This is a free tip on how to listen to the free MP3 audiobook version of "Free", by Chris Anderson. (As it involves getting rid of the MP3s, you could say it's an MP3-free, free free "Free" audiobook tip) with a bonus free tip on how to make your own free custom iPhone ringtones.

I'd been looking forward to the publication of Chris Anderson's book on "Free" since I heard about it in Wired magazine last year. I'm a fan of his writing and it still surprises me how many people haven't heard of the Long Tail theory— although not quite as much as it surprises me how many people don't really understand it, as I've talked about before. So I expect to read a lot over the next couple of months as people who don't like the idea of giving things away for free criticise the book without reading it or understanding the ideas it presents.

Unsurprisingly, considering the subject matter, Anderson is experimenting with a number of ways of distributing the book for free (such as a time-limited version available to read online, mobile applications, free sponsored copies of abridged versions of the book etc.) and the one that caught my eye ear is the audiobook. In short, there is a paid-for abridged version, or the whole book for free— available through iTunes, but only in the US. However, for those of us in the UK, you can download the MP3s at Wired.com.

But if, like me, you want to listen to it on an iPod/iPhone, you might find that the MP3 format isn't ideal. So if you are interrupted part way through a chapter and want to resume listening where you left off, or maybe want to play back at a faster speed (perhaps to find a part you want to listen to again, refresh your memory- or just to listen to the 6 hour book in 3 hours!), this tip could be useful to you. (Naturally, I'm just giving it away— gratis!)

Converting from MP3s to Audiobooks

First, download the MP3s and import them into your iTunes library (File, Import, select the folder the files are in.)

Secondly, convert all the tracks to AAC format— select them all in iTunes, right click on one of them and select "create AAC version."

Thirdly, rename the AAC files extension from .m4a to .m4b. To do this, right click on one of the new tracks and select "show in Internet Explorer" to see the original files, then rename each one to change the file extension. (Note- you might want to combine the individual chapters into a single MP3 using something like Aleksandr Gekht’s free Merge MP3 software. I have to say that I haven't tried it myself, so I don't know whether it would take longer to install and run the software than it did to rename each chapter file individually. If you want to pay for a premium version of this blog post, then buy me a pint and I'll find out for you!)

Finally, import the "new" audiobook files into iTunes (same way as in Step 1) and delete the original MP3s (assuming you don't want it taking up unneeded hard drive space and appearing in your Music collection as well.)

The result should be that instead of appearing in your Music collection, it should now be under Audiobooks, giving you the added control over how you can listen to it on the iPhone that you get in podcasts, allowing you to pick up where you left off, change playback speed or quickly skip back 30 seconds (and also stopping chapters of the audiobook appearing within your music collection— essential when listening on shuffle!)

Sync it up and go!

Bonus free tip: Free ringtones!

Yep- actual free ringtones, and not a "sign up to something that will spam you, sell your number and then send you a bill" service.

You can use the same converting & renaming process to create iPhone ringtones— right click on a track in iTunes, go into "Get info" and set the start and finish points to make a 30 second (or less) clip that you want to make your ringtone out of.

Then create an AAC version of a song using the same method as above, but rename it with the extension ".m4r". Then re-import it into iTunes, and it will recognise it as a ringtone, which you can then use as a general ringtone, assign to specific contacts, or as the sound to play when your alarm goes off.

(Note- don't forget to reset the start and finish points on the original track, otherwise you may be confused when a clipped version plays on your iPod and you think you are receiving a call.)

Hat-tip to MacWorld for the original MP3 to Audiobook conversion instructions.