Audiobooks discussion
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A Good App Gone Bad
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That's unfortunate when new "features" make things worse.I don't understand the benefit of the app, I guess if you can't get internet or wifi you can still use it. In general I hate all apps of websites, for example I tried the Goodreads app and I couldn't figure out how to even see the groups. I just use the website on whatever device I'm on and I haven't had problems. I never play my audiobooks through the site either. I download everything to my computer. I guess I want to be in total control!
Amazon tactics are sneaking in..they are why I won't own a Kindle. If I want to check out an e-book from my local library, I have to go through Amazon's website rather than my library. It is none of their business what I read at my library. Very intrusive and unecessary.
Audible loves making changes to their app and web site... if only they loved improving them! I find that only about 1 in 50 changes actually improves anything... the rest make it harder and make me less inclined to visit the site.
That would be enough for me to stop buying from Audible. So far, I have no add showing... fingers crossed.
I haven't seen this yet, but that is annoying! Yes, it's a free app, but people using it are generally paying members, so why subject them to ads? I put up with ads on apps when I don't want to pay for the ad or the content, but this annoys me. Yet another reason I don't regret dropping my membership. I really want to regret it, but they keep giving me reasons to be thankful for the library.
The HOME screen and ad were in place this morning. However, after lunch today, I noticed the HOME screen was gone. The app is back to the way it was before. I guess somebody paid attention to my complaint to to customer service.What’s odd is that I turned off automatic updates on my iPhone last night. I’m not sure how Audible managed to fix the app. Maybe I’ll rest better not knowing.
Jeanie wrote: "Audible loves making changes to their app and web site... if only they loved improving them! I find that only about 1 in 50 changes actually improves anything... the rest make it harder and make me..."So very well said, Jeanie!
I am still very annoyed with Audible. I want to get back into listening to audiobooks after my hiatus during 2017, but the PC Audible Manager is still non-functional with my Sansa Clips, and the latest Win10 update seems to have mangled Windows Media Player. Therefore, I'm currently without any easy way of transferring my owned audiobooks (750+ of them, don't know how many "plus" it is now) to my preferred player, other than 'drag & drop', which doesn't always seem to work properly to enable the 'remember my place' feature.
I don't have - or want - a SmartPhone, so that's not an option.
It’s back!Yesterday morning the HOME screen was there, but in the afternoon it was gone, replace by MY LIBRARY screen, just like previous versions. This morning, the HOME screen has returned - with the same ad.
What the bloody hell is going on? I guess nobody was responding to my complaints. I suppose a disgruntled phone call to their customer service is in order.
I recommend not updating to the 2.39 (479) version of the app.
I haven't received the update yet. I'm still on 2.29 so thanks for the heads up--I'll stay away from that update.
Oops, typo, not 2.39. I’m on 2.29 on the iPhone. If Grumpus has the same version, the something else is going on. Why are other users not seeing it?
Greg wrote: "Oops, typo, not 2.39. I’m on 2.29 on the iPhone. If Grumpus has the same version, the something else is going on. Why are other users not seeing it?"Interesting. I'm also on 2.29 (479) and have never seen a home screen or any kind of ads (unless you count the "Discover" tab, which I don't). I hope it doesn't change... I have really been happy with the Audible app and have used it almost exclusively for years.
ETA: I'm also on iOS 11.2.2 but on an iPhone SE
I called customer service this afternoon. I mostly got the run around. The rep did confirm the feature can’t be turned off. (By contrast, Kindles, out of the box, have a similar HOME feature much like the one in the Audible app, but, very sensibly, it lets users turn it off.) When I asked why some users see ads and others don’t, she mumbled something about marketing campaigns.I’ve already switched to using iBooks for my audio books. In many ways, the Audible app is much better than iBooks, but not so much better that I’m willing to be part of marketing campaigns.
For what it is worth, the ad is for Artemis by Andy Weir. I have bought more than a few science fiction books before, so Audible must think this a good match for me. Little do they know. Even if was a good match, I would object, because in principle the app is for listening, not advertising. I must put my foot down to halt the ubiquity of ads.
I'm confused. I have 2.29 Audible App on my iPhone and iPad, and don't have a Home page on either. When I load the app it goes to my library. I can toggle between cloud and display.
Maybe they selected a "lucky" few who are guinea pigs in their new experiment?
With the last two iOS update whenever I go into the GOODREADS app on my and I’m listening to a book the Audible app shuts off automatically because of the little pop-up ads advertising hotel, a movie, or a book.Because of the new iOS updates for phone, when I go into a notification, it no longer scrolls to the latest or newest entry. It stops in middle and I have either scroll down manually or hit the arrow for the newest entry to be brought up. Very frustrating.
I was tempted by the mention, in the January books discussion, of the Stephen Fry narration of *Sherlock Holmes*, so I decided to try getting my downloaded copy onto my Sansa Clip. And just for the fun of it, I checked the Help link at Audible dot com. For anyone who's not using a SmartThing, I suggest you check it out; the Help section has been greatly reduced from what it used to have. Now there are 3 main boxes/links, one which tells you how to use Audible's App with 3 different SmartThings, one tells you how to return a book, the third how to cancel your membership. Otherwise, if your problem doesn't fit into one of about a dozen 'questions', you're out of luck. The thinking of whoever designed the current page seems to be fairly negative. Two of the main things someone coming to the Help section will notice have to do with dissatisfaction - with a book, with your membership subscription. Where's the upbeat???
As a side note/follow-up: The downloads of the 6 parts of the Stephen Fry version of *Sherlock Holmes* all stalled out. None of them ever finished downloading, hanging up on what Download Manager calls "cleaning up the server". I tried to get these audiobook sections onto my Sansa Clip by re-downloading them. Didn't work, obviously, since the books never finished downloading.
I foolishly deleted the downloads I'd done back when I bought this book in March 2017. Now I'm really sorry I did, since this experiment failed to get them downloaded again. GRRRR.
Thanks for the warning, CatBookMom. I also use a little Sansa MP3 player (I don’t remember which one it is), but I haven’t downloaded a book since before November I think. I get as many books as I can from the library on Overdrive first, then use Audible to fill in the gaps. So I’m on the one credit every other month plan. I was planning to use my next credit in a month, but now I’m reluctant! I was smartphone-free until just last month, but I would still rather use my Sansa player as I can easily put it in my pocket while I’m working. I can not do the same with my phone. And that’s really terrible about Audible’s so-called “help section”.
It is now 7:21pm; the last segment of *Sherlock* was still trying to finish, from 5:18pm. I had to use Task Manager to shut it down. It seems like Audible has gone several steps backwards, just in the last few months, from when I last tried to use their programs to download/transfer an audiobook.
This seems to coincide with the re-vamp of their site... a design that assumes everyone is accessing it via smart phone. I do understand that now a significant majority of people use their mobile devices to access the internet, so Audible is responding to that. But this still means over a third of their customer's are SOL. I always suspect their IT people are not audiobook readers and don't use Audible themselves, so they often fail to comprehend what the average customer wants from the site. They like to make it snazzy in appearance and utilize the newest page layouts, but end use isn't a factor in their design.
Specs wrote: "Maybe they selected a "lucky" few who are guinea pigs in their new experiment?"Specs wins the prize. I was a guinea pig. I finally got a reply from Audible:
This is a new feature that’s being tested by our Product team and feedback like yours below is what helps us to fine-tune new products prior to making them available to the entire customer population; the change hasn’t been deployed to everyone and this is the reason some of the other Audible customers you’ve spoken with aren’t seeing it. Overall, we’re looking to gather customer feedback regarding the change to influence the final experience. Our team is working closely with the iOS Product team and we’ll make sure your feedback (and other customer feedback) is discussed and considered. As of now, I’m not aware of any changes being made to allow the toggling of this feature within the app. I do think it’s a great idea and will make sure it’s considered!
I guess I'll have to wait them out. I can live with iBooks if Audible wants to go forward with this feature and doesn't allow customers to toggle it off.
Wow Greg, my sincere condolences! So giving us, paying customers, unwanted apps in our face is a feature?
Does iBooks work with the Audible content? I also have BookMobile as a backup, but so far I really liked the Audible app...
iBooks sell audiobooks. Since Apple is very proprietorial, it's highly unlikely they'll allow you to upload content that is not provided by them. I recently got a new iPhone and was shocked to find that only content purchased through iTunes made it's way onto my new device. So music CD's that I purchased and ripped to iTunes wouldn't upload to my phone.
Seriously? That's really bad news, Janice! But maybe I'm still in luck, because I don't use iTunes match. I have loads of old folk tunes (dances) from cassette tapes. Bad quality but irreplaceable, you can't buy them anywhere. It would be crazy if I was not allowed to play them anymore. That would be exit iPhone for me.
Specs wrote: "Does iBooks work with the Audible content?"Yes. Download the Audible books to iTunes, plug in your iPhone or iPad, select the books you want transferred, then hit Apply. The books will go to the iBooks app, not iTunes. Sure, it's a convoluted process, but it's that or use the Audible app with ads.
Yes, I access all my Audible books by going through iTunes and also CDs I've put on my computer. No problems.
I haven't listened to a book all month and haven't used the app. So I just opened it. Same thing as Greg sees. Little late to this party but I don't think I like what's going on. Really haven't played with it at all.
I don't know. I closed out after going to my library and when I clicked back in it was still my library not the home page . It is annoying to open to the home page and have to open my library but it only takes 5 seconds to switch it
Greg wrote: "Specs wrote: "Does iBooks work with the Audible content?"Yes. Download the Audible books to iTunes, plug in your iPhone or iPad, select the books you want transferred, then hit Apply. The books w..."
Do you have an older version of iTunes? I haven't tried uploading audiobooks, so my experience is with the music end of it. I have an old laptop with an old version of iTunes and was able to upload all my music again using it. It seems the newer versions exclude any content not purchased through Apple.
Janice, switch off iTunes match. That's what I've heard from others. Don't have any experience with it myself.
Specs wrote: "Janice, switch off iTunes match. That's what I've heard from others. Don't have any experience with it myself."I don't subscribe to iTunes match, but I'll double check the settings on iTunes. Thanks.
I’ve noticed a new feature in the Audible app. Whenever I navigate the app, I have to pass through the HOME screen. The HOME screen is now showing an ad for a book. I noticed this yesterday: 01-17-18. So far the ad has always been for the same book. But it doesn’t matter what title the ad shows, I don’t want it, and I don’t to see it every time I navigate the app.
I’m probably more peeved that rationality dictates, but I really don’t want to see ads. I’m not interested in what Audible thinks I might be interested in. Even if it were I title I wanted, seeing the ad would make me not want it. Contrary, sure, but I hate really ads. I pay for the Platinum Plan; I’m going to use every last credit and then some. I don’t need any freaking ads. The option to turn off this feature is absolutely necessary.
I contacted Audible Customer Service this morning; they said there was no way to turn off this new feature. I’m ready to war against the app.
I will write a scathing 1 star review of the app this weekend.
Application Audible: 2.29 (479)
OS Version: iOS 11.2.2
Device: iPhone 6s Plus