Converting mp3 to m4b

[geowharton]

I have ripped some of my audiobooks as MP3's and want to listen to them on my iPod.

The problem is that the iPod doesn't recognize mp3s as audio books. Audiobooks are to be in the m4b format. This gives you bookmarking facilities as well as good things like ipod not opening the audiobooks when you are in random mode.

What ways are there to convert my MP3's into m4b's?

[celtic_druid]

You mean m4a aka mp4's? No reason why you can't have an mp4 containing mp3's other than the fact that Apple wouldn't like it. Probably need to convert to aac first. You can do this with Nero's encoder or Itunes.

[Ai Haibara]

No, I think Apple uses 'm4b' to actually signify audiobooks (hence, the 'b') in MP4 format. I've no idea if there's anything else special about the format other than the changed extension.

geowharton: Since it's easy to send files to the iPod and delete them if necessary, you can try converting them to MP4/AAC format with dbPowerAmp or another converter, then change the extension to .m4b manually, and see if that works once it's on the iPod.

[geowharton]

On further research, Ive found that the only difference in the m4a and m4b is the suffix. Here's how to get your mp3s into the ipod as m4bs:
In itunes,drag the mp3s into ipod the library.
Highlight and right click the files.
Click on "convert selection to aac".
Delete from the library, all of the entries of the mp3s you put in and m4as that were created (these are mp3 and aac extensions not shown), but do not delete the files from the computer when asked.
Go find the folder where itunes put the new m4a files.
Change the extensions to m4b.
Drag these into the itunes and the ipod will list them in audiobooks. They will also be skipped in the shuffle.