Spotify just released this feature where you get free 15 hours of audiobook “time” if you have Spotify premium.
Now enjoy 15 hours of audiobook listening time on Premium, every month.
In my case, I couldn’t resist the temptation to download the audiobook file, convert it (to M4B), and store it on my hard drive. My motivation for doing this is to ensure that I can stream the audiobook years down the line, without being dependent on a specific service to retain the data. My hard drive, my rules.
How can one go about extracting this data?
I was initially considering using OBS and just going for it, but then I realized it might not be the most effective method. OBS captures video, and if I recall correctly, there’s some compression involved, and I don’t feel like sitting and editing this on premiere.
This is for educational purposes; If any lawyers are reading this, legal@darrennathanael.com is the best way to contact me to make changes to this document; No copyright infringement intended.
Numero uno - Setup
Then it hit me; I’m overlooking the obvious. I’m pay for Ableton Live 11, and I have an audio interface. Why not just use that? So that’s exactly what I did. Initial setup: PC (With Ableton), Audio Interface (Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen), Streaming Device (iPad 6th Gen), 3.5 mm TRS cable + 6 mm Jack to 3.5 mm
Numero dos - Setup Device
When picking the streaming device, I opted for an iPad 6th generation because that is available to me, and I could leave it plugged in overnight. Additionally, Spotify tends to sound better on Apple devices, and I believe the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) on Apple devices is of higher quality.
Numero dos point uno
Download the audiobook! This ensures that if your ISP is unreliable and experiences sudden drops or if there’s an internet outage, the audio will continue playing, and the recording will remain uninterrupted.
Numero tres - Ableton
Alright, now that we have everything set up, and the audiobook is downloaded, let’s configure the PC / recording device.
Ensure you have enough storage space!! This is crucial, as we are recording “uncompressed” 24-bit, 48kHz content from the audio interface (Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen).
Create your project in Ableton, then prime that track. Also, make sure you select the correct input; in this case, I will be using the 2nd input on the Scarlett.
Numero cuatro - Connect
Now, let’s make the connection. Here’s a picture(s) because it’s still LEN (Low Effort November), and I’m too lazy to type it out.
Numero cinco - Prime
Once everything is connected, ensure the volume on the iPad or streaming device is set to the maximum. Why? This ensures minimum signal-to-noise ratio.
Numero cinco point uno
If you’re using the Scarlett Interface, be sure to turn on the Inst (Instrument) button. Without it engaged, the audio tends to be very quiet, though I have no clue why.
For me, I set the gain at around 11 o’clock, which seems to fit within a nice range.
Numero seis - Record
Let’s start recording. Make sure your iPad or streaming device is on airplane mode, then play the audio and hit record on Ableton.
Numero conclusions - End?
So, what’s next? Now you cut it, and, well, it’s still a bit unclear. We’ll figure this out tomorrow when I have to convert the audio from Ableton to the M4B format. Let me know if you have any ideas to do this; Otherwise I’ll figure it out myself.
As always, thanks for reading, hope you’re having a lovely day. And connect with me! Or else I will eat your cookie.
