Audio book play order

I have a 2013 Leaf S and listen to a lot of audio books ripped from CDs that I purchase. All my other in dash USB units have played audio files from USB drives in an order based on filename. The Leaf does not order audio files based on filename or any tag data in the audio file. Normally I name audio book files 0101, 0102, 0201, etc and the file order played would be in file name numerical order. For audio books clearly play order is important.
After some experimentation I found that the Leaf plays audio files from the USB based on the order they were written to the drive. The first file copied to the drive is the first file played. I have not tried multiple folders or more than 255 files in the root directory. I used a program called “copy in order” (http://www.compulsivecode.com/Project_CopyInOrder.aspx) to copy files to the usb drive that I used in the Leaf. I found that as long as you don’t try to copy more than around 100 files at a time the Leaf will play the files in the correct order if they are copied to the usb drive using copy in order. The Leaf will restart the audio file in the same place it was left off when you restart the car.

I have exactly the same problem you described.
I also have the problem where I copy 3 directories containing 3 books onto a stick, and it sometimes pulls the subdirectories out of the directories, so I am left with Name of Book #1 as a directory, then a list of "disk1, Disk 4, Disk 9, etc" then the 3rd book directory.

I will try your suggestion.
It would make things a lot less of a pain.
Thanks

The book I am listening to at the moment is 190 tracks long. I used copy in order to copy the first 60 tracks to the root directory of my usb drive then the next 60, then the final 70 tracks. I then plugged the usb drive with all 190 tracks in the root directory into the usb port on the Leaf. Using this method the tracks are played in order in the Leaf. Sometimes when I tried to copy too many tracks at one time using the copy in order program I would see play order issues. I have a book with more than 255 tracks that I am going to listen to next so I am going to see if the Leaf will read more than 255 tracks in the root directory. Some players have a 255 track per folder limit. If there is a 255 track limit I will see if a multiple folder structure will play correctly.

I used to have this problem, too. I tried everything, including copying the files one by one in correct order, but it still would play them in random order. So I don't believe the copy date/time controls the order. It certainly doesn't for music files since my player always plays those in alphabetical order if I don't choose random mode, and the songs have all been copied onto the thumb drive at various different times. That audiobook problem was when I ripped audiobook CD files to WMA format. After I downloaded the mp3 codec and ripped to mp3 format, I haven't had a problem, although I think I've only had to do it once. It's only if the book is so long I have to return it before I'm done that it has been an issue.

The long-term problem is what to do when CDs go the way of cassette tapes. I can still find enough audiobooks on CD at the library to use the CD player. I don't have a smart phone. I have a Kindle which will play downloadable audiobooks and I've plugged it into my home stereo to play them, but when I tried that with the Leaf, I couldn't get the volume high enough even with Kindle and Leaf both on max setting. My Kindle doesn't have bluetooth, just wi-fi. It wouldn't really work anyway since the pause/stop controls on the dash and console wouldn't work, either. With a CD you can turn off the audio system for heavy traffic, unusually load noise , etc. that prevents you from listening. It will start up where you left off. The Kindle would just keep playing, even if I turned the system off. Trying to stop the Kindle and rewind later to get back to that spot while driving would be too distracting.

I was able to get a 1200 track audio book to play in the correct order on a usb drive by using the “copy in order” computer program. I broke the files up into 6 sub folders named chapt 01, chapt 02, chapt 03, etc. with 200 files per folder.
On the usb drive I created folder “chapt 01” then used “copy in order” to copy the first 100 files into that folder. I then copied the next 100 files into that folder. I then created folder chapt 02 and copied the files into that folder.
The usb input on my 2013 Leaf S played the files in the correct order and moved from folder to folder in the right order. It started with the first file in folder chapt 01. After all the files were played in folder chapt 01 the player started playing the first file in folder chapt 02.
-Jon

I drive a 2015 Leaf SV, and today... I stumbled onto a solution (at least for me)!!

I have many MP3 albums, always sorted by "Artist - ## - Title.mp3" which has never worked for me on a USB drive in my car. However, I recently added an album from my brother which was titled "##-artist - title.mp3" and that one folder played in correct order while all the others were still jumbled beyond recognition.

So I began sorting other folders with the same "## - Title.mp3" naming scheme... and it worked. I tried several folders, even a folder filled with NPR podcasts with nonsense file names, but as long as they have the ## prefix, they appear in order in the car. It seems the car actually CAN read files in order, just that it can't read the file name unless it STARTS with the organized file/track numbers.

Here is the folder from my computer,


Here is the dashboard in the car,


Let me know if anyone else tries this, and finds that it works for them as well.