Audiobooks discussion
Technical stuff
>
Overdrive for Windows/Mac ending
date
newest »
newest »
Doug, this is a problem! It isn't the libraries that are pushing for this change, it is coming from their vendors, in this case Overdrive. I agree the Libby app has much to be desired. Not sure this is helpful, but you can download the books and play them when off wifi. I've tried to find where these files go in the phone, what type of files, but it's like a black box.
I'm very sad to find out about no more downloading.
To contact Overdrive to submit an issue, which this is, contact them here: https://company.overdrive.com/contact/
Under the first box on left there is an option to "submit a support ticket"
(I submitted one- requested to not stop supporting downloading of audiobooks.)
Also tell the librarians at your library the issue.
I use Libby and Overdrive on my phone, and Pamela is right. I live in a rural area, so coverage can be spotty, but once I've downloaded the audio, I don't need coverage to listen.
Thanks, I can let Overdrive know that I am unhappy about the changes, but from reading the FAQ it seems that the decision has already been made and they are in the process now of implementing it. And I already found a book that was in my wish list at my library that was in Overdrive Listen format only, no MP3 downloadable. I tried to use my Overdrive app on my Fire tablet to access the loan but it wouldn't, I had to get out the dreaded Android phone/tablet and use Libby to get it downloaded. I predict that they will be phasing out MP3 downloads along the way here, in order to "get us ready" by the end of the year.I already have to use an app to access Hoopla books and Axis 360 titles, but I have been able to use my Fire tablets for that (even though they are not handy to carry around). I really need a better Android phone/tablet thing that I can download the books to and put in airplane mode to save battery life. I can't be using my iPhone for this, I use it for too much as it is and the battery is always low.
So much for MP3 players and iPods that I own. I loved using those for audiobooks, the dedicated players were handy and portable and best of all offline. They can't control and measure how I use the media on those devices though. To me this change is worse than DRM I already had to deal with from Audible.
Doug wrote: "I really need a better Android phone/tablet thing that I can download the books to and put in airplane mode to save battery life...."This is what I do! I only take it off airplane mode to download. It last about a week on one charge this way.
I totally agree about using small players. A phone is too bulky. I am dreading the day when all services, including Audible, stop supporting downloads and makes us use only phones, smart speakers, etc. where they can track our listening.
I’m really disappointed about this change. Those of us who prefer listening to Overdrive books on a 3rd party app such as Bookmobile will no longer have that option. .
I just found out about this yesterday when I went to download an audio book. Only can stream on the computer or use the app to send to your phone.I hate using my phone, my MP3 player is so much better for carrying around and doesn't use as much power as my phone.
Guess will have to see if someone has a work around to convert the files.
I left Audible because of their change in the files last year, I use Libro.fm for audio books and as of now you can still get MP3 files but who knows if that will change.
This is continuing. Previous to today I was able to access mp3 downloads from Overdrive via the website, downloaded to Overdrive for Windows and transferred to my mp3 player (Sansa). On the webpage when I check out a book it asks at the bottom if I have Overdrive for Windows and I click that and a small file would download into the downloads folder on my computer. I had to double click on it to get Overdrive for Windows to open it and download the mp3 files.I ran into trouble tonight as the small file still downloads like usual but the file that I have to double click on has no file extension (*.odm) so the file has no association with the Overdrive for Windows app on my PC. I looked it up and found this on an Overdrive website:
"As a next step, starting in July 2022, OverDrive app users will be actively encouraged to switch to Libby."
I found that by renaming the file and manually adding the .odm extension to the filename that downloads makes it work with Overdrive for Windows as usual. Are they purposefully breaking that app to force us to move before 2023? Is that what they mean by "actively encouraged to switch to Libby"?
You should be able to add a CD drive to computers that don't have them. My brand -new Mac didn't come with one either so I bought an external one. I don't use it for books myself, but I get music CD's from the library and put them on my computer and from there to my iPod.
Corinne wrote: "you bought an external one and attach with USB?"Yes, I got this one from Apple when I bought the computer. I also needed a "dongle" which is the adapter between the weird tiny Apple port and a normal USB port, which even their own CD drive uses. When I first plugged it in, it didn't do anything. I called Apple and they couldn't figure it out. They put me on hold and I got cut off (this rarely happens, they actually have great customer service). So I kept looking on line and found out I had the drive upside down! I must not be the only person who did this because there was a graphic that showed - This Way and Not This Way, with a red X over the way I had it. After I turned it over it worked fine. The tech person on the line must have assumed I could tell which way was up, which was a mistake!
I have an LG external blu-ray burner attached to my PC and it does not like USB 3.x. It doesn't matter which port I use, as long as it is only USB 2.0, otherwise all I get are read errors when ripping discs. I had to figure that out the hard way. A lot of PCs don't come with optical disc drives or USB 2.0 ports, so beware when you are selecting an external drive so it will be compatible with your machine.
Following this thread with interest. I'm hoping some bright spark will come up with a solution.
Ok, I tried checking out an audio book at one of my local libraries yesterday and was pleased to see the option for using Overdrive for Windows has NOT gone away. They are pushing you to download the Libby app but still have the option to download mp3 files on the computer through the Overdrive for Windows program. I tried all 3 libraries I am a patron of and they all had it. So I checked out one item from each and they downloaded just fine.This makes me happy since I do not want to use my phone for audio books. Hope others may have the same option.
I was not very pleased to see this information when I dug into the changes I saw on my library's Overdrive page today.
"What are the plans for downloading audiobooks to a desktop computer using OverDrive for Windows and OverDrive for Mac?
After February 23, 2022, users who already have OverDrive for Windows or OverDrive for Mac can continue using those applications without disruption. However, we will no longer support new downloads of those applications.
As technology continues to evolve and trend toward the use of mobile devices, we don’t plan to build support in Libby for downloading audiobooks to a desktop computer and transferring them to an MP3 player."
I use Sansa MP3 players for my Overdrive audiobooks. I tried Libby, I bought a cheap Android based Tracfone on Amazon and didn't activate the phone part (since tablets are not very handy or very portable), it left too much to be desired to keep using it. I detest Android. I paid $30 for the device and got what I paid for, a cheap piece of garbage. I have a couple of Amazon Fire tablets (not portable), but Libby doesn't have an app for Fire yet (if they ever will, it seems to be up to Amazon). I can use my laptop (not portable) to stream audio (no thanks, I live in a rural community without great internet).
I want to download audiobooks to a portable player so I can go for walks on the road, away from the wifi. I have that right now with my Sansa players. Why must every service change things that were working just fine (e.g. ending 3G cellular networks, etc., causing problems in rural areas where 4G LTE coverage is spotty, and obsoleting devices)?
I guess I am really being left no option by every service used to deliver audiobooks except to use my phone so they can keep tabs on my listening habits?