Amending/changing Audible.com audiobook cover art in iTunes?

[BoyBach]

Hi,

I've bought a few audiobooks from Audible.co.uk to listen to during my travels, but the cover art is extremely low resolution. I've tried the usual ways of importing a higher-res version but it appears that I'm not allowed to change it ( ).

Whilst it's hardly the end of the world, it does annoy me - I'm anal about these sort of things!

Does anybody know of a solution?

Cheers, Andrew.

 

[maddmaxxx]

I'm considering buying an IPOD. I'm already an Audible (US) customer. does it work well with audible in general.

Jeff

 

[Mr Skills]

I'm having the same problem - Audible covert art is horribly grainy and low-res. Does anybody know how to replace it?

 

[TheSpecialist]

I guess this is the way.

Go to a song, get info.
Go to artwork.
Select the image.
Command+C
Open Photoshop or such program.
Command+N for new document
Command+V
Alt+Command+I (Alt+CTRL+I on Windows)
Change image pixels to about 500x500 or higher, in a square format.
Save image to JPEG on desktop.
Select all Audible songs.
Get info.
Import the new high res file into the illustration.

Done

 

[Mr Skills]

I guess this is the way.

Go to a song, get info.
Go to artwork.
Select the image.
Command+C
Open Photoshop or such program.
Command+N for new document
Command+V
Alt+Command+I (Alt+CTRL+I on Windows)
Change image pixels to about 500x500 or higher, in a square format.
Save image to JPEG on desktop.
Select all Audible songs.
Get info.
Import the new high res file into the illustration.

Done

But the whole point of the thread is that this doesn't work! If you "get info" and try to paste new artwork onto Audible tracks, nothing happens.

 

[digitalnicotine]

I'm considering buying an IPOD. I'm already an Audible (US) customer. does it work well with audible in general.

Jeff

Yes, iPods work great with Audible content, and you can resume where you left off, scroll forwards/backwards, and load audible content in iTunes (for now as Amazon just bought Audible and hopefully won't alter this).

OP: I think this is a feature that may require 3rd party software, but I'm not sure which. I'm off to find out, as I would also like improved graphics.

Edit: No luck. It looks to be a DRM issue.

 

[benjamintm]

The process is quite easy, just not optimal.

1. Copy the Audible file out of iTunes to your desktop. This will result in a .aa file.
2. Rename the file to something else (e.g. foo.aa).
3. Drag and drop the file back into iTunes. This will result in two versions of the file showing up in iTunes.
4. Select both version and right-click to "Get Info". You may be prompted about editing multiple files. If so, click yes.
5. In the "Multiple Item Information" window, copy your custom artwork to the artwork field.
6. Click Ok. Now both files should have your custom artwork.
7. Delete the second file.

It's not a DRM thing, it's an iTunes thing. Apple has disabled editing audible.com artwork for some (probably legal) reason, but only for when editing one file. Go figure.

Ben

 

[BoyBach]

The process is quite easy, just not optimal...

Thank you. It worked a treat!

 

[spl2010]

thank you! + another suggestion

I was bothered just as much as BoyBach regarding low res photos of Audible (thanks for posting this question). So a big thank you to benjamin for the great solution! In reading your tip, I also realized I had three files already (it's an Audible book requiring 3 separate files) - so, instead of creating a separate file, I simply selected all 3 files instead and it worked like a charm.

The high res photo is soooo much better (even looking at it on the iPhone screen, the low res version really bothered me. what is up with Audible anyway? because this is about 3 years after this thread was started, and I'm talking about a new book here...)

Anyhoo, thanks much! So a note to any other stragglers like me - if you have a multiple-file audible book, you won't need to create a separate file.

 

[timsutcliffe]

The process is quite easy, just not optimal.

Great work, thanks!

 

[albara]

The process is quite easy, just not optimal.

1. Copy the Audible file out of iTunes to your desktop. This will result in a .aa file.
2. Rename the file to something else (e.g. foo.aa).
3. Drag and drop the file back into iTunes. This will result in two versions of the file showing up in iTunes.
4. Select both version and right-click to "Get Info". You may be prompted about editing multiple files. If so, click yes.
5. In the "Multiple Item Information" window, copy your custom artwork to the artwork field.
6. Click Ok. Now both files should have your custom artwork.
7. Delete the second file.

It's not a DRM thing, it's an iTunes thing. Apple has disabled editing audible.com artwork for some (probably legal) reason, but only for when editing one file. Go figure.

Ben

I actually sign-up to this form just to say THANK YOU benjamintm for the solution!

 

[soundsgoodtome]

The process is quite easy, just not optimal.

1. Copy the Audible file out of iTunes to your desktop. This will result in a .aa file.
2. Rename the file to something else (e.g. foo.aa).
3. Drag and drop the file back into iTunes. This will result in two versions of the file showing up in iTunes.
4. Select both version and right-click to "Get Info". You may be prompted about editing multiple files. If so, click yes.
5. In the "Multiple Item Information" window, copy your custom artwork to the artwork field.
6. Click Ok. Now both files should have your custom artwork.
7. Delete the second file.

It's not a DRM thing, it's an iTunes thing. Apple has disabled editing audible.com artwork for some (probably legal) reason, but only for when editing one file. Go figure.

Ben

This tip ROCKS! Thanks!!

 

[dgalvan123]

Thanks! This tip worked for me!

 

[rudenkobm]

Many thanks, works great.

 

[cambookpro]

Just wanted to say thank you benjamintm, that helped a lot!

Though rather than dragging files to the desktop etc, I just selected an audiobook file with no artwork which I have and changed both the Audible book and the blank book, then removed it from the blank one afterwards.

 

[KING100]

The process is quite easy, just not optimal.

1. Copy the Audible file out of iTunes to your desktop. This will result in a .aa file.
2. Rename the file to something else (e.g. foo.aa).
3. Drag and drop the file back into iTunes. This will result in two versions of the file showing up in iTunes.
4. Select both version and right-click to "Get Info". You may be prompted about editing multiple files. If so, click yes.
5. In the "Multiple Item Information" window, copy your custom artwork to the artwork field.
6. Click Ok. Now both files should have your custom artwork.
7. Delete the second file.

It's not a DRM thing, it's an iTunes thing. Apple has disabled editing audible.com artwork for some (probably legal) reason, but only for when editing one file. Go figure.

Ben

You dont need to make a duplicate file.

In itunes right click on audio file.
Click Getinfo
Options >>>Click Media kind and change to music
Go to your music library and find the audiobook.
Right click and click getinfo again.
There you will see a tab for artwork.
Delete artwork and upload your choice of 500 x 500 art.
Repeat process in options>>>>media kind back to audiobook.

All done

 

[BoxTopBadMan]

I can't get this to work

Perhaps iTunes has changed since the last time post on this topic because I can't seem to get this solution to work. When I try to import the file with the changed name, nothing happens. iTunes seems to recognize it as the same file as the original and just jumps to that.

I tried the solution of simply changing the media kind to music but the iTunes still won't let me replace the artwork.

I've also tried selecting multiple audiobooks and changing artwork for both but iTunes says "Your selection contains more than one kind of media" (even though they are both listed as audiobook under 'media kind') and doesn't let me edit them together.

My next solution would be to delete the file altogether from iTunes before importing the one with the changed name but I'm wary of losing it altogether because of the DRM...

iTunes ver. 12.0.1

 

[BoxTopBadMan]

Another Solution!

Ok, I finally got something to work. I just downloaded a free audiobook from audible, whereupon I was able to edit artwork for both files. Note that if you do this it has to be an audiobook you don't intend to keep or else you will of course be stuck with the artwork for that file as well.

It's utterly baffling why all of this is necessary. I don't know why Audible doesn't just have artwork at an acceptable resolution in the first place, or why Apple can't just let us change it. A pox on both their houses.

 

[soundsgoodtome]

I can't get this to work

Perhaps iTunes has changed since the last time post on this topic because I can't seem to get this solution to work. When I try to import the file with the changed name, nothing happens. iTunes seems to recognize it as the same file as the original and just jumps to that.

I tried the solution of simply changing the media kind to music but the iTunes still won't let me replace the artwork.

I've also tried selecting multiple audiobooks and changing artwork for both but iTunes says "Your selection contains more than one kind of media" (even though they are both listed as audiobook under 'media kind') and doesn't let me edit them together.

My next solution would be to delete the file altogether from iTunes before importing the one with the changed name but I'm wary of losing it altogether because of the DRM...

iTunes ver. 12.0.1

Another Solution!

Ok, I finally got something to work. I just downloaded a free audiobook from audible, whereupon I was able to edit artwork for both files. Note that if you do this it has to be an audiobook you don't intend to keep or else you will of course be stuck with the artwork for that file as well.

It's utterly baffling why all of this is necessary. I don't know why Audible doesn't just have artwork at an acceptable resolution in the first place, or why Apple can't just let us change it. A pox on both their houses.

Sadly it seems each of these workarounds is now broken. (I'm in iTunes 12.5.1.21.)