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Realign chapters for a different revision

Follow these steps when an existing source has the right chapter titles but the timestamps don't match your audio file. This is most often the case with a different revision of the same recording (ads stripped, an Audible-branded intro/outro removed, a later revision with minor editing fixes) where the durations differ by only a few minutes.

Realign vs. different editions

Realign works well across revisions of the same recording. It may produce mixed or unusable results from a fundamentally different edition (re-recorded narration, abridged content, rearranged chapters, or substantively different pacing). If you spot-check the realigned chapters and most of them are clearly wrong, the source likely doesn't match the version of the book you have. Try a different source, or use Smart Detect followed by Apply Titles or AI Cleanup instead.

Run Realign Chapters

  1. Select the book.
  2. Choose Realign Chapters on the Select a Workflow screen.
  3. Pick the source with the good titles (typically Audnexus). If it isn't already loaded, click Add Chapter Source to add it.
  4. Leave Dramatized off unless the book has music or sound effects.
  5. Click Realign. Achew runs targeted detection around each source chapter and shifts the timestamps to the best-fitting cue.

Review the Offset column

You'll land in the editor with an additional Offset column showing how far each chapter moved during realignment. For a same-recording revision, most chapters should show a small, broadly consistent offset, potentially drifting a bit over time.

Watch for the warning icon. It marks low-confidence guesses where Achew couldn't find a clear cue near the expected position. Give those a closer listen to verify their accuracy, and adjust the timestamp if needed.

Spot-check and fix outliers

  1. Use the play button on the first and last few chapters to confirm they begin where you expect.
  2. For any chapter that sounds off, click its timestamp to edit directly. Space toggles playback, ↑ / ↓ nudge by ±1 second.
  3. For a more thorough fix, use the Add button to open the Add Chapter Dialog, switch to the Detected Cues tab, and run Detect Cues on the surrounding region to surface alternative candidate timestamps.

Submit or export

Click Review Selected, then submit to Audiobookshelf or export.