8

On my main menu in my iPod, I frequently click 'Shuffle Songs' to play randomly through my songs. It manages not to include my podcasts but every once in a while will play a chapter from an audio book.

Is there a way to stop the Audio Books from mixing in with the music?

I have an iPod nano if that matters.

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3 Answers 3

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11

In iTunes, view info on the problem audio books and ensure "skip when shuffling" is checked.

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2
  • Thank you. Do yo have happen to know if there is a way to change this on my iPod without iTunes?
    – theycallmemorty
    Jul 29, 2010 at 15:36
  • Probably not. I suggest a resync with your PC/mac.
    – Warren P
    Jul 30, 2010 at 12:14
4

Audiobooks and podcasts are special categories in iTunes and on the iPod that won't mix into your music. If you manually add or rip them to your iTunes library, you will probably need to change their "Media Kind" to separate them from your music:

  1. Shift select a group of Audiobook tracks

  2. Choose "Get Info"

  3. Go to the "Options" Tab

  4. Change the list select for "Media Kind" to "Audiobook"

  5. click "Okay" to keep the changes

There is only 1 thing you can change about your music library while using just your iPod: the on-the-go playlist.

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  • The ipod touch won't let you shuffle an Audiobook/podcast/iTunes U file. Instead it gives you the option to listen to it at 2x, 1/2x or regular speed, and has a 30 seconds back button to quickly go back if your are interrupted
    – SpecKK
    Jul 30, 2010 at 23:00
1

There is a different file extension for Apple Audio Codec (AAC) files when they are audio books. If you use them, it will save you from having to flag anything specially, and it will be excluded from shuffle play automatically without you having to flag it as in the other answers.

  • .m4a is used for music only, although this is not carefully observed enough.

  • .m4b is used for books, and podcasts, and anything that needs to remember a "bookmark". The b is for bookmark, not for book.

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