLC audio player and use the “Open File” command to open the “Playlist.m3u” file in your audiobook folder. On iOS, start the VLC audio player, browse into the “Audiobook” folder in your audiobook, select all the MP3 audio files, and then select “Open”. The current version of VLC for iOS does not support the playlist file.
Platform-Specific Media Players
Some platforms also provide built-in media players that can be used to play the MP3 audiobook files.
- Built-in Media Players
- Files (iOS[1], iPadOS[1])
- Finder (MacOS[1])
- Music (iOS[2], iPadOS[2], MacOS[3])
- Media Player (Windows)
- Videos (Linux)
These media players can use the “Playlist.m3u” playlist file to open and play the collection of MP3 audiobook files.
- Notes
- 1. The Files app on iOS and iPadOS and Finder on MacOS can play individual MP3 audiobook files. You can simply play each file in the “Audiobook” folder in turn. It is possible to create a custom Shortcut that plays all files in the “Audiobook” folder sequentially.
- 2. The Music app on iOS and iPadOS cannot directly open or play the MP3 audiobook files. Instead, it is necessary to import them into Music on MacOS, and then use Finder to synchronize the audiobook media from MacOS Music to the iOS or iPadOS device, where they can be played by Music on that device.
- 3. The Music app on MacOS provides additional functionality to create an album from the audiobook files with additional metadata such as author, album name, and a cover image. This provides a convenient way to display the audiobook as an album in your library along with other Apple Music titles.
Steps to Turn a Playlist into an Album on MacOS Music
- Launch the Music app on your Mac and open your audiobook playlist.
- Select All Chapters: Click on the first song in the list, then press Command + A to highlight all the tracks in the playlist.
- Open Album Info: Right-click (or hold Control and click) your selection and choose Get Info. A prompt will appear asking if you want to edit multiple items—click Edit Items.
- Update Metadata:In the Details tab, check the box next to Album and type in the new name you want for your album.Type in the audiobook publication date. Type in the Artist to group the chapters under one name. Type in the publication year.
- Add Artwork: Click on the Artwork tab, drag and drop the audiobook cover image file into the empty square.
Media Player Devices
To transfer the unpacked audiobook to a media player device, connect the player device to your computer’s USB port. The media player will appear as an external storage device on your computer. Transfer the audiobook “Audiobook” folder to the music or audiobook folder on the device. Rename the folder on the device to the name of the audiobook. Once the transfer is complete, safely remove or eject the media player device from your computer. The album should appear in the list of music albums or audiobooks. See the instructions for your media player device for specific instructions.
Recent Comments