Frequently asked questions
Is this safe? Will it break my Yoto account?
AudiobookLoader uses Yoto's official OAuth API — the same one the official app uses. It can only create and manage content you upload through this tool. It cannot delete your existing cards or access your account details.
Does my audio go through your servers?
No. Your files go directly from your browser to Yoto's servers. AudiobookLoader has no backend — it's a static web app. We never see your audio.
What audio formats are supported?
MP3, M4A, M4B, FLAC, OGG, and WAV. Yoto transcodes everything server-side, so you can upload in any supported format.
I bought an audiobook from Libro.fm. Can I use it here?
Yes! Libro.fm audiobooks come as DRM-free MP3 files. If your download includes one MP3 per chapter, just drag the folder in — each file becomes a track automatically. If it's a single MP3 of the whole book, use the Split button to chop it into chapters by silence detection.
Can I get free audiobooks without uploading files?
Yes — switch to the "Internet Archive" tab and search thousands of free, public-domain audiobooks from archive.org. Pick a book and it gets added to your playlist automatically. Great for classics like Treasure Island, The Jungle Book, or Alice in Wonderland.
I have a single M4B file. How does that work?
M4B is a format that bundles all chapters into one file with embedded chapter markers. Just drop it onto AudiobookLoader — it detects the markers automatically and lets you split them into separate Yoto tracks with one click.
What is silence-based splitting?
If you have a single long audio file without chapter markers, AudiobookLoader can analyse the audio for silent gaps and suggest split points. Everything runs in your browser — no upload needed. You can preview the chapter breakdown and adjust the sensitivity before committing. Chapter titles default to "Chapter 1", "Chapter 2", etc. and can be renamed.
Chapter detection is taking ages. Is it stuck?
Probably not — it's your computer thinking. To find the chapter breaks we listen through the entire book, right in your browser, and that leans on your computer's processor. On a newer machine a 9-hour book takes under a minute. On an older laptop the same book can take 5 to 10 minutes. Leave the tab open and come back to it. Extra memory won't speed this up — it's the processor doing the work.
Why does "Processing" take seconds sometimes and minutes other times?
That step happens on Yoto's servers, not on your computer. Once a chapter finishes uploading, Yoto converts it into the format the player uses, and how long that takes depends on how long the chapter is and how busy Yoto happens to be right then. A short chapter can be done in seconds; a long one on a busy evening can take several minutes. There's nothing on your end that changes it — a faster computer won't help with this one. Leave the window open and it will carry on. This is a different wait from chapter detection, which does run on your computer.
What are the Yoto limits?
Each track must be under 100 MB and under 60 minutes. A playlist can have up to 100 tracks, up to 500 MB total, and up to 5 hours total. AudiobookLoader shows warnings when you're approaching these limits, and will automatically offer to split large books into multiple playlists.
Can I use this on my phone?
The app is mobile-friendly and works on phones. However, dragging local files from your phone's storage isn't well-supported by most mobile browsers. For uploading your own files, a laptop or desktop works best. The Internet Archive tab works great on any device.
What everything does
Every control on the track list, in the order you meet it. Most of them you can ignore — drop your files in, give the book a title, and send it.
| Item | What it does | Need it? |
|---|---|---|
| ⠿ | Grab and drag a row to move it. Use it if a chapter landed in the wrong place. | Only if the order is wrong |
| Number | Position in the book. It renumbers itself when you reorder or delete, so it always matches the running order. | Automatic |
| Title | The chapter name shown in the Yoto app. Click it to type a new one. | Worth a look |
| Label | A short bit of text the player shows on its screen while the chapter plays — up to 8 characters. Leave it blank and it uses the chapter number. Handy for “I”, “II”, “A1”, or an emoji. | Optional |
| Icon | The little picture on the player screen. Pick one from Yoto’s library, upload your own GIF or PNG, or leave it and we generate a numbered one. | Optional |
| Duration | How long the chapter runs. Anything over 60 minutes is past Yoto’s per-track limit. | Information |
| Size | How big the file is. Anything over 100 MB is past Yoto’s per-track limit. | Information |
| Split | Cuts one long file into chapters. If the file already has chapter markers this reads “18 chapters” instead and uses those; otherwise it listens for silent gaps. | Only for long single files |
| ⚠ | That track is over 100 MB or over 60 minutes and Yoto will not take it as-is. Split it, or delete it. | Needs action |
| ✕ | Removes the track from your list. Nothing is deleted from your computer or from Yoto. | Optional |
| Auto-clean titles | Tidies every title at once — strips file extensions, leading numbers, underscores, and “track_” prefixes. | Recommended |
| Clear | Empties the whole list and starts over. Nothing already sent to Yoto is affected. | Optional |
| Make it fit | Appears when the book is over Yoto’s limits. Cuts up anything too big, then spreads everything across as many cards as it needs. | When over the limit |
| The coloured bar | How much of one Yoto card you have used. Amber means you are getting close, red means over. | Information |