Send your audiobooks to Google Play with automated content fetching

Google has an automated content fetching system that enables publishers and service providers to easily provide book metadata, rights, and content to Google Play. We provide separate instructions for sending eBook content files, metadata, and rights. The instructions below provide additional information for sending audiobook content files, metadata information and supplemental material.

Automated Content / Metadata Fetch Setup

There are two ways for Google to receive your audiobook content, covers, metadata and supplemental material files:

1. Periodic, scheduled fetches off of your (S)FTP or HTTP(S) server
2. Uploaded to a Google-provided SFTP dropbox

Server Directory Structure

If you are sending eBook files (.pdf, .epub) to Google via scheduled fetches from your own server, you will need to ensure audiobook content (.mp3, .aac, etc) and accompanying supplemental material (.pdf) is in a separate folder on your server. eBook and audiobook content files cannot be in the same folder.

However, metadata files (either ONIX or CSV) can combine both eBook and audiobook records, as the product form is required for each record.

Content Files

Audiobook File Formats

Google Play Books can accept audiobook files in any of the following formats:

• M4A with AAC encoding (CBR preferred), >128Kbps (mono) or >=256Kbps (stereo)
• MP3 (CBR preferred), >=128Kbps (mono) or >=256Kbps (stereo)
• FLAC, 16 bits/sample, >=44.1 KHz sampling rate
• WAV PCM encoded, 16 bits/sample, >=44.1 KHz sampling rate

Filename and packaging guidelines

For each audiobook file you submit, the filename must contain an ID. You have 3 options for the value you use as an ID:

Filename formatting

How you name your files depends on how you submit the audio content.

Here are some good examples of filename formats:

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Cover Image Files

File Packaging and Delivery

• As a standalone file, named as ID.jpg or ID_frontcover.jpg (or other supported formats)
• Inside a zip file together with the audio content files. In this case, any name works.
• Only one image file is allowed for each ID.

File Requirements

• Accepted File Types: PNG, JPG, or PDF. TIF files are not supported.
• Resolution: Minimum 72 dpi
• Pixel height & width: Minimum 1,024 pixels; maximum 7,200 pixels
• Proportions: Square cover images are recommended. If you provide a non-square image, Google will letterbox it to be a square image.

Supplemental Material

Google will accept supplemental material that is meant to accompany the audio content as long as the supplemental material meets the requirements below:

• Must be a PDF file. Non PDF supplements are not supported.  
• Consists of only one PDF file for any audiobook. Multi-file PDFs are not supported.
• Must be named as <ISBN>.pdf. The PDF can be zipped with other content or provided separately.
• Under 100 MB in size. 

ONIX Metadata

Google can parse and implement information from either ONIX 2.1 or ONIX 3. We provide separate instructions for sending non-audiobook-specific ONIX 2.1 and ONIX 3.

ONIX can only be used with ISBNs, not proprietary key formats or Google-generated keys (GGKEYs). If your audiobooks have GGKEYs or a proprietary key format, you will need to upload metadata and prices via CSV spreadsheet (see the “CSV Metadata” section below).

CSV Metadata

CSV files can be used to send both audiobook metadata and prices. Files can either be uploaded directly in the Partner Center or by an automated fetch.

We provide separate instructions for eBook metadata CSV uploads, but many fields are shared between eBooks and audiobooks.

The following are audiobook-specific fields to include in CSV metadata:

Currency Conversion

Please read about currency conversion for both audiobooks and eBooks. Note that if currency conversion is turned on for eBooks, it will be turned on for any audiobooks in the same account, as well.