Are there any good sources of audio book metadata for an agent? we have IMDB for movies, TheTVDB for TV, multiple places for music (I wish AllMusic was possible), but what should PLEX use for an audio metadata source?
Take a look here: [REL] Audiobook Metadata Agent (Audible)
I may try that but it really doensât do me that much good until PLEX handles media for audio books better.
I have thousands of audio books. Some are single file mp3s, some are multiple file mp3s. PLEX will remember where it was (I think) if your book is one file, but if it is 40 files, it wonât remember which file it was in. So it still kind of comes down to PLEX creating a library type for audio books that works regardless of how many files you have per book.
Correct. However, I could only answer the question you originally asked 
Understood. I was just wondering if PLEX had a resource to do audio book metadata. Looks like they do. Assuming it comes down to PLEX and Audible reaching an agreement to allow the scrape.
It doesnât. The Audiobook Agent is a third-party plugin managed by a Plex user, not by Plex itself. Audible does not have an agreement to allow the scrape, nor does the agent utilize an API. The agent merely scrapes the website itself for data and has to be updated when Audible changes their code.
Iâm not counting the Audiobook Agent that was written by a third party as part of the equation. Unless Plex manages it, it will never be a proper solution. The link between PLEX and IMDB or TneTVDB are not third party agents. Plex wrote them and updates them as needed.
A proper solution will be Plex creating a new library type that works with audio books as well as an agent to scrape Audible will their consent. Until then we have audible data from a third party agent in a library that doesnât know how to play audio books. Not worth it.
Audible is a storefront though. Not an audiobook database. They routinely remove audiobooks from their database when a localization no longer carries that audiobook. It doesnât remove it from your personal library, but Audible no longer has any metadata to scrape.
What we (that is Plex and/or Emby) need is an agreement with someone like Goodreads. Or for the community to actually update Musicbrainz with proper audiobook metadata.
First, this would bug me to no end to have my audiobooks in various random formats. My audiobook library is entirely split by chapter and tagged with corresponding chapter names. Granted, my audiobook library is mostly media from two Audibile accounts, coming to somewhere around 300+ audiobooks, rather than literal thousands.
I mitigate Plex not being able to recall which chapter I was on by screenshotting my place on occasion and then checking my Google Photos to remind me where I was (which also helps when I fell asleep listening.)
So if Audible isnât the solution then any agent that relies on it isnât the solution either.
As far as the different file formats, some of this came from the days when audio books came on cassettes, some from cds, some from sources unknown. Beggars canât be choosy. And yeah, I have over 5,300 audio books. Until PLEX comes up with a proper way to deal with them, a workaround is to just load them in as music and deal with it.
Basically.
I mentioned Musicbrainz because I know Emby makes use of them as a Music metadata agent, and that itâs literally âan open music encyclopedia that collects music metadata and makes it available to the public.â I poked around on their website just now and found that they do actually have some amount of audiobook metadata available. My guess is itâs probably not altogether comprehensive regarding audiobooks since it relies on the community to update it, but it does support them.
https://wiki.musicbrainz.org/Style/Specific_types_of_releases/Audiobook
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Yes please add audiobook support!
Yes please add Audiobook Support.
Itâs the most important thing for me.
I would love to see an audio book section in Plex. Be able to sync an audio book to my phone so I can play it in the car or headset and have it track my progress so I can stop it and start it again without having to find the spot I left off. Chapter support would be nice too but isnât at the top of the list. All my audio books are mp3.
I currently use the music section for my audio books but the tracking doesnât work very well and the plugin I have for scrapping stops working occasionally. I love everything else about Plex. Keep up the great work.
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I just converted all my audiobooks from AAX to M4A and uploaded it to my server so I can listen to the same book on multiple devices using the plex app. I realize there is no bookmarks on the files and I can accept that, but is there a way to have it remember where you left off at like the movies files do?
I just converted all my audiobooks from AAX to M4A and uploaded it to my server so I can listen to the same book on multiple devices using the plex app. I realize there is no bookmarks on the files and I can accept that, but is there a way to have it remember where you left off at like the movies files do?
Not sure on the differences between M4A and Mp3 but in your library advanced settings there is an option to store track progress. It will not keep track of Album progress though so you have to select the correct track if the book is split into multiple.
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Thank you for this information.
Also, keep in mind that the Store Track Progress feature is a bit buggy and can sometimes still forget where you were. I have my audiobooks, which are split by chapter, reset to the beginning of a chapter on my phone sometimes when reopening Plex. I suggest backing up your place on occasion by screenshotting it.
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Thank you for the advice. Currently mine is just one big file so it would suck if I have to skim through it.
Wow, over six years of asking for this and nothing happening.
Still thinking that PLEX is more focused on the cord cutting users than the media hoarding server builders.
