Adding chapter labels and markers to iTunes and the iPod

[Ceroc Addict]

I just sent this to Apple via the feedback section of their website. I thought that I might as well post it here as well, in case anyone had any followup ideas to send to Apple as well.

Apple should make it possible to add chapter labels and markers to iTunes/iPod, the same way it is possible to add chapters to a DVD

i.e. When an audio file is selected for playing (on the iPod), if a matching "chapter marker" file (created from within iTunes) is present a menu is presented instead (this menu is the chapter labels for that audio file and selecting a label/chapter jumps directly to that point in the audio file)

Here are some examples where this would be ENORMOUSLY useful:

• Audiobooks: A person could mark out the favourite/useful sections of their audiobooks
• Podcasts: The creators of podcasts could mark out their audio content with chapters (i.e. the chapter markers created by iTunes for an audio file should be exportable as a file that can be made available for downloading) for their listeners (or listeners with iTunes could add their own chapters later)
• Your own recordings (using iTalk): You could mark out the important parts of a lecture that you've recorded
• Music teachers could add chapters to a song, so students could identify the parts of the music
• Dance instructors could add chapters to a song, so students could identify the hits (i.e. upcoming sections with a strong beat) and improve their dancing
• Dance instructors can start a class without having to wait until the beat of the music kicks in (or without editing the song file)
• Comedians using the iPod to record their own routines to practice could mark out the different sections of the routine
• Foreign language resources - foreign language phrases (and/or their English text translations) could be mapped directly to the spoken version
• etc, etc.

The user interface for creating chapter markers could easily be added directly to iTunes:

• Add a pane between the "Source" pane (which lists the playlists) and the "Selected Song" pane (which displays the album art) on the left hand side of the window.
• Label this new pane "Chapters" (or whatever)
• When an audio file is selected, the chapters for that file are displayed in the "Chapters" pane (if there is a corresponding chapter marker file for that audio file)
• The user can scrub the audio file to whereever they want and choose "New chapter" from a menu (the Advanced menu ?), or click a "Create chapter" button at the bottom of the iTunes window. This will add a timecode to the "Chapters" pane, to which a label can be added (exactly the same way a playlist title can be added/modified in iTunes).
• Adding chapters to an audio file, automatically creates a chapter marker file if one didn't exist already. This file can be made available to other users.

Kap

 

[ziess]

Sounds like a good plan, especially as far as audiobooks are concerned. Good idea mate!