Server Version#: 1.41.8.9834
Player Version#: 7.36.15.10153-6c964b200-Plex (Roku)
I’m looking for recommendations on how to set up audiobooks on Plex. All the information I can find online (particularly on Reddit), appear to be outdated since they make heavy use of plug-ins, which are deprecated in Plex. (I learned the hard way, but struggling for hours to install one last night, trying both manually and with Git.)
For the time being, I’ve placed one of my audiobooks (in MP3 format) in a category marked as type “Music.” I’d like to simply play it from my Plex player on a Roku. At a bare minimum, I want the player to remember my place and allow me to jump around more easily. As it stands now, moving around a 21-hour audio file is impossible, and the player doesn’t remember where I left off. In an ideal situation, I would also like to display subtitles so I can follow along.
Is this possible? Or do I have to connect using some Android/iOS app instead? Any good (up-to-date) guides for this?
There is no official support for audio books in Plex.
As such, you need to reappropriate some of the metadata fields for audiobook use, while still adhering to the rules for music in Plex.
In general, I urge you to create a separate library of the type Music for all your audiobook/podcast content.
Which then allows you to enable the checkbox “store playback progress” in the properties of that library. (it should NOT be enabled for a regular music library)
This setting should store the playback progress of the currently playing file and resume it at the right place if you play it again.
It will also enable automatically special podcast features in Plexamp (Plex Pass required).
You will need to rely on embedded meta tags in your audio files.
Keep in mind that the folder structure and the AlbumArtist are very important in Plex.
See Audiobook wrong metadata - #2 by OttoKerner for more details.
What is the “special podcast features in Plexamp” needed for? I only plan to play the audiobooks through the Plex app on my Roku, not stream it to non-Plex apps. (The reason I ask is because I don’t have Plex Pass and probably won’t get it since I’m currently unemployed.)
One is a compressor which raises the volume of speech frequencies.
The other will automatically skip speech pauses.
They are not automatically active. It’s just that their controls will appear on the player.
Additionally, buttons to skip forward and back a configurable amount of seconds are also shown.
As I said originally, I can’t figure out how to install plugins in Plex. I tried both manually and with Git, but they don’t show up. I checked the folders I was installing into and the permissions multiple times. All I know is plugins in Plex are deprecated on DSM 7, and I’ve given up trying.
Anyway, I’m not looking to play the books on my phone. I just want to be able to pull them up on the TV through the Plex app on Roku and listen while I cook nearby in the kitchen. Hell, I hate cell phones, and I rarely turn mine on.
Apologies, obviously didn’t read your post in full. I’ll leave it to others who are experts a Synology & Roku. Hope you can find a good solution to your Audio Book needs.
