Download full book folder from server including non-audio files

[soilheart]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

I have used Smart AudioBook Player for a while now, but have missed a good Audiobook library software so have had to rely on Nextcloud for organizing and downloading Audiobooks.

Now when I've found Audiobookshelf I hoped it would be a replacement for Nextcloud for me. Unfortunately Smart AudioBook Player doesn't support the chaptering in the concatenated mp3. Also only one (low res) cover is downloaded, instead of all covers (Smart AudioBook Player supports alternative covers, kind of)

Describe the solution you'd like

A global app/per download mode where a book is downloaded as is, without mp3 concatenation. Disabling in-app-playback for these downloads (or in the whole app if it's a global mode) is fully acceptable.

Describe alternatives you've considered

Using Audiobookshelf player, although it is missing a lot of features I use (configurable skip etc.)

Additional context

I understand how concatenation makes sense for in-app-playback. But I prefer Smart AudioBook Player, and prefer if development effort should be focused on what Audiobookshelf does well, such as audiobook library management, and not trying to catch up to the already sufficient number of capable audiobook players.

[advplyr]

I think the audio file concatenation will be removed and audiobooks will be downloaded as-is in a future release. The audio player will need to be re-built to support multi-track, but this will also allow for using the app without a server and just with the audiobooks on your phone.

The main advantage of the mobile app is that it syncs your audiobook progress, doesn't require you have downloaded the audiobook and allows other users to connect to your server. Right now I think development effort should be primarily on the mobile app.

Leaving aside the various bugs with the current features, can you share some of the other features you see are missing? I'm not sure what configurable skip means if you can elaborate on that.

[soilheart]

I think the audio file concatenation will be removed and audiobooks will be downloaded as-is in a future release.

Great, then most of my suggestion is moot, except perhaps to remember the request that all content being downloadable (at once), including multiple covers.

The main advantage of the mobile app is that it syncs your audiobook progress, doesn't require you have downloaded the audiobook and allows other users to connect to your server.

Personally, the streaming usecase isn't interesting to me, hence why I like Smart Player. I like having my files offline (mostly because I listen in the gym/when running, and then have no/bad cell reception). And it also syncs progress, but through a sidecar file (that I can upload/copy between devices when relevant).

Leaving aside the various bugs with the current features, can you share some of the other features you see are missing? I'm not sure what configurable skip means if you can elaborate on that.

In Smart Player I can configure long and short time skips, and I can also configure what headset function (next track, previous track) skips what way and how far (or having previous track add a bookmark so I can go back to it later), and that's just scratching the surface. (I just tried playing a book in your app to see what's "missing", but my phone just got stuck in a loop because of #35 ... so I guess one thing it does is not to crash my phone)

[advplyr]

Not crashing is a great feature. Are you using a OnePlus also?

[soilheart]

Yup, left a comment in the other issue with phone details.

[advplyr]

v0.9.41-beta will now download multiple mp3s, no more concatenation. Only works with server v2.0.0 and up.

[skyzuma]

the download is file per file and my phone (Huawei P10 w/ Android 9) makes an sound for any file ... 500 files ... its possible to pack the book(s) and unpack it after download on the phone?

[advplyr]

I know I disabled the notification vibration a while ago. I wonder if that is because you are on an old android version. It's unlikely I implement the audio file concatenation again because that was buggy

[soilheart]

I know I disabled the notification vibration a while ago. I wonder if that is because you are on an old android version. It's unlikely I implement the audio file concatenation again because that was buggy

Well, my phone still vibrates like crazy when I download a book with multiple files (Nord 2 with Android 11, not sure if that counts as "old" or not).

[soilheart]

Regarding the original issue, thank you for the update. I can now use audiobookshelf with Smart audiobook player, and it works very well (except for the app crashing when download books, but I've understood that's to be fixed).

There's one minor part of the original request is still "missing" though, which is downloading of non-audio files, such as multiple covers etc. (or in my case, the occasional progress/bookmark files for Smart audiobook player when moving between devices). It's not as "blocking" as the "concatenated download" was, but would be a nice feature to have.

[advplyr]

@soilheart I'm looking at this and not understanding what you mean with progress/bookmark files for Smart audiobook player.

[soilheart]

The Audiobook player I'm using (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ak.alizandro.smartaudiobookplayer) uses some kind of sidecar file for storing progress, bookmarks etc. called "position.sabp.dat".

Back when I wrote the issue after just discovered Audiobookshelf I was using Nextcloud to store/download audiobooks, and sometimes uploaded/downloaded the "position.sabp.dat" file to sync my listening position between devices.

Nowadays I'm mostly listening on a single device so the use case isn't really there for me anymore, but idea behind the request was to at least allow download of non media files, that may be useful for other apps, such as the mentioned sidecar file (or alternative covers etc.)