Audiobooks discussion
Non-Audible Sources
>
Scribd adds audiobooks to their subscription service.
My husband told me about this. The streaming thing would be a deal breaker for me. I listen in the car all the time, and I don't want to burn data or worry about having a data signal in order to listen.I'm a little more intrigued by Downpour's new rental option. You can rent individual books (no monthly fee), you get it for 30 days, and it's actually downloaded to your device (not streaming). The only variable I'm not sure about is how their app is functioning these days. I'd heard horrible things about it in the past.
You can download to an Android device, I finally figured it out. I didn't find a way via the website, but from the app click on the circle near the upper right when you have the audiobook selected. The click "store to device."The Scribd app is actually pretty nice. I haven't spent a lot of time with it yet, but there is a sleep timer, and you can jump back/forth 30 seconds and add bookmarks.
I don't see any option to change playback speed.
Verena wrote: "I don't see any option to change playback speed."Thanks for checking. :)
There doesn't seem to be any way yet to even listen on iOS devices, although their FAQ says they are working on it. I contacted them to encourage variable playback speed and temporary downloading: more comments like that can't hurt!
Just an update: Scribd's iOS app now has audiobook capability including variable listening speed from 0.8x to 1.5x, and the ability to download an audiobook to your iOS device rather than just streaming.I haven't listened much yet, but I am VERY pleased by Scribd's fast implementation of our suggestions. Very refreshing.
I got a 3 month trial membership and I am loving it. I've had a few technical glitches with the audiobook stopping and I've had to close and reopen it to get it working again but other than that it's been awesome.....and not just for backlist. I just finished Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town
I have had good experiences with Scribd too, both on my Macbook and on my iPad.
HJ wrote: "I have had good experiences with Scribd too, both on my Macbook and on my iPad."I use it on my iPhone, primarily at home on Wifi but as others have said, you can download to your phone so that you don't have to burn data when you're out and about.
Janet wrote: "I got a 3 month trial membership and I am loving it. I've had a few technical glitches with the audiobook stopping and I've had to close and reopen it to get it working again but other than that i..."What is the 3 month promo code?
I got mine through Smart Bitches, don't know if it still workshttp://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/20...
Blasted! Doesn't work. I have a 7 day free subscription.
Scribd is cutting back on audiobooks to only one per month per subscriber with option of buying more credits for $8 eachhttp://the-digital-reader.com/2015/08...
so there isn't much difference from audible.com is there?
Crap! Back to the library for me! I don't read many ebooks so will probably drop Scribd.
Anyone know if credits mean you own or rent audiobook? Scribd site is unclear.
I only know with Audible, a credit means you have the credit to purchase an audiobook, whatever its price. I made the stupid mistake originally of using a credit to get a book that's price would have been 4.99 otherwise. Now I am more fussy, buy the books at under $12.00, usually avoiding the ones that are right around that price just because I won't pay that much for a book and use my credits on books priced 14.99 or higher and only if it's a book I really really want. Sometimes I will use it on an even more expensive book. I usually find the really expensive ones are excellent quality.
That's why I asked. Credits on audible and downpour are for buying audiobooks. Hope credits mean same on scribd.
I spoke with them, it means rental. You have the option to buy the book at the list price if you want after renting but it may not apply to the cost (that is in work). There will still be a list of free audiobooks that won't need credits but in General, those will be ones that are very inexpensive (see what the did with romance books). After talking to customer service and the customers don't matter attitude, I am done with Scribd. They are not being forthright. They dropped this quietly on a Friday so people won't know...they are not keeping to their word already... two of my audiobooks that should still have had thirty days to finish were removed immediately because they were costing too much)...back to the library and audible. So you get one free audio rental each month and can pay for additional 30 day rentals at 9.00 each. I can do better on audible!
I agree that is a very bad deal. I wish they'd had enough regard for their early adopters to grandfather us in or something. So I guess the only way we can let our displeasure be known is to vote with our dollars. Sounds to me like Scribd may not be around much longer and Oyster and Amazon will get the last laugh.
I'm in the middle of a 3-month free trial. So far I haven't been impressed at all. I've been listening to audiobooks (or trying to) on my Kindle Fire, but I hate their app. There's a long pause between every chapter (sometimes every 2-3 minutes), and it cuts off some of the words each time. Is this what everyone else is experiencing with the app? Why would anyone want to pay for that?
Angie wrote: "I'm in the middle of a 3-month free trial. So far I haven't been impressed at all. I've been listening to audiobooks (or trying to) on my Kindle Fire, but I hate their app. There's a long pause ..."No I haven't experienced that but I use my iPhone or Mac so maybe it's optimized for that. The biggest problem I've had with the Scribd app is it doesn't always sync between devices and I have to find my place when I switch.
Angie, we have had that problem on both our kindle fires and iOS devices. I have opened tickets for support. There is only one person assigned to that and she has not been able to get what the problem is/was and I gave up each time. I have seen the same complaints on other websites so it's not imaginary. We have trouble downloading anything to read offline - while on an airplane the app refused to let me use offline downloads without logging in. It defeats the point! Downloading takes forever, I often have to open the app several times and have had to reset my kindle just to get it to work.Scribd just hired a new big shot from one of the publishers as an exec. Her first few weeks brings us 9.00 per book rental. Instead of being upfront, they wuss out and put out a pitiful confusing note late on Friday to bury it in the media. According to someone I spoke with, they promised publishers half the cost of the book for rental. They made a bad deal and are bleeding money because people like to read and like audio books. Publishers hate Amazon but still won't make good deals with competitors and libraries! Now scribd can not afford to pay half for good expensive books so anything expensive will require a credit to read!
Overdrive is my main audiobook go-to, but I do have Scribd (mostly for crafty and comic books). Now if they have the LOTR trilogy in a non-dramatized version, then that would be worth it. I can listen to one book a month (on Scribd), and avoid that pesky $9 fee.
Julie wrote: "Well, I had a first today :I downloaded a complete book from Scribd in under 15 minutes !
Now for the downside :
After reading the latest discussion in here, I went to their website today and..."
I gave up after 2 months free due to problems with their app and downloading times. I think 'fixed in a week' is their standard response.
I do better with Audible
Julie wrote: "Have you gone into Scribd to look at the books you usually read/ listen to ? They have exclamation points on all the ones that won't be on the "read all you want " list . They are the ones that you will have to pay 9 bucks each for."
I went and looked. Right now this change is JUST for audiobooks, and starts on September 20th. One credit is included in your monthly membership, which you can use for any audiobook with an exclamation mark. If you want to listen to more than one *marked* book a month- each additional credit is $8.99. That's still cheaper than Audible. And with my Overdrive membership- it means I would only need credits for things my library DOESN'T have. Which I think is fair.
but with audible you are buying books, with scribd you are paying that $8.99 to borrow a book - not keep it (or at least that is how I read it)
I would rather pay a couple of dollars more with Audible and have the book be mine than pay to rent a book that I have to give back.
Jeffrey wrote: "I would rather pay a couple of dollars more with Audible and have the book be mine than pay to rent a book that I have to give back."Dee wrote: "but with audible you are buying books, with scribd you are paying that $8.99 to borrow a book - not keep it (or at least that is how I read it)"
True, but I'm borrowing all the time with Overdrive. If you want to check out my profile- I listen to a LOT of books in a given year, and I only want to keep maybe 5-10% of them. If that much. So if I find a book I like enough to want to keep it - I'll just buy it outright. Places like Scribd give me a chance to drive it around for a while, before I decide if I want to keep it.
but overdrive is FREE - or rather you are paying for it as part of your taxes
Dee wrote: "but overdrive is FREE - or rather you are paying for it as part of your taxes"Not always. There are libraries that offer a digital library card (for a yearly fee) for people out of the area if your library does not offer a digital component, OR if your library has a crappy selection, OR if you don't have a local library.
Point is- at almost 100 books a year- Audible would get prohibitively expensive for me. Not to mention the problems I've heard people having with changing devices/having multiple devices... The alternatives are better FOR ME. Even with Scrib'd charging credits - it's not every audiobook that requires credits, and I don't have to pay over what I'm already paying for the service if I choose not to.
Many of us in the group listen to 100+ audiobooks a year - but whatever - you feel paying $9 a month to borrow an audiobook is worth it and $9 for each book after; I and others disagree - I feel scribd had no idea what they were doing when they started between this and the romance books mess
I'll wait until the month is up and see how it goes but I can already see with the way they are marking the items in my library that all my choices are "pay per listen". I don't think there will be any in the "included" category that I want to listen to. I do have an Audible membership and some saved up credits so I will likely go back to Audible and Overdrive.
Dee wrote: "Many of us in the group listen to 100+ audiobooks a year - but whatever - you feel paying $9 a month to borrow an audiobook is worth it and $9 for each book after; I and others disagree - I feel scribd had no idea what they were doing when they started between this and the romance books mess "I think you missed the fact that I don't use Scribd for audiobooks. I'm paying the $9 a month for OTHER stuff. The fact that I get one audiobook a month WITH my other stuff is the part I'm absolutely fine about.
no, not missing that - we were pointing out that ADDITIONAL audiobooks are being charged via scribd - so you get your one book a month (which doesn't include all of them) and then any additional, you have to pay for...that is what people are complaining about/feeling taken advantage of, because initially it was sold as unlimited books/audiobooks and then they got rid of a lot of the romances (because of the power readers) and now they are limiting access to audiobooks
Dee wrote: "that is what people are complaining about/feeling taken advantage of, because initially it was sold as unlimited books/audiobooks and then they got rid of a lot of the romances (because of the power readers) and now they are limiting access to audiobooks."Ah. I see now. Probably that part of the business model wasn't sustainable. But I can see the issue. You said unlimited, and now you're setting limits? That's not cool.
Natalie wrote: "Dee wrote: "but overdrive is FREE - or rather you are paying for it as part of your taxes"Not always. There are libraries that offer a digital library card (for a yearly fee) for people out of t..."
There is a new service that offers audiobook streaming.
http://tunein.com/premium/?source=hea...
It is not available in my country, so I haven't tried it.
Jonathan wrote: "There is a new service that offers audiobook streaming.http://tunein.com/premium/?source=hea...
It is not available in my country, so I haven't tried it. "
No thank you. Streaming audiobooks is not for me. I'd rather not have to be tethered to my ISP or my phone's data plan, when I'm listening to books.
also not a fan of not being able to check out what they offer prior to signing up...
Dee wrote: "also not a fan of not being able to check out what they offer prior to signing up..."Yes, I don't like not being able to check it out prior to committing or giving them my e-mail address.
Julie wrote: "Are any of you familiar with the Downpour service ? I see that they offer rental books now and are underpricing Scribd by a couple bucks. I was wondering how well their app works , the downloads ..."Downpour have had rentals for awhile now. I'm a member and when they first started I got one free trial book and have rented two others since then.
The actual renting & time frame available were no issues.
I did find their app to be a bit 'glitchy' the book downloads in multiple parts and I had some issues with it stopping at the end of a part, then I'd have to go in and manually select the next part to keep it playing.
I also thought it used up a lot of battery life.
It wasn't anything major and the actual audio was good quality but it wasn't as good as the app I usually use.
Also that was about 6 months ago so it could have improved since then.
I would potentially have used it a lot more, but since then I have been able to join two different libraries and use Overdrive so I can now get so many books through that, I don't need to rent anymore.
The two books I rented were $3.95 each, I thought that was reasonable.
Julie wrote: "Patricia I've been trying to decide whether to stay with Scribd or shop around for other comparable priced services. My husband recently has gotten interested in audiobooks also , so we need to go..."
Julie,
Keep us posted on what you find. I am a big consumer of audiobooks too and looking for the best deal.
Janet wrote: "Julie wrote: "Patricia I've been trying to decide whether to stay with Scribd or shop around for other comparable priced services. My husband recently has gotten interested in audiobooks also , so..."
Current great sale at Amazon as they have a sale going and are matching Google Play.
I got Ready Player One for $1.99 with Audible $7.49
More listed here
http://smile.amazon.com/forum/kindle/...
I am never sure where to post these deals on this forum.
I am SOOOOO disappointed in this new change with Scribd. I just joined about a month ago. I have spent more time picking out audiobooks for my library that I want to listen to then actually listening to them. I just started paying as my free month ran out with me only listening to one book. I have told everyone I know what a great deal it is and NOW I GET A MEMO SAYING I HAVE TO PAY TO RENT 46 OF THE 50 OR SO I HAVE IN MY "LIBRARY". I AM PISSED AND WILL CANCEL MY MEMBERSHIP! Audible is so much better and we get to keep the books. Scribd streaming was not a good thing but I could at least download it to my phone (very slowly albiet) so I could listen to is on my car bluetooth. Does anyone know if I can download the 5 books I have started onto my computer so they don't go away on September 20th?
You can also purchase audiobooks from Downpour, not just rent them. They were always easy to use, for me. I haven't used them in awhile though.
It is disappointing that no company really offers "all you can listen" but it's understandable. I still remember when audiobook rentals on cassette were $20-30 apiece for a 30 day rental, and the selection was tiny compared to now. Between library services and carefully watching the Amazon/Audible promotions, you can do pretty well. I think we are in a golden age of audiobooks with so much available instantly and great talented narrators, no physical cassettes or CDs to mess with, plus communities like this one to recommend our next listen.
Julie wrote that the waiting lines are "a mile long" for the newer audio books she wants.I don't mind the lines as the list of audio books is very long. Eventually, and often faster than I expect, it is my turn for the audio book. I'm just trying to keep my holds list down, a little.
Audiobooks
Books mentioned in this topic
Cleopatra: A Life (other topics)Ready Player One (other topics)
Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town (other topics)
https://www.scribd.com/promo/ScribdLo...
Scribd runs $8.99 per month, ebooks and audiobooks included in the subscription. I'm going to try them out for the three-months I got free, and we'll see how it goes. Their iPhone app does not include audiobooks (yet). The android app does, but it appears to me that audiobooks are streaming only, so you need to be connected to the internet to actually listen. I haven't verified this yet, but this is how it appears when I used my Nexus 7 to listen to the single audiobook I added to my Scribd library.
FYI, to sign up for the free trial, you will need to enter a credit card.