How to convert aax to mp3, without itunes, on pc


-download 'audible manager' from https://www.audible.com/, install to d:\apps\audible, 
-set download to d:\apps\audible\download 
(or use c:\program files\audible ..., just remember where download is.)

-go to the web site, https://www.audible.com/lib/ and login using your username and password.
-(you might want to change display to 'all time' in audible web site, to display your book/s).
-To download your book(s), click 'download' to the right of the book title. 
-Firefox will ask you what to do, select 'open dmhelper file'.


Afer the file is downloaded,
-in download helper, you can click on 'play' if you wish, it will open book in 'Windows media player'. 
Using 'Windows media player' you can add audio file to list of audio files to record on cd,
burn it there, and then rip cd. There is a better solution:

If you try to play file in 'audible manager' PC program it will ask for your login and pass. 
Enter them.

Convert it to another format directly from aax file:
-download aaxtomp3 from http://sourceforge.net/projects/aaxtomp3/
(make sure your login and pass are entered in 'audible manager'. If you can play audio book in it, you are ok.)
-start aaxtomp3 program. 
-click on 'durchsuchen' (search) to find aax file. It should be in  d:\apps\audible\download
-click on umwandeln (convert) to to convert file to mp3. Mp3 file will be in the same dir as aax file.

'it takes about 2 sec for 1 min of decrypting file'. 

--
More complicated way, using command line:
AaxToMp3.exe -i "E:\file.aax" > test.wav
You can later compress wav file to flac, mp3, opus, ogg... :)

--
Chapters:

If there are chapters in the book, you can use FFprobe, from FFmpeg program package, to see them.
Download from here: https://www.ffmpeg.org/download.html#build-windows . 
Click on 'Windows builds'
Choose "FFmpeg git-xxxxxx 32-bit Static", first button on the left.

Unzip ffmpeg zip to d:\ffmpeg.
Copy aax file to d: . Rename it to file.aax .

To start command prompt:
Click on start, or circle in the bottom left of windows desktop.
Type in cmd. Press enter.

Now, copy the following line, and press right click in the cmd window to paste it:
"D:\ffmpeg\ffprobe.exe" -i "D:\file.aax" -print_format compact -sexagesimal -show_chapters > "D:\file-info-compact.txt" 
You will have file-info-compact.txt with start, end, and chapter names in it.

Another option is:
"D:\ffmpeg\ffprobe.exe" -i "D:\file.aax" -print_format csv -sexagesimal -show_chapters > "D:\file-info-csv.txt" 
Which would do the same, except no labels for columns. Try it.

You need 5,7,and 8th column.

How to convert mp3 file to separate chapters?
Use this command line, with mp3 or wav file created using aaxtomp3.
Copy mp3 to d: , rename it to file.mp3 .

Use this line:

"D:\ffmpeg\ffmpeg.exe" -i "d:\file.mp3" -c:a copy -vn   -ss 0:00:00.000000 -to 0:04:48.206077 "d:\1.mp3"

"-ss" is for start, "-to" is extract till position.

If you wish to convert it to another format use this:

"D:\ffmpeg\ffmpeg.exe" -i "d:\file.mp3" -b:a 24k -vn   -ss 0:00:00.000000 -to 0:04:48.206077 "d:\1.opus"

It might take longer, though.