Audiobooks discussion
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Listening Using Echo Devices
I recently received an Audible email noting that audiobooks can be purchased via Alexa using credits. I had already discovered this by accident. If you don't already know about it... if you ask Alexa to play/read an audiobook not in your Library, she plays a sample of the audiobook and offers you the opportunity to buy it using a credit... pretty cool.
One big challenge using an Echo I recently experienced was trying to get Alexa to read the Sherlock Holmes book I had recently purchased--the "Difinitive Collection" narrated by Stephen Fry. As a Homes fan, I already had a book in my Library by the title Sherlock Holmes--the dramatized radio play version. No matter what I tried, the dramatized version always came up. Finally, after more than ten attempts with every variation on the title I could think of (using the author's name and even adding "the Difinitive Collection didn't work), "Alexa, play the audiobook Sherlock Homes with introductions by Stephen Fry" produced the desired result. Phew, it almost wasn't worth it!and the Cherringham Cozy Crime Series Compilation, Cherringham 1-3... I had to talk fast and say it exactly right to get the second volume in that series! I hope audible will pay more attention to audiobook title names in the future!
I have the same problem with my Cherringham and a few other titles. I sometimes find its easier to go to the Alexa app on my phone where all my audios are listed and hit play. I too would LOVE to be able to adjust the speed on my Echo.
Jan wrote: "I have the same problem with my Cherringham and a few other titles. I sometimes find its easier to go to the Alexa app on my phone where all my audios are listed and hit play..."OK, you just gave me a "Duh!" moment... it didn't even occur to me to go to the app! Thanks for the tip. :)
Listening a few moments ago I got a lesson in how much clear pronunciation really does matter.
I said: Alexa, read Miss Frost Braves the Blizzard.
Alexa: I couldn't find Miss Frost Raves the Lizzard.
Uhmmm... I sort of wish there actually was a book out there with that title... it could be rather interesting. ;) But, lesson learned.
Jeanie - glad I could help. But to be honest, it took me being very, very frustrated for me to finally figure this one out. It has saved me from lots of hair pulling.
I use my Echo to listen to my audiobooks, but do it by connecting my phone via Bluetooth so I can speed up the audio. This only allows hands-free pause/play once I have it playing. Right now that works for me, but I don't like having to use my phones battery and of course would like to be able to initiate play and back up via voice control.That whole clear pronunciation is a bane in all areas of Alexa. We get some pretty wild things here sometimes. I, too, find myself just going to the app to get where I want.
I have a question for other Echo users.... When I first got my Echo the audio would pause or restart on a dime. Now it takes literally anywhere from two to fifteen seconds to restart and the audio has backed up five or ten seconds. Sometimes pausing occurs as a one or two second fade out... anyone else experience thees delays? Any ideas why this evolution? I don't mind the couple of seconds repeat after pausing for the most part, but the rest is sometimes irksome.
Jeanie wrote: "I have a question for other Echo users.... When I first got my Echo the audio would pause or restart on a dime. Now it takes literally anywhere from two to fifteen seconds to restart and the audio ..."Hey Jeanie, you're welcome to send an email to social-support@audible.com and our team will be happy to take a closer look into this experience. ^WW
Audible.com wrote: "Jeanie wrote: "I have a question for other Echo users.... When I first got my Echo the audio would pause or restart on a dime. Now it takes literally anywhere from two to fifteen seconds to restart..."Hi, Audible, thanks for your response and interest... it is appreciated. Now, how about that ability to listen to audiobooks at variable speeds?! ;)
As long as we're giving a wish list, I'd like a sleep timer.
Echo acts as a sleep timer when I say "Alexa stop playing in 12 minutes"
Rick B wrote: "Echo acts as a sleep timer when I say "Alexa stop playing in 12 minutes""I've never tried that... thanks for the tip!
Rick B wrote: "Echo acts as a sleep timer when I say "Alexa stop playing in 12 minutes""That's never worked for me, but I suppose I might have phrased it wrong.
I tested it out... it worked! I played an audiobook and used the recommended phrasing with a five minute time set for stopping. Alexa accepted the command and even referred to it as a "sleep timer".
All awesome and informative information! Thanks All :-)
I have another question... is there any way to get Alexa to tell how much time is left in the audiobook while it is playing or merely paused? When I re-start a book after it has been stopped rather than paused either for long enough or after doing some other task, Alexa starts the book by telling me how much time is left in the chapter plus how much time is left in the book, so I know that information is available to the Echo. But I can't find a way to find it out without stopping for a long time. Any hints out there?
Fun Tip: While listening to Ready Player One, it is easy to ask Alexa to play the songs from the '80s when they are mentioned in order to enhance the re-listening experience... not recommended for the first time through though! It works best if you have Amazon Music--I only have Prime--but even playing the sample can jog the memory for the ones you don't remember.I've done this with other books that reference music I don't know or don't remember well. Handy and kinda fun. ;)
Did You Know... while I figure many do know, I thought I'd point out that if while listening to an audiobook you encounter a word you don't know, you don't have to stop or pause... just ask, "Alexa, what does xxx mean" When the definition is over, it goes right back to the audiobook without having to say "resume". As always, pronunciation is important if you want Alexa to give you the right definition for the right word. ;P
Related to the above tip, if a well known person is mentioned in a book but you're not sure who they are, you can say, "Alexa, who is Cory Doctorow?" and she answers and then resumes the book. Even better, you can ask, "Alexa, how do you spell the name Cory Doctorow?" and you get the spelling in order to post here on GR and the book resumes playing without a new command!
I listened to a book today using Alexa that I had long ago downloaded and saved to an external hard drive. Turns out the book had been updated and an additional hour of material had been added--a short story that took up immediately from the action at the end of the book. If I hadn't been listening with my Echo, I'd have missed out on this altogether. I'll be re-downloading and saving this newer version to my hard drive. :)
I would like the option to be able to go back 10 minutes. I'm often listening to two different books and sometimes I'd like a little bit more refresher than 30 seconds. It actually annoys my mom to hear me saying Alexa GoBack Alexa GoBack Alexa go back three or four times in a row .
I also would like to ask "how much time is left in the book" and get an answer. Currently, I also have to download to Fire to get that info.
Stephanie wrote: "I would like the option to be able to go back 10 minutes. I'm often listening to two different books and sometimes I'd like a little bit more refresher than 30 seconds. It actually annoys my mom to..."You can do that. Just ask, "Alexa, go back ten minutes" and voila! You can go forward or back by any amount of time as long as there is that much time left in the book. If you ask Alexa to go forward one hour and there are only fifty minutes left in the book, she'll tell you so and then you need to give a different command. Alexa doesn't say how much time is left in the book so you may have to give a number of commands before you get it right! ;P
You can also move around in the book by telling alexa to go to the next chapter or previous chapter or you can say "Alexa, go to chapter 14" and it goes right there... if you have at least 14 chapters that is! ;)
I listen to audible audiobooks using my Echo dot all the time. And yes, my top feature request is for variable speed!A couple of things to note:
- I also have trouble selecting a new book by title. Alexa can't find it in my library, or plays a song of the name name. So I usually select from my phone and use "play my audiobook" to resume.
- Sometimes, if the book has a character whose name is Alex, the narration gets interrupted because Alexa thinks the book is saying the activation word.
- I sometimes pair an echo with my phone and just use it as a Bluetooth speaker, if I really want sped up narration.
Coming from a complete Alexa dummy (don't have one and probably never will) but can't you ask for a book (title) by (author). That way the chance of having a song of the same name and artist would be reduced a lot.
Say "read" to Alexa instead of "play" when you want to hear a book from your Audible selection. If I want to start a new Audible book I say "Alexa read (the entire title of the book) from Audible". Hopefully this will work for you.
Ah! Thank you all for the tips!It seems I have a lot to learn about how to talk to devices.
I've found two ways to ask Alexa for a book that work: "Alexa, play the audiobook Ready Player One"; or "Alexa, read Ready Player One." If you only say "Alexa, play..." Alexa always assumes "play" means music.Note: If you have a book in your Kindle Library and say, "Alexa, read Pride and Prejudice", Alexa will read the text of the book to you. I'm not sure what happens if you also have the audiobook by the same name.
If I want Alexa to read the book aloud, I usually specify "Alexa, read my Kindle book..." just to be on the safe side. Otherwise I tend to ask "Alexa, play my audiobook..."
Hey, thanks Jeanie. I went back for 8 minutes easily. yay!!There are some titles that Alexa simply will not accept to play. I think it's a pronunciation issue although "Elantris" seemed pretty straight forward. I have hundreds of titles and only two didn't work. Just download to your Fire or compouter and start it and then you can just tell it to "Play Audiobook" and you are good to go.
Sometimes, if the book has a character whose name is Alex, the narration gets interrupted because Alexa thinks the book is saying the activation word.
This made me laugh. It will be interesting when I finally start the Alex Cross books. :) I do have 3 echos though - one named Alexa, one named Echo and one named Amazon. The dot answers to Computer for my Mom's sake.
I use a screen-reader that converts text to speech. My computer is right next to my Echo and reading the instructions on how to use Alexa via my computer meant poor Alexa was trying to comply with every request referenced in the instructions and the "try these skills" tips. I finally had to re-write the pronunciation my computer uses whenever it reads "Alexa"... now it is "Alex" as pronounced by my computer and I haven't had any problems since! Well, except that I hear it refered to as "Alex" so often that I trip myself up by saying, "Alex, resume" and find nothing happens! ;) I eventually figure out what I'm doing wrong after four or five failed attempts! ;P
In the recent email giving tips on things to try with Alexa I enjoyed seeing one item under the "Most Requested" heading.Most requested Sci-Fi audiobook: Ready Player One
I know I personally added to that statistic! :D
Stephanie wrote: "There are some titles that Alexa simply will not accept to play. I think it's a pronunciation issue although "Elantris" seemed pretty st..."I also have Elantris in my Audible Library so I tried getting Alexa to read it... just the title was a no go.
If you say, "Alexa, read Elantris by Brandon Sanderson"... that works! No idea why... weird.
In case anyone didn't get the Amazon email... The Audible audiobook Heart of Darkness narrated by Kenneth Branagh is available FREE for streaming using your Echo device through April 9.Also, the real-crime audiobook West Coark that is free to Audible members until some time in May can be streamed for free using Alexa.
Anybody else get the email from Audible giving a code for $25 off an Echo device from amazon? Not sure where I'd put it as a fifth device... bathroom? ;PAnother thread mentioned a special deal for a discount on an Echo that is connected with a new membership... pass the word...
I got the email and am considering it. I only have 2 at the moment so I can find loads of places for a 3rd device.
This week's email from Amazon about Alexa had this: • "Alexa, read about Quidditch."
Listen to bonus content from Quidditch Through the Ages, brought to life in audio available from Audible. Free on Alexa devices until April 15th.
I already have Quidditch Through the Ages so can't try this one out. I did enjoy the bonus material and any Potter fan should have a good time listening to Ginny Potter and Rita Skeeter report on the 2014 Quidditch World Cup for the Daily Prophet!
BTW: The email noted we can ask follow-up questions without saying "Alexa" again by going to the app and turning on that capability... fingers crossed that variable speeds for listening will be added soon! ;P
I loved that they have added the "follow-up" capability! My fingers are crossed with you on the variable speeds!!!
"If you say, "Alexa, read Elantris by Brandon Sanderson"... that works! No idea why... weird."Thanks for trying that Jeanie. Good to know that adding the author may help.
I am so loving the option to go back variable minutes. Really improved my listening because I seem to get chronic interruptions.
So my dummy remark (message 27) was a good guess :)
Specs wrote: "So my dummy remark (message 27) was a good guess :)"Obviously not a dummy! ;) A lot about using an Echo is logical, but it can throw you when commands that work 99% of the time don't get the result you want... keeps us on our toes!
Yes it does!! Though sometimes I just can't figure it out. Today I asked "echo" to shuffle one of my play lists. Her response was I don't find any music in your library. :/It took 3 tries...I almost resorted to the app but the 3rd time worked. At least I didn't have to say "echo" each time since I had follow up activated.
Audible recently offered a free humorous audio, Menu Excerpts From Our Favorite Newark Restaurants, with various narrators proving--or perhaps disproving--the oft said, "I'd listen to him/her read anything."However, I can't seem to get my Echo to read this using any verbal command I can think of. Has anyone had success with this short of resorting to the Alexa App?
In case you didn't get the Amazon email: "Alexa, read The Bone Farm from Audible."
Follow Dean Koontz's newest heroine, Jane Hawk, as she tracks a serial criminal. This novella is streaming free exclusively through Audible until May 31st.
In case you missed the memo: • "Alexa, read The Velveteen Rabbit from Audible."
Over 300 Audible kids books are now included in FreeTime Unlimited. To celebrate, stream this classic for free through May 31st.
From the Amazon memo:"Alexa, read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from Audible."
Narrated by actress Scarlett Johansson, this classic is free to stream for the month of June.
Jeanie wrote: "From the Amazon memo:"Alexa, read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from Audible."
Narrated by actress Scarlett Johansson, this classic is free to stream for the month of June."
If you happen to have this book narrated by someone else, you have to start it in the app to get it to play on the Echo.
From the memo: "Alexa, read Treasure Island from Audible."
Audible's original production of Treasure Island, narrated by a full cast, is free to stream for the month of July.
This one was nominated for an Audie this year... can't remember if it won.
From the memo: • "Alexa, read A Tale of Two Cities from Audible."
Through September 30th, stream this historic novel to get ahead on your back to school reading list.
Audiobooks
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Wobble to Death (other topics)Madness Rules the Hour: Charleston, 1860, and the Mania for War (other topics)
First: I want to be able to listen at a variable rate... and without it sounding like a chipmunk! If you give me nothing else new, Audible, this is the one feature I want in order to make my echo listening experience complete! And, Audible, if I can listen to my books faster, I can listen to more books, which means I will buy *more* books... think on that! ;)