[Enhancement]: Same book, different narrators

[racemus]

Describe the feature/enhancement

Hi

I have audiobooks that are the same, but voiced by different narrators. Sometimes it's fascinating to listen to different voiceovers. I kept them within different subfolders within the book folder, but now with ABS I have to create a book folder for each narrator.

Also, it's not so convenient to have multiple, but the same books within the library. I tried to use subseries for it, but I can't create real subseries with it.

So, I would suggest updating Directory Structure rules for it. For example, use subfolders with narrators names, as I used before. And then give user choice which narrator to play somehow on front-end.

What do you think?

[KaiStarkk]

Subfolders are probably best used for sub-series per #870 (at least that's my hope -- not yet implemented). The {Narrator} folder structure that is currently implemented is better as it's conventional for large trackers.

Regarding multiple books in the library I agree - I would love to see something like this for multiple narrators:

There is some complexity around syncing progress, as there is the question of which progress should take precedence if they're tied to the same library asset, but it seems like this is similarly the case with eBooks, and that solution works well (progress is tracked separately).

[advplyr]

Yeah progress would be an issue here unless we tracked them separately and selecting a different narrator would show the progress for that narrator. On the book covers we would have to pick one to show the progress of.

I can see this being useful but it's unlikely it gets added since it is a lot of work and only a small number of users would benefit from it.

[racemus]

but it's unlikely it gets added since it is a lot of work and only a small number of users would benefit from it

Pure prioritization, I understand. It's a pity that I'm not a JS developer. Hope it will be made someday.

[DDriggs00]

Even if the full live-switching feature was not added, it would be cool to have support for multiple versions of the same book. E.g. the Wheel of Time with the new Rosemund Pike narrated versions, or the Lord of The Rings with its multiple narrators.

[manalive]

I also like this general idea, but it's kind of a problem to treat it as the same book because

• The narrator is very rarely the only difference (usually, there are edition differences, translations, abridgments, additional forwards/prefaces, etc)
• Many times, the same "book" may actually have different chapter splits from different publishers
• as mentioned by others, matching progress is a challenge
• having a matching ebook version or supplemental/companion PDF for each narration adds UI complexity

What would be nice is being able to:

1. Identify distinct editions/adaptations/abridgments/translations/narrations of the same original 'work' and link them together
2. Collapse them or expand them in the list view just like Series
3. See the linked entries while on the detailed view
4. Star/Favorite or otherwise mark preferred versions of a work (or optimally give them a numeric order of preference)

When it comes to classics / great works, I often try to collect as many versions as possible and listen to them all over time. Example: Fellowship of the Ring

• English Narrator: Andy Serkis
• English Narrator: Rob Inglis
• English Language Radio Drama: NPR
• English Language Radio Drama: BBC Radio 4

[ZLoth]

As an example of books with different narrators:

• James Bond Books (Casino Royale is narriated first by Simon Vance, then the Celebrity Performance by Dan Stevens)
• The Lock-In series which I have organized as follows:
• Lord of the Rings

PLUS, there is the non-booktrack and booktrack versions.