A folder of files.
A finished audiobook.
ChapterForge takes your MP3 recordings and builds them into a single, professionally chaptered master file - complete with titles, cover art, and chapter markers that any podcast or audiobook app can navigate. Free, accessible, and built to stay out of your way.
Free. Windows 10 and 11. No other software required.
Works with
- Apple Podcasts
- Overcast
- Pocket Casts
- AntennaPod
- VLC
- foobar2000
- AIMP
- and more
How it works
Three steps. No technical knowledge required.
Open a folder
Point ChapterForge at any folder of MP3 files. Chapters are created automatically, one per track, sorted and titled from your file names.
Refine and tag
Edit chapter titles, reorder tracks, add cover art, and fill in the author and album. Most fields are pre-filled from your folder and file names.
Build and preview
Press Build. ChapterForge assembles everything into one master file. Listen in the built-in player before you share it.
Everything you need to build great audio
ChapterForge covers the full workflow from raw files to finished, distributable audiobook.
Chapters that work everywhere
Your finished file plays in Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, AntennaPod, VLC, foobar2000, AIMP, and any other app that reads standard ID3v2 chapter markers. One build, universal compatibility. Export as MP3 with chapter markers, M4B audiobook, lossless FLAC, or Opus - whichever your audience prefers.
Edit, merge, and split chapters
Titles come from your file names, already meaningful before you start. Reorder tracks with a keystroke. Merge two short chapters into one. Split a chapter at any playback position while listening in the built-in player. Rename in bulk with a single dialog. Every change is live before a single file is written. Full chapter editing guide.
Hear it before you share it
ChapterForge includes a fully keyboard-accessible audio player so you can review your work inside the app. Play from any chapter, skip between chapters, rewind or jump forward in configurable steps, and adjust volume - all without leaving ChapterForge. Player controls and shortcuts.
Find chapters in one long recording
Don't have separate tracks? ChapterForge can listen for natural silence in a long recording and mark chapter breaks automatically. Review the results, adjust any boundary that needs it, then build. Perfect for digitized tapes, recorded lectures, or radio broadcasts. About auto-chapter by silence.
Fix existing chaptered files
Open a finished MP3 or M4B to correct a chapter title, adjust where a chapter starts, replace the cover art, or update any tag - without touching the audio. Merge adjacent chapters, split one at any point, or trim the beginning and end. Save in place or Save As a new file and keep your original intact.
Watch folders, build automatically
Tell ChapterForge to watch a folder and walk away. When you drop in a set of MP3s, ChapterForge detects them, waits for the files to settle, and builds the book on its own - then notifies you with a Windows toast and a screen-reader announcement. Set up the background watcher. Enable start at sign-in and your audiobook folder runs itself.
Rich tags and automatic cover art
Set the title, artist, album, album artist, genre, year, comment, narrator, and series on your master file - or fill them in automatically with a MusicBrainz and Open Library lookup. ChapterForge scans your source folder for a cover image and picks it up automatically, or choose one manually. Tags are written as ID3v2.3 for the widest player compatibility.
Import and export chapter lists
Already have chapter markers defined elsewhere? Import from Audacity label files, CUE sheets, plain timestamp text, or a CSV of titles. Export in the same formats, or as a Podcasting 2.0 JSON sidecar with optional per-chapter URLs and images. Chapter lists move freely in and out.
Built for accessibility, first
ChapterForge is made by Blind Information Technology Solutions (BITS), a team that builds software for blind and low-vision users first, and everyone else second. That shows in every detail.
Screen reader support
NVDA, JAWS, and Narrator all announce controls, status, and build progress clearly. No workarounds, no silent buttons, no mystery. Screen reader details.
Full keyboard navigation
Every feature is reachable by keyboard. Every button, checkbox, and list has a mnemonic and a visible label. Full keyboard shortcut reference.
High-contrast theme
An optional high-contrast theme and adjustable text size (8pt to 24pt) are available in Tools > Settings for comfortable use in any lighting condition.
Non-blocking builds
Long operations run in the background. The interface stays alive, progress is announced as it happens, and you can cancel at any time without leaving a broken file behind.
Guided startup wizard
First launch opens a step-by-step wizard that introduces every major feature, configures defaults, and gets you to your first build without reading a manual.
Help when you need it
Every control has a tooltip. The full User Guide is bundled with the app and opens in your browser. Save Diagnostics packages a support report in one click.
Who uses ChapterForge
A few of the situations where ChapterForge fits naturally.
Audiobook creators and narrators
You record each chapter as a separate MP3. ChapterForge combines them into a single M4B or chaptered MP3, fills in the author, title, narrator, series, and cover, and produces exactly what you upload to ACX, Findaway Voices, or hand off directly to listeners. It can check your master against ACX loudness, peak, and noise-floor requirements - and fix the loudness in one click. The chapter editor lets you rename, reorder, merge, or split before anything is encoded.
Podcasters adding chapter markers
Listeners who use Overcast, Pocket Casts, or AntennaPod can jump directly to a segment if you embed chapter markers. ChapterForge builds them in from your existing segment files, lets you set per-chapter URLs and images for Podcasting 2.0, and produces a file your RSS host accepts unchanged.
Audio archivists and collectors
You have a hard drive of digitized cassettes, old radio recordings, or lectures - long single files with no natural track breaks. Drop them into ChapterForge and use auto-chapter by silence to let the app find the breaks, then review and adjust. The background watcher can process entire archives overnight while you do something else.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to common questions before you download.
What audio formats does ChapterForge accept?
ChapterForge works with MP3, FLAC, WAV, AAC, M4A, OGG, WMA, Opus, and MP2 files as input. Output is MP3 with embedded chapter markers, M4B audiobook, lossless FLAC, or Opus. When all your source files share the same format and bitrate, ChapterForge copies them losslessly - no quality loss at all. When they differ, it re-encodes cleanly with optional loudness normalization. See output options in the User Guide.
Do I need to install anything else?
You do not need Python or any developer tools. ChapterForge uses FFmpeg for the audio work; if FFmpeg is not already on your system, ChapterForge offers to download it for you automatically the first time you run it - a one-time download. After that, everything runs locally.
What is the difference between Standard and Portable?
The Standard installer adds ChapterForge to your Program Files folder, creates Start menu and desktop shortcuts, and registers an uninstaller. The Portable version is a single self-contained executable you can run from any folder, USB drive, or network share - nothing is written to the registry and no uninstaller is needed. Both are fully featured; the only difference is how they are installed and where they store their settings.
Can I fix an audiobook I already have?
Yes. Use File > Open Existing Master to open any chaptered MP3 or M4B. You can then edit chapter titles, adjust start times, merge or split chapters, update tags, replace the cover art, and save the changes - without re-encoding the audio. Full details in the User Guide.
Does ChapterForge need an internet connection?
Almost never. The first time you run ChapterForge it may download FFmpeg if it is not already installed - a one-time download. The optional metadata lookup (MusicBrainz and Open Library) also uses the internet when you choose to search. Everything else works offline, including the background update check, which you can turn off in Tools > Settings.
My files are different bitrates or quality levels. Will that cause problems?
ChapterForge runs pre-flight checks before every build and warns you if your source files have mismatched sample rates or channels. When files are compatible it copies them losslessly. When they differ it re-encodes to a consistent output, with loudness normalization available to even out volume differences between tracks.
Is it really free? Are there any catches?
ChapterForge is free, open source, and MIT licensed. There is no subscription, no account, no usage limit, and no data collected. The source code is on GitHub. The only "catch" is that the packaged installer bundles FFmpeg, which carries its own open license - see Third-Party Notices for the full details.
I have a question that is not answered here. How do I get help?
Start with the User Guide - it covers every feature in detail. If you have found a bug or something is not working as expected, open an issue on GitHub. For questions, ideas, or anything else, visit the community discussions and the BITS team will get back to you.
Download ChapterForge
Free for Windows 10 and 11. No subscription, no account, no data collected.
Read the release notes or browse the User Guide before you install. Questions? Visit the community discussions.