Audiobooks discussion
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What do you use to listen to audiobooks?
message 251:
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Beverly
(new)
Feb 19, 2019 01:00AM
Usually I listen to my audiobooks on my Amazon Echo Dot.
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Beverly wrote: "Usually I listen to my audiobooks on my Amazon Echo Dot."Nowadays, me too. :) Were you thrilled when they added the ability to playback at two faster--and one slower--speeds? I love that feature, but wish there were a few more options to listen faster.
Currently using Ipod nano (4th and 7th gen), Itouch (7), Fire HDX, 7 and Fire 8, Echo and computer to play audiobooks. The Audible app on my Ipod Touch 5 will no longer work, so sideloaded audiobooks only now on that. My Nook HD+ also doesn't work with the Audible app any more, but I'm getting some help to free it from B&N to complete Android and then I can redownload the app from Google Play. It has a stereo speaker, so I like that over the Fires. I occasionally use the stereo speaker on the HDX as well.
What app do you use to listen to audiobooks on iphone? Sort of a survey question. I use Smartaudiobooks on my android but there is no equivelant for the Iphone or at least I can't find it. I'm sure this has been covered before but neertheless, here i am, late and confused as usual. tsk tak
Phil wrote: "What app do you use to listen to audiobooks on iphone? Sort of a survey question. I use Smartaudiobooks on my android but there is no equivelant for the Iphone or at least I can't find it. I'm su..."
Strictly an Android guy myself, do not sure why iBooks or iTunes doesn't suit your purposes? A bit of web surfing makes it seems that Bookmobile might be your best equivalent to Smartaudioplayer.
Phil wrote: "What app do you use to listen to audiobooks on iphone? Sort of a survey question. I use Smartaudiobooks on my android but there is no equivelant for the Iphone or at least I can't find it. I'm su..."
Itunes and the phone app is just called Books.
Does anyone know what android app interfaces with Itunes? My wife has an android phone so she carries an IPOD in the car. I got a used I-Phone because it was cheaper than an IPOD and my older IPODs don't work in newer cars. The wife would rather keep her android phone.
I use Audible and Audibooks.com apps on my android phone and I love it.I use Audible on an old IPhone for the gym.
Phil wrote: "What app do you use to listen to audiobooks on iphone?..."I don't have an iPhone, but I do have two iPod Touch devices. I use RBdigital, (Apple) Books, Audible, christianaudio, and LibriVox apps. I rarely listen to books on my Android phone, but I occasionally use RBdigital or Audible on it. My favorite of the apps is Audible, although I use RBdigital the most because I use it to listen to lots of free books through my local library. I don't care much for LibriVox, but it's useful once in a while.
I really am not happy with RB Digital in not knowing where I am in a book, except for number of "chapters" of uneven length.
I use Smart AudioBook Player on my Android phone for everything that is not Audible, including those I've downloaded from RBDigital.
Kathleen wrote: "I use Smart AudioBook Player on my Android phone for everything that is not Audible, including those I've downloaded from RBDigital."How do you get Smart to recognize RB books? I cannot get that to work.
John wrote: "Kathleen wrote: "I use Smart AudioBook Player on my Android phone for everything that is not Audible, including those I've downloaded from RBDigital."How do you get Smart to recognize RB books? I..."
Not sure I remember, except that it wasn't hard. Try opening Smart AudioBook Player, select Library, and then ask it to search for all by using the 3/4 circle with arrow on the top right of the screen. I'm leaving home right now so I don't have time to explore.
I started buying some audio cds/ mp3s last year after noticing that not all audiobooks are available in my audible marketplace. The price was high and I cant recommend the procedure. 20-30€ and some only audiocds.
1. audible.co.uk is the cheapest audible marketplace in the western world.... about 5€/$ per credit
Only the daily deals and e.g. promotions like the first three of a series are cheaper.
No reason to buy audiobooks on another place.
Audible.in(dia) is 2.5€/$ per credit (-; ツ btw.
2. Converting not necessary.
3. Speed is 3.0. It was 3.5 - for I think one update - half a year ago. Rightspeed app for iOS allows faster playback but you have to convert.
My motherlanguage isnt English but I understand 90-100% with 300% speed.
John wrote: "Kathleen wrote: "I use Smart AudioBook Player on my Android phone for everything that is not Audible, including those I've downloaded from RBDigital."How do you get Smart to recognize RB books? I..."
John: See my directions in message 266. I just tested them, and they work, except the RB audiobook title shows up as a series of numbers and without the cover photo. It is at the bottom of the list of "All" books.
Bill (Just a) wrote: "Does anyone know what android app interfaces with Itunes? My wife has an android phone so she carries an IPOD in the car. I got a used I-Phone because it was cheaper than an IPOD and my older IPODs..."I would have thought that you could use any iPod if your car has a USB port. You just need the wider connector at the other end of your cable for the older models. There is also the old method of using a wireless transmitter but that's rarely needed anymore.
Does anyone know of a device that will play audible titles that will store on the device besides a cell phone and has a speaker. I really need one to give as a gift.
Robin wrote: "Bill (Just a) wrote: "Does anyone know what android app interfaces with Itunes? My wife has an android phone so she carries an IPOD in the car. I got a used I-Phone because it was cheaper than an I..."No the software is different. It plays. But plays very fast.
Trio wrote: "I use Audible and Audibooks.com apps on my android phone and I love it.I use Audible on an old IPhone for the gym."
Ok - thanks. That means she has to stream the book. At least I think it does. That's OK. She has unlimited Data.
You don’t have to stream. You can download the entire book while on WiFi.
Chris wrote: "You don’t have to stream. You can download the entire book while on WiFi."Thanks Chris.
Speaking of streaming... this weekend Audible's Cloud Player--which is what you listen on while in the Library if you are using a computer--has gone wonky. While I can start a book, if I stop it and restart it, it starts the book over from the beginning. The button to make it go forward a chapter or forward thirty seconds does nothing so it isn't possible to get back to the last place the book stopped. Stupid Cloud Player! It's never been the best player, but now it's worthless.A second odd thing is that, previously, if you listened using an Echo it would pick up where it last left off--both are streaming so they share the book. Right now, if I listen using the Echo the Cloud Player doesn't sync up.
And to top it all off, my Echo isn't finding all my books when I ask for them. I got The Mystwick School of Musicraft as a freebie and started it on my Echo, but now Alexa says she can't find it. She also can't find Eye Spy, which I bought within the past month or two and shows up on the first page in my Library. *sighs*
I use a variety of sources: 1.Borrow Box through my library for free audiobooks. This one has very limited titles, but are open to suggestions and have purchased some audiobooks that I requested.
2.Scribd on a monthly subscription, and I can get quite a few books a month using this service, including newer releases. They have a pretty wide library, but can be frustrating when books I want come up as not being available in my country.
3. Audible on a monthly subscription is where I pick up the books that the other 2 cheaper options don't have. As it is the most expensive and I am buying the book to keep I try and save it for the books I know I will love. I do return books that I end up not liking and can get refunded which is great. I have recently discovered that Audible Australia doesn't have multiple subscription options to make the audiobooks cheaper though and that has annoyed me! They do have the offer of getting 3 credits for $34.95 (NZ dollars) which is a better deal though, so I have started using that when I need to.
I download my audiobooks onto my smart phone and use wireless headphones (so much better than the numerous plug -in ones I have gone through!). Sometimes I will swap between my phone and streaming on my laptop.
My problem with wireless earphones is that I find that they skip badly when the device is jostled at all in my pocket or bag.
John wrote: "My problem with wireless earphones is that I find that they skip badly when the device is jostled at all in my pocket or bag."Mine are really bad around the microwave.
I used to listen to audiobooks only in the car. I have a nice sound system, so that was great, but the less I drove, it became... not enough. Next I began listening to Overdrive and other audio books through my Alexa. The speaker is ok when I am in the main part of the house, but I couldn't listen anywhere else.
Now I listen on my headphones (attached to phone), Alexa, and pair my phone by bluetooth to the car. I primarily use Overdrive, but have also begun buying some from Chirp. I love how my place is easy to keep and my book can "follow" me throughout my day.
All these little - and not so little - irritations are why I stick to my mp3 player with wired earbud (not buds, I just use one). If only I could find one that's as good as the Sansa Clip+ was.
I use the Smart Audiobook Player on my Android phone and tablet. The Listen app is a close second. I keep my audiobooks collection on Dropbox and can browse my library to find the books or lectures I am interested to listen to on Cloudplayer. I could stream them direct from Dropbox with Cloudplayer but SAP has more functionality for audiobooks so I download the audiobooks I'm currently listening to to the SD card.
I find smartphones and tablets too large and heavy for most listening--I move around a lot and need something small and light. Hence I use a Sandisk Clip for nearly everything, and my iPhone for services such as Hoopla that won't play on anything other than a mobile device or computer or if I need Bluetooth for using in my car. The Sandisk Clip Jam I'm currently using costs about $25.00 and weighs 22 grams, which is less than an ounce. It runs about 12-15 hours on a charge, has decent sound, varied playback speeds, and the 8GB device holds about 20 average audiobooks. The 16 GB version which costs twice as much holds twice as much. It plays MP3 (including OverDrive), Audible, and unprotected WMA formats. The downside is that you have to sideload material using your computer, and MP3 titles longer than 15 or 16 characters need a little massaging. You also have to make sure you load to the "audiobook" folder to get audiobook features. I've been using various Clip models for about 15 yearsI did find an app for my iPhone, MP3 Audiobook Player, that will play non-proprietary material and download from Dropbox using wifi, useful since not everything I want to play on my iPhone is from a proprietary service such as Audible, Hoopla, etc
I prefer the dedicated player too, something small and lightweight with a great battery. My phone is too heavy, and needs a pocket or way of carrying it, not to mention the battery use. I'm using the Sansa Sport Plus but I don't prefer it to the old Clip Plus. I'll be looking for a new one soon and hope I can find something a bit more like the Clip Plus.
Yes, I still use a tiny iPod nano, maybe 2 inches per side. I bought an extra one on eBay just in case. I fear that Audible will force us all to stream eventually but there are a lot of us who like the small players.
Robin P wrote: "Yes, I still use a tiny iPod nano, maybe 2 inches per side. I bought an extra one on eBay just in case. I fear that Audible will force us all to stream eventually but there are a lot of us who like..."I'm toast if they go all-streaming. I'm frequently in non-service areas, including inside my own house!
If they go to a Scribd model -- downloads to phone but not to laptop -- then I'll be annoyed, but I'll survive.
Contrarius wrote: "I'm toast if they go all-streaming. I'm frequently in non-service areas, including inside my own house!.."Same coverage situation here, though even if it was consistently good I'd still prefer my little player for listening to books. I was really surprised by the small selection of players when I went to look for a back-up. Very little to eenie-meenie between.... and old discontinued models are costing near quadruple what they were originally!
Robin P wrote: "Yes, I still use a tiny iPod nano, maybe 2 inches per side. I bought an extra one on eBay just in case. I fear that Audible will force us all to stream eventually but there are a lot of us who like..."I guess that's what I'll do, get a back up Sport Plus. At least I'm familiar with the bits I don't like, 'better the devil you know' sort of thing. and the battery is decent. Most of the small players seem to be the same, just rebranded, so it's hard to pick which would suit my book listening habit best.
I maybe used the wrong term, I don't think any of the current services are just real-time streaming, generally you can download a book to a device while on wi-fi or cell service, then listen to it without needing to be on a network. That is how Audible Plus or Escape works now.
Robin P wrote: "I maybe used the wrong term, I don't think any of the current services are just real-time streaming, generally you can download a book to a device while on wi-fi or cell service, then listen to it ..."OK, I get that, but I really wouldn't be surprised if things started to go that way. So much of technology is going to streaming and cloud, and really I just don't enjoy the distance of it and relying on connections. I understand the why but I like to keep my stuff on my machines.
Sigh
I don't see stream-only as a thing. It's that they want the free/included stuff "under control" on devices, where the location is hidden, and the format isn't (easily) Crack-able. As a tradeoff, they know folks convert downloaded purchased items, so are willing to let that remain.
I surely hope stream only doesn't become a thing so am glad you don't see it happening. So much of my software is cloud based now, I guess I'm just worried books will go that way too. I'm more worried about my books than I am about my work LOL
Robin P wrote: "Yes, I still use a tiny iPod nano, maybe 2 inches per side. I bought an extra one on eBay just in case. I fear that Audible will force us all to stream eventually but there are a lot of us who like..."I am the same, I have several Creative Zen players that I have bought from ebay, so I have backups if my current ones (been using since 2012) stop working. It is so much easier than using a smart phone. I guess I am tilting at windmills but hope this option remains for a while longer.
I use bluetooth earbuds but sometimes I also just play audiobooks on speaker on my phone or tablet.These are basically the only devices I listen to audiobooks on.
My Sport Plus has started to give me trouble, the audio connector is loose, worn or something like that, sound disappears and I have to wiggle the headphone jack to get sound back. It's done a lot of work though so no real surprise. So in a panic and with no research I bought a little Oakcastle mp3 player (because it was cheap) and it's doing the job, the battery seems good. I do prefer to be able to move about so these little players are what I like. I've taken out my bluetooth earbuds to try with it once they are charged.
I use my phones for audiobooks from Hoopla and Axis 360. I like using my bluetooth earbuds with these. I use my mp3 players for Overdrive books. I have to use wired earbuds with these. I have been looking at bluetooth transmitters for the mp3 players. When I am doing things while listening to a book, sometimes my earbuds get ripped out of my ears or my player. Has anyone tried these transmitters? Do you like them? Any recommendations?
I use my smartphone, iPad & wireless earbuds for Audible.
I can’t imagine ever using wireless individual earphones, I would lose them for sure. I have enough trouble keeping track of the wired ones. Luckily I find the wired Apple earphones comfortable and weirdly a pair was included in the new phone I got this summer, even though there is no headphone jack. I ordered an adapter of course, although it cost $15 or $20 for a 2-inch piece.
Robin P wrote: "I can’t imagine ever using wireless individual earphones, I would lose them for sure. I have enough trouble keeping track of the wired ones. Luckily I find the wired Apple earphones comfortable and..."I would also lose uncorded phones in about 2 seconds flat! I must have odd ear holes because none seem to stay lodged in my ears. They all seem too big and I have to almost screw them in. O_o
Kandice wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I can’t imagine ever using wireless individual earphones, I would lose them for sure. I have enough trouble keeping track of the wired ones. "Well, it's gratifying to know I'm not the only one with this problem! The bluetooth earbuds that are marketed for "exercise" and have loops that fit around your ears more or less like eyeglasses work in some situations. My Sony over-ear noise-canceling headphones are great for many activities (like vacuuming or mowing the lawn).
But for walking or other activities where I'm moving and not making noise, I find bone conduction headphones to be best. They are especially good when I have a dog with me since under those circumstances I want to make sure I can hear any cars (or people or - god forbid - other dogs) approaching.
Robin P wrote: "I can’t imagine ever using wireless individual earphones, I would lose them for sure. I have enough trouble keeping track of the wired ones. Luckily I find the wired Apple earphones comfortable and..."I use Bluetooth earphones that have the wire connecting between them. When I was shopping I found that these have a longer charge life than the truly wireless ones, and they're also easier to keep track of -- like mittens that have been tied together with string. ;-)
I have the Jaybird Tarah Pro earbuds, which I selected for charge life and waterproofing. I'm on my second set now -- I recently did manage to lose my first set after about a year of use, but at least they're harder to lose than the wireless kind. I bought both sets on ebay -- you can get a bunch of stuff there cheaper than retail. Just be sure that you only buy from sellers with lots of good feedback!
Contrarius wrote: "When I was shopping I found that these have a longer charge life than the truly wireless ones, and they're also easier to keep track of -- like mittens that have been tied together with string. ;-)."Absolutely! Another thing I like about these is that all the sets we've had (always the ones with the wires that go around your ears) have a little light on the part of the connecting string that you plug the charger into. That blinking light makes it much easier to find them if you fall asleep wearing them and need to locate them quickly later, before the puppy gets them!
Barbara wrote: "before the puppy gets them! ";-D
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