alt.binaries.mp3.audiobooks

Frequently Asked Questions

Downloading | Posting | Etiquette | Software | Ripping | Misc
Lanky's Guide & FAQ | ZoTon's Guide (under construction)

Q. How do I know the files I downloaded are complete?

The simplest way is to use the PAR(2) files that should be with the post. The smallest file is a CRC check file which when run in a program like QuickPar will check that all the files that should be there are there and that none of them have corrupted whilst travelling across Usenet.

If the original poster didn't include any CRC check files then there is no reliable way of checking that you've received a 100% accurate copy of what was posted.

Q. What are .par(2) .sfv .md5 and .sv files used for?

CRC check files are a form of file verification used to check that all files that were posted have been received, additionally they are used to check that the file integrity is unaltered.

• SFV: Simple File Verification.
A file format for storing CRC32 (cyclic redundancy check) checksums of files in order to verify the integrity of files.

• SV: Sound Verification Checksum.
The ID3 tags in MP3 files may have been changed since the original SFV/PAR files were created, but SV files can be used to check that the sound portion of the file has been unaltered.

MP3Bookhelper supports the .sv file format.

• PAR: Parchive files (.par .par2 .pnn) are a forward error correction system that can be applied to a collection of files to allow recovery when one or more of the files is lost or damaged. They consist of a small CRC check file which checks the integrity of the file.

The .par or .par2 file is is usually accompanied with larger .pnn (e.g. .p01, .p02 etc for PAR v1 or <filename>.vol00+1.par2 etc for PAR v2 files). These files are used as data files to allow the PAR software to repair or replace any damaged or missing files.

Q. What are .nzb files people keep mentioning?

NZB is an XML-based file format for retrieving posts from NNTP (Usenet) servers.

The format was conceived by the developers of the Newzbin.com Usenet Index.

NZB files are usually obtained from search-capable websites such as Newzbin and Alt-Bin. These websites index Usenet posts and create "reports" on groups of downloads, i.e. human editors group together all the files for a particular book and create a report from which an NZB file is created. Once the NZB file is downloaded it can be opened in an NZB capable news reader such as Agent v4 or Newsbin Pro. The whole NZB concept make dopwnloading much easier. You don't have to download lots of headers, you don't have to search for all the constituent parts of a particular post and then group them together to get the book you want. Additionally some newsreaders can post-process the files you download via an NZB file thereby making sorting out all your downloads far easier.

The way NZB files work is that each Usenet message has a unique identifier called the "Message ID". When a large file is posted to a Usenet newsgroup, it is usually divided into multiple messages (called segments or parts) each having its own Message-ID. An nzb-capable Usenet client will read the Message-ID from the NZB file, download them and decode the messages back into a binary file (usually using yEnc or Uuencode).

Newzbin.comis a free indexing site for basic searches of Usenet, but a subscription is required to index files into an NZB file and download it. The subscriptions are very cheap i.e. Premium Credit is bought in blocks of weeks, and each week costs £0.25 sterling (approx 45c US).

 

Q. What are .m4b .m4a .mp4 files?

.m4a files are AAC format files (.m4b are the bookmarkable versions originally meant for audiobooks) invented by Apple. They were originally designed for use on iPods and to be played in iTunes or with the Quicktime Player, but there are several othersoftware players that can play them through the use of plug-ins.

.mp4 files are files that have been compressed with an MPEG-4 Part 14 codec. Essentially they are Quicktime .mov files with some extra features.

 

Q. What is an .mp2 file?

This type of file is an MPEG-2 Layer II audio file.

It has most likely been taken direct from a DAB Radio or Freeview (DVB-T) stream. Most MP3 software players will play these files, but some hardware players don't support them.

Q. If I request a file by using capital letters in the subject line there will be more of a chance of someone seeing it won't there?

This is referred to as "Billboarding".

Given that all caps is considered shouting what you are essentially doing is yelling out loud that you want a book posted. Accordingly it is considered to be insulting and impolite and as a result the likelihood is that you will be ignored. Frequently you will be told in no uncertain terms that you are being ignored. So to answer the question, no, there will be next to no chance of you getting your request posted.

Q. If I request a file by posting multiple messages at the same time will there be more of a chance of someone filling the request?

Put it this way, you are driving a car with a family in it. In the back there are 3 bored kids. They repeatedly ask are "we nearly there yet". What is the likelihood of that being irritating? Yes, it is, very! So is someone repeatedly asking for a book. You only need to ask once, if no-one posts it then ask again a few days to a week later.

No-one died through the lack of a book, you can afford to wait. If you have to repeatedly ask then it invariably means that you've either pissed off someone by repeatedly asking or there is no-one viewing who either has the book or can be bothered to post it. Tough, that's the way the world works I'm afraid.

You are NOT entitled to anything in the newsgroup. Everything posted is as a result of the generosity of others, so don't expect to have your request filled quickly or even at all. If you do then great, please enjoy it. If you don't, then you don't. There's no-one to complain to, there's nothing to complain about. Live with it!

Q. I have some .wma/.m4a/.m4b/.flac versions of a book, should I post them?

No, not in a.b.m.a. The only file format that is on topic in this group is MP3.

There are several other audiobook news groups which welcome these file formats e.g. alt.binaries.sounds.audiobooks and alt.binaries.audiobooks

Q. When I try to post I get the following error message : <441 Posting Failed ("From" Header not in Internet Syntax.)>

Your "from address" must have the form username@some.domain
It does not have to be valid, but it must have the correct form. e.g. mary@fake.com

Q. Why is it a good idea to accompany a posting with an .NFO file?

Many contributors and downloaders in abma aren't there to download the odd book. They have large libraries of many books. As such they aren't interested in the occasional download ready for that long car journey.

The majority of downloaders like to know as much information about a book as possible before they use valuable bandwidth to download it. In addition to title and author the extra information that is needed by collectors is bitrate, sample frequency, narrator, synopsis/plot, abridgement etc. Obviously only a minimal amount of this information can be included in the subject line. As such a simple text file, referred to as an .NFO file, containing all this information should be included with your post. When it's included with a post it's a simple matter to download the small text file to ascertain the extra details and to be in a better position to know whether they want to download that book. This is a much better alternative than having to download one of the actual MP3s to find out some of the info required.

MP3Bookhelper is a freeware application that can generate a standard NFO file using the data it automatically extracts directly from the MP3s. Additional info can be added by the person making the rip.

Here is a link to a blank NFO based on the standard MP3Bookhelper NFO template. If you wish to use it in a text editor just copy and paste the contents of the linked page into a text editor and fill in the appropriate fields.

The minimum that should be included is Author, Title, Bitrate, sample frequency, abridgement and media the book was ripped from (CD or tape etc).

Q. Why is it a good idea to create PAR2 files and post them with your files?

Coming soon.

Q. Why is it not a good idea to archive all my files into a multi part RAR file and post that?

Coming soon

Q. What is the best software for posting files with?

Although Agent, Xnews and other newsreaders programs can post files to Usenet it can be a bit cumbersome if you do it on a regular basis. The most popular program by far used by regular posters is called PowerPost. It's available in several different versions, but the versions recommended by most experience posters are:

Assert & Alain Yenc PowerPost v11b
Yenc PowerPost - GB12 (optimised for use with Alt-Bin)

There is a tutorial on how to use the A&A version here.

Q. Why am I better using yEnc to encode my files rather than uuencode or base64?

Coming soon

Q. Should I format my Subject Header a particular way?

Coming soon

Q. Why shouldn't I use the default From: name and email in PowerPost's options?

Coming soon

Q. What are all these abbreviations like NMR and NR

NR = New Rip
NMR = Not My Rip
RP = Repost
Abr = Abridged
Unabr = Unabridged

64-44-M = Recorded at 64kbps, 44Khz, Mono
56-22-JS = Recorded at 56kbs, 22Khz, Joint-Stereo
32-16-S = Recorded at 32kbs, 16khz, Stereo

Q. What's all this whining about the way I post audiobooks?. You should be grateful that I post anything at all. If it doesn't suit you, ignore it.

Please don't perceive it as whining (unless it is actually whining!). There are a lot of experienced posters and rippers in the group. The chances are that if you've posted a book in an unusual way then the likelihood is that you are either a newbie in abma, or you're a newbie to ripping and/or posting audio books. The experienced posters will more than likely be offering advice on the "correct" way of doing it.

Although there is no absolutely correct way of doing things in abma, there are ways that over the years have become expected. Call it a standard way of doing things if you like. These standards have been reached at by the consensus of people who are propbably more experienced than you and by experience have learned that some things work better than others.

This constructive criticism will be delivered in all manner of ways from very polite to all out churlish. The delivery may get your back up and irritate you, but nonetheless the advice is probably good. By all means bite back if you want but be aware of a few things. The person you bite back at maybe the only one who has the book you wanted for years and you just blew your chances at asking for it. You may well unknowingly start a flamefest. Either way nothing will be gained by arguing, you won't change their minds.

There are no rules as such, but ultimately the best thing all round is to try to learn from the event. The chances are it will make you a better poster.

The other thing to beware wary of is that being generous and posting your files does not bestow any rights, honours or priviliges on you. Do not expect to be glorified don't even expect to be thanked. Just enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling that you've contributed.

Remember, there is more to posting than just uploading files. There is no point in uploading a book if people can't use it or see what it is you've uploaded. If you are new to abma or you've been here for a while but have never posted before (or haven't done it often), then the chances are that the file you are uploading isn't that rare.

Right from virtually the beginning of Usenet in the late 60s, the advice to newsgroup newcomers is to "lurk" for a while, i.e. look but don't post (either messages or files), so that you can learn the "lay of the land", see how things are done, how people behave, who are the regulars etc. This will allow you to figure out how to post, the way people prefer you did it etc. It is never recommended that you show up new in the newsgroup on your day one and start posting your collection on day two. The chances are you will do something wrong, and that's when the flames will start. That's when you will start to feel that we are an ungrateful set of ingrates who don't deserve your generosity. But, for all you know those files could have been posted the day before, or a better version is doing the rounds. What you have to bear in mind is that a lot of the regular posters have collections that are measured in terabytes so aren't likely to be impressed with what you have to offer.

One way to prevent this calamity from occurring is to post a text message stating your intention to post a certain book(s). This way you can be warned if the books have been posted recently or that there are people here who want to snatch your hand off to get a book they don't have. It's rare that an intent to post does any harm or is ignored.

Q. What is crossposting and is it the same as duplicate or multi-posting?

Crossposting is a process of posting (uploading) files which then apparently appear in several newsgroups. The files themselves are not actually stored in each newsgroup, only the headers are. These headers point back to the one copy of the original file stored in the network.

So crossposting is used when you need to have your files displayed in more than one newsgroup. It is a system which is much abused by spammers and crossposting to too many groups at once may well be considered to be spam..

Crossposting is preferred to Duplicate or multi-posting, which is uploading a copy of your files to multiple newsgroups one at a time. This means that it doubles (or trebles etc) your upload time and also takes up space on the usenet servers and so is frowned upon as it costs time, money & clogs up the servers unnecessarily. So, in crossposting only the headers are duplicated whereas the whole file is duplicated in a multi-post.

Q. I'm thinking of posting a book over several days, how should I do it?

If you know over how many days you are posting....
1. Mark the headers day X of Y e.g. [Day 1 of 3]
2. Put the whole upload into Powerpost including Pars and nfo files.
    Ensure the info file goes in the FIRST days post
3. Mark subsequent days posts as "held" and post today's.
4. The next day, consign yesterday's posts to history and take the "held" marker off today's post.
5. And so on, this ensures that the file names, numbers etc are consistent and continuous.
6. You can use other methods of course, but ensure you keep records of where you are up to.
7. If anything goes wrong just post a message saying what it was.

Q. What Newsreaders are recommended?

• For simple text downloading Forte Agent has much to commend it. Forte used to have a FREE (somewhat limited) version called Free Agent, but this no longer available in current versions.
• Newsreaders with more complex capabilities but take longer to get used to:-
    • Newsbin Pro,
    • Grabit,
    • Newspro/Usenet Explorer,
    • Newsrover,
    • Newsleecher,
    • Xnews (freeware)
        ....etc (lots of them)
• A free one is BNR3 but it is beta and is also unsupported, it freezes often - use something else.
• Outlook Express as supplied with MS Windows also supports Usenet reading and downloading but will require a 3rd party plugin to be able to decode yEnc encoded downloads.

There is a rather good News client comparison article on Wikipedia.

Q. Is there a good newsreader for OSX?

One opinion is:- Unison. It can process NZB files and auto creates par2 archives on the fly when you upload. It has been used successfully on Mac, Windows and Linux.

Q. What software should I use to create NFO files?

Coming soon.

Q. What software should I use to read NFO files?

NFO files are basically just plain and simple text files so can be read in any text editor such as Notepad. There are however some freeware applications that are optimised for reading .nfo and .diz files, e.g. GetDiz and DAMN NFO Viewer.

By default Windows XP is setup with .nfo files being associated with the System Information Viewer. It's very rare indeed that you would ever need this association so it's safe to change this association to your preferred NFO viewing application.

Q. What software do you recommend for ripping and naming audiobooks?

A program for naming and tagging is MP3Bookhelper.
Tag&Rename is preferred by some.
Tag with MP3Ext say others.
Free progs for renaming and joining/splitting are BLJoin and 1-4Rename
Another is MP3DirectCut.
Advanced MP3 Converter another

Easy CD-DA Extractor for ripping and converting and making music cds
Rip to wav with Exact Audio Copy and convert to mp3 with CDex.
dBpowerAMP is recommended by some.
For ripping "WinAmp Pro" seems to have supporters

Q. What settings should I use when I rip a CD?

Coming soon.

Q. Should I rip the CD as a full disc or as individual tracks?

Coming soon.

Q. Powerpost does not seem to make PARS when I try to do so, and when I make my
    own PARS it always posts them separately from the body of the book itself?

• Install QuickPar (In options make sure it's integrated into the shell).
• Using Windows Explorer, highlight the files you want to create PARs from right-click and choose to create PARs from the QuickPar submenu.
• Or, start QuickPar up and from the "Add new Files" button, choose the files you want to make pars of and after setting the number you want, press the "create" button.
• Add the PAR files with the original files into powerpost for uploading.

Q. If the bit rate is low can I increase the quality by increasing the bit rate (upsampling)?

No!. The information needed to improve the quality of an MP3 recording was lost when it was either ripped to 24Kb/s or when it was reduced to 24Kb/s. Increasing the bitrate, which can easily be done, has NO effect on the quality, it merely bloats the file and gives the wrong information about the quality of the mp3.

Q. Does an MP3 lose quality on constant playing, saving, downloading etc?

Playing and saving mp3 files will not affect any of their qualities (unless corrupted by bad hard drive sectors, faulty RAM chips etc), that's the beauty of digital media. So they can be used as much as you like with no perceptible loss of quality.

Downloading and uploading also has no effect on the mp3. Editing them, however, can and will lead to loss of quality.

Q. How do you downsample an audio file (e.g. 128kbs to 64kbs)?

Virtually all sound editing programs which can edit MP3s will convert bitrates from one to another, although it is useless and misleading to try to INCREASE the bitrate. Reducing the bitrate can be useful but this results in a loss of quality which can never be recovered.
• MusicMatch jukebox,
• dbPoweramp,
• Mp3DirectCut,
• iTunes,
• Easy CD-DA Extractor
...will certainly will carry out this task. The task is simple enough but it takes a lot of processing power so you may need to leave the PC to do it without too many other programs running.

Q. What other sources are there for audiobooks?

Other Sources :
• Various DC++ hubs
• Bittorrent
• WinMx (no longer being worked on)
• MiRC
• Limewire
• eDonkey
• other P2P share progs.

Generally speaking the reliability, availability and freedom from viruses diminishes as you go down the list.

Additionally, in the U.S. there has been a recently available facility to download books directly from local libraries.

It is called different things at different libraries so a person should check their library's web page for availability. This is a source that many people are using to replace/upgrade old tape rips. They also provide new books semi-frequently.

See NetLibrary and OverDrive for details.

Q. How do I join the NGAB DC++ Hub I've been hearing about on the newsgroup?

To join the Newsgroup Audiobook Hub you will need to be vetted so there is a procedure which must be followed.

1) First download and install the DC++ software program (DC++ is freeware).

2) Setup DC++ options to connect to the address you've been given.


There are several other DC++ clients to choose from including StrongDC++ and IceDC++

Q. Is there somewhere which provides open source (ie not illegal) copies of audiobooks?

Project Gutenberg, long famous for building a repository of free, public domain ebooks in plain text, has been quietly building an audiobook library as well. With over 400 titles, it’s extensive enough to spend hours browsing. You’ll be hard-pressed to find new works here, but most of the titles are literary classics—Dickens, Twain,and Shakespeare—that resonate well in any era.

Gutenberg carries a handful of human-read books, but most titles are read by computers.

You can purchase audiobooks at many web sites or from the many audiobook producers, ask google.

Q. What is a premium server, are they better than my ISP server and what is the cost?

Premium Servers are PAY servers which are usually dedicated to providing users with top class usenet, or newsgroup access. Top class means complete and undamaged posts with a retention on the server of several weeks if not months and at a high speed.

This means that a user can download multi-part posts (binaries of course) with confidence knowing that they will be 99.99% complete and knowing that the files can be re-downloaded, if needed, at any time up to the retention time.

As to costs, These are changeable and generally reducing as storage becomes less expensive. So to find the current costs, ask Google. Costs vary according to the volume users download, but a cost of $10 to $15 per month will provide a huge amount of files (25GB to unlimited)
with most premium servers like Giganews, SkinVideo, Easynews, Newshosting, Usenet.com etc. Other deals are available tailored to your usage.

A good comparison site to help you choose a news server is Slyck's Guide to the Newsgroups: News Servers

There are FREE news servers which can be used to top-up deficiencies in an ISP server.

There are 5 types of free server:

1. Servers provided text only (non-binary) groups. There are many of these sorts of server.

2. Quite a few dedicated servers, dedicated to one topic, usually educational and not usually useful.

3. Some servers accidentally provide binary access by having poor security. Virtually non-existent these days.

4. Premium servers sometimes run trial free access to test out their hardware, this can be useful but for limited times like a week.

5. There are a very limited number of servers who offer free or nearly free access usually to entice users into taking out a paid contract. Their speeds are usually limited to around 15Kb/s but they often have good completion and good retention which can be useful to fill in the blanks left by ISP servers. Examples are Freebin, Yottanews, Teranews and others to be found at www.newzbot.com and in the group alt.free.newsservers All of these require patience and involve much frustration, but no money.

Your ISP may provide newsgroup access, but it is usually a side issue with ISPs and for them an expensive side issue for a limited number of their clients, most of whom use the internet connection for emails and browsing and downloading via P2P, (bittorrent etc) so ISP's generally are reducing their capacity for newsgroup access, which, in effect, downgrades their service so that it gets so bad clients stop using it. So more and more folk use premium servers which reduces the power of the remaining users to get things improved, c'est la vie.

 

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