What you will need
- My Book Showroom PRO license activated on your site
- At least one
mbs_bookpost with an Audiobook format row added - Audio files (MP3, WAV, or OGG) and/or video files (MP4 or WebM) ready to
upload to the WordPress Media Library
Step 1 — Open the Formats tab on your book
In your WordPress dashboard, go to My Book Showroom → Books and open the book you want to edit. Inside the Book Editor metabox, click the Formats tab. You will see the format rows you have added.
The Audio Sample, Narrator, and Duration fields are shown only on Audiobook format rows. They are hidden for all other format types. If you do not see an Audiobook row, click + Add Format and choose Audiobook from the format type dropdown.
Step 2 — Expand the Audiobook format row
Click on the Audiobook format row to expand it. Inside the expanded row you will see these Audiobook-only fields:
- Narrator — text field for the narrator's name
- Duration — text field in HH:MM format (e.g.
8:42) - Audio Sample — file picker for the sample clip
Fill in the Narrator and Duration fields first, as these appear alongside the audio player on the front end.
Step 3 — Attach an audio sample file
Inside the expanded Audiobook row, click Select Audio File in the Audio Sample field. The WordPress Media Library dialog opens.
You can either upload a new audio file from your computer or select one already in the library. Supported file types: MP3, WAV, OGG (any WordPress-allowed audio MIME type).
After selecting the file, click Select to confirm. The file name appears next to the Audio Sample field.
Keep audio samples short — 60 to 90 seconds is the convention for audiobook previews. Long samples significantly increase page load time for visitors on mobile connections.
Step 4 — Attach a book trailer video
You can add a video trailer to any format row — not just Audiobook. Expand the format row you want to attach a trailer to, locate the Book Trailer Video field, and click Select Video File.
The WordPress Media Library opens. Upload or select your trailer file. Supported file types: MP4, WebM (any WordPress-allowed video MIME type).
The video is stored as a WordPress attachment in the mbs_spinning_video_id field for that row. No external video hosting is required — files are served directly from your WordPress media library.
Each format row stores its own video independently. You can attach a different trailer to the eBook edition than to the Hardcover edition. This is useful when you have edition-specific promotional videos.
Step 5 — Add a per-format cover image (PRO)
With PRO active, each format row also has a Format Cover Image field. When set, this image overrides the main book cover for that specific edition on the front end.
Expand the format row, click Select Image in the Format Cover Image field, and choose an image from the Media Library. This is useful when a Hardcover edition has a different cover design than the eBook edition.
Step 6 — Save and verify on the front end
Click Update (or Publish) to save the book. Then open the book's front-end page.
On the book page you will see:
- Below the Audiobook buy button: a native HTML5 audio player rendered with
your attached sample. Visitors can play, pause, and scrub the clip without leaving the page.
- When a visitor hovers over the book cover on a desktop: the video trailer plays
automatically, muted and looping, creating the spinning or reveal animation effect. On touch devices, MBS falls back to a tap-to-play behavior.
Test the hover video effect on a desktop browser first. Mobile touch events differ — confirm the fallback behavior looks intentional on your target device sizes.
Step 7 — Remove or replace a media file
To remove an audio sample or video, expand the format row in the book editor, find the relevant field, and click the Remove link next to the file name. To replace it, click Select Audio File or Select Video File again and choose a different file. Click Update to save.