Audiobooks discussion
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Is it possible to continue listening to Overdrive library audio books once they've "expired"?
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Carol
(last edited Nov 22, 2010 12:01AM)
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Nov 22, 2010 12:01AM
I'm listening to Washington: A Life - which is quite good but very long. I got it through my library (Overdrive) and it's going to expire in 5 days. My question is: if I do not recharge my mp3 on the computer, will the book still be there to listen to after the library expiration date? I have a recharger that I can plug into a wall outlet to recharge it. Anyone know?
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I often download books from the library into my laptop, and then to my MP3 player. They do expire from the laptop, but never from the MP3. I think that whatever device they are directly downloaded to will be the one they expire from; however I have little technical knowledge, so others may have different information.
Carol wrote: "I'm listening to Washington: A Life - which is quite good but very long. I got it through my library (Overdrive) and it's going to expire in 5 days. My question is: if I do not rec..."Not sure I really answered your question in my first response; I recharge using the laptop, even after the book has expired on the laptop, and it is still there on the MP3.
Carol wrote: "I'm listening to Washington: A Life - which is quite good but very long. I got it through my library (Overdrive) and it's going to expire in 5 days. My question is: if I do not rec..."when I use overdrive it always prompts me before deleting audiobooks, even if they are expired. I can no longer listen to expired books, but it either asks me to delete all expired books when I first open overdrive or if I click on an expired book. If I renew/check out the audiobook again I can resume listening where I left off before the book expired.
hope that helps.
Some devices allow expired books to open, and some do not. Not a very helpful answer I know, but it depends on whether your unit's "clock" (if it has one) is recognized by Overdrive. I have two devices - one allows infinite access to books, and the other gives an "Item Expired" message when trying to open the book beyond the loan period.
Thanks Janice, benebean and John! It's all very useful information. I knew I could count on my goodread audio-book junkie friends to give me some insight.
Just wanted to add that mp3 format books do not expire at all, period (you can even drag-and-drop those files directly without using any "transfer" mechanism at all). It's the WMA ones that do.
It has been my experience that the Overdrive software will delete the audiobook from my computer once it has expired, however it will not remove the book from my iPod. I have been immediately transferring the books to the iPod right after check out so that I can keep them for a longer time.
John wrote: "Just wanted to add that mp3 format books do not expire at all, period (you can even drag-and-drop those files directly without using any "transfer" mechanism at all). It's the WMA ones that do."Resurrecting a SUPER old thread. Is this still true? Technology changes and all that.
I tend to download Overdrive books, thinking I'll listen to them "soon" but they end up staying on there longer, till after the expiration date. But I had to get a new mp3 player, and SOME of my Overdrive books still worked, but others wouldn't play. Am I guessing correctly that it's because the former group were mp3s and the latter were WMAs? (I deleted the ones that didn't work, so I can't check.)
If I were to transfer the files back to my computer, delete them off my mp3 player, then drag/drop them back onto my mp3 player, would they still work? I have one or two books that it wouldn't kill me to "lose," so I can try it...
Sara ♥ wrote: "John wrote: "Just wanted to add that mp3 format books do not expire at all, period (you can even drag-and-drop those files directly without using any "transfer" mechanism at all). It's the WMA ones..."I think you may be on to something.
I tried it. When I transferred the files back onto my computer, I could play them there, and then when I transferred them back, they were still good to go! Thank goodness... I was running out of room on my 32GB microSD card...
Reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and thought the files would stop working with only 3/26 parts left but the downloaded files are still working on the app! I'm sure Overdrive will pressure me into deleting them (and I don't want to hold up everyone waiting) but it's good to know they'll still play :) Bookmarks don't work, however.
Stephanie wrote: "Reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and thought the files would stop working with only 3/26 parts left but the downloaded files are still working on the app! I'm sure Overdrive will pressure m..."If you don't connect your device to the internet you can keep listening and it will be returned so you won't be effecting anyone elses holds but the minute you connect to internet the book will stop working.
at least this is what I have found.
MissSusie wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "Reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and thought the files would stop working with only 3/26 parts left but the downloaded files are still working on the app! I'm sure Overdri..."It did stop working. Not right away, but first the bookmarks went, then the play button (replaced by "Expired" button- phone's swipe-up screen play button still worked) and then the ability to pause it. I think if I would not have closed the app, it would have kept going, possibly.
My MP3 from the library most certainly expires and disappears, I'm in Australia, if that makes a difference, and maybe it depends on each libraries regulations. The E books from same library give me the option of extending
Bec/ Audiothing wrote: "My MP3 from the library most certainly expires and disappears, I'm in Australia, if that makes a difference, and maybe it depends on each libraries regulations. The E books from same library give m..."If I download OD audiobooks to my computer (mp3 format) into the OD media manager, then transfer them from the media manager to my smart phone, and then move them into my Smart AudioBook app (open the app and have it refresh to "find" new books), they do not expire.
When I used an iPod nano, like Sarah said below, I would download to my computer then transfer to the nano, and they also did not expire.
OP: How you recharge your device doesn't matter. Recharging the battery has nothing to do with syncing. You can do one without the other.Overall question: Correct, MP3 (and MOBI) format books will never expire. The MP3 format doesn't support DRM, which is what causes WMA, EPUB, and AZW books to expire. And with the discontinuation of WMA through Overdrive, none of their audiobooks will expire.
They are deleted from Overdrive because they are still in the same folder you downloaded them into. If you copy/move that file to another location, it will not be deleted. If you use the Overdrive app on your phone to listed to them, they will be deleted from there. Solution? Use a different music app. Your phone has a built-in app.
Sara: The MP3 format will never be upgraded to support DRM no matter how technology changes. This was the big gulf between MP3 and WMA back when standalone audio players were still very popular.
I've found that if you convert the Overdrive books into your iTunes library they will not expire in your iTunes library. However I'm now just using an iPad so no file capabilities (and no access to computer) Any pointers on how to get some extra time on my checkouts with only iPad and iPhone access? Thanks .....
I believe that as long as there are no holds behind you, those books are renewable?"And with the discontinuation of WMA through Overdrive, none of their audiobooks will expire."
They expire on the app; I believe they do if you transfer them via the Overdrive Manager as well. Anything else ... like Sgt. Schultz, I say nothing ... nothing.
Thanks. I love my iPad but now can't transfer things to my iPod and nano. I'm not trying to rig the system just get around the frustration of trying to finish long books on a tight time deadline. I did find this: Apple requires iOS devices (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) to have a Wi-Fi connection to directly download files larger than 100 MB. I wonder if turning off the Overdrive wi-fi within the Overdrive app (top left menu options) will let me finish a book? Then turn it back on to get the next one? Or I can just get use to the speed reader button.
I have not found a way to listen after they expire, but my library just added the functionality to renew a book 3 days before it expires. Sometimes that means I get the book again right away, sometimes I have to wait but it at least put me in the queue again as quickly as possible.
I know you can burn most audiobooks to CD, and when I transferred mp3 audiobooks to my iphone they did not expire.I've also found that if I turn the wifi off on my kindle fire when an ebook is about to expire, I can continue to read the ebook until I turn the wifi on again. No late fees.
I always considered what I borrowed from the library to be fair game for copying. As long as I wasn't letting other people borrow it and I wasn't using it to make money, it was basically the same as me going to the library and checking it out again, except no waiting for someone else to return it first.
Many here agree with you, Val, regarding one time personal use.
Here's a little basic computer knowledge. MP3 files do not expire. MP3 is considered an open format. I remember my apps at one time deleting the mp3 files because they were looking for them in a specific directory or by name. But recently, this has not happened. The titles still won't play in the overdrive app, but I don't like that app very much for playing files. I prefer Smart AudioBook Player on the Android side. Though it doesn't divide the book into named chapters, it has a great bookmark and note taking feature. {That just expired and I am going to buy this App}.
Technically you are supposed delete the books and destroy the CD's after the expiration date, but if they were serious about it, they'd lock your burner or distribute the books in WMA format only. You may want to delete the extra datafile that accompanies the audio book. I'm not sure what is in there but, that may have instructions to the player to delete it.
I use my Ipod touch to listen to overdrive and except for when I'm messing around with overdrive, I tend to keep wi-fi off. Without the wi-fi I was able to keep a book and finish it... although I felt bad doing it.
My mp3 player died a while back, so while I was figuring out what to replace it with (my model has been discontinued), I downloaded the Smart Audiobook Player. I LOVE it! I returned the mp3 player I chose and just stuck with the app! The free version is great, but the full version (only $2) is totally worth it for the bookmarking feature and playback speeds.
I just had an excellent audiobook "expire" on Overdrive app. I closed Overdrive, turned on airplane mode, went to my settings, general, date/time. I changed the date to yesterday. I did a soft reset on my iphone. Opened overdrive with the internet still turned off, and lo there is my beloved audiobook no longer "expired"! I only need an extra hour to finish it, then I'll turn my wireless connections back on and update to the current time. Seems like a lot of trouble to go through, but when I'm so close to finishing it justifies the effort for me.
Aaron wrote: "You may want to delete the extra datafile that accompanies the audio book. I'm not sure what is in there but, that may have instructions to the player to delete it.."That extra datafile holds book information, reading history, and expiration date. Only Overdrive looks at the reading history and expiration date - other programs will ignore that information. No need to delete it.
Overdrive does let you renew it 3 days before expiration.
Mara wrote: "Overdrive does let you renew it 3 days before expiration."Not exactly. If anyone else is waiting to read it- you have to wait your turn. So renewing is just putting the book on Hold again.
Carol wrote: "I'm listening to Washington: A Life - which is quite good but very long. I got it through my library (Overdrive) and it's going to expire in 5 days. My question is: if I do not recha..."I just went to my library site nypl.org to renew the book. Its actually put on hold until it expires . then it is added back to the app.
Stephie wrote: "I just had an excellent audiobook "expire" on Overdrive app. I closed Overdrive, turned on airplane mode, went to my settings, general, date/time. I changed the date to yesterday. I did a soft rese..."Ooh, I like that! I recently renewed a book when I only had a few hours worth left - it seemed a shame to borrow it for 21 days when one day is all I needed.
Leslie wrote: "Stephie wrote: "I just had an excellent audiobook "expire" on Overdrive app. I closed Overdrive, turned on airplane mode, went to my settings, general, date/time. I changed the date to yesterday. I..."so give it back when your finished with - I always give the books back when i'm done - I don't wait for OD to take them back
Paris (kerbytejas) wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Stephie wrote: "I just had an excellent audiobook "expire" on Overdrive app. I closed Overdrive, turned on airplane mode, went to my settings, general, date/time. I changed the date ..."I did -- I usually do return books when I finish rather than waiting. But it still seemed a shame to me.
I generally just copy the Overdrive MP3's into an "Audiobooks" folder on my Android phone, then play them with something like Smart Audiobook Player app or the Listen audiobook app. MP3's aren't protected in any way, so once you do that, they'll stay on your device forever.Besides never losing the files until I'm done, both of those apps have a lot more features than the Overdrive app. I especially like auto sleep that checks the gyro on my phone to see if it hasn't moved for 15 minutes, plays a tone, then if it still doesn't sense movement, pauses the playback. Nice when listening in bed :)
Files are kept in Android/data/com.overdrive.mobile.andoird.mediacon.... In my case, I set up the app to save them on the SD card.
Similar question: my current system is to check out multiple ABs from the library and, since they don't expire once downloaded, just pick and choose what I want to listen to next. I am in need of an upgrade on my player and wonder if this is possible with Apple products? I have heard that connecting to iTunes to add music automatically removes what you already have on the device.
Hey, everybody, thanks for the great topic!I have a Macintosh computer and an iPhone. Before iTunes 12 everything used to work great. I would put a number of different format audiobooks, both Overdrive and ripped from CD, into iTunes on the computer and transfer several to the iPhone so I could have a choice to listen to, and start another book after finishing one without having to go back to the computer.
After the "upgrade" (euphemism for evil destruction) it was PURE TORTURE. The program would transfer Overdrive audiobooks to the iPhone, but if I tried to do more than one it would come out one part of one book and another part of another--NO COMPLETE BOOK in listenable form. As for those ripped from CDs, it LIED EGREGIOUSLY, claiming it was transferring them to the phone while simply losing them in transmission! After enduring eleven days of ABSOLUTE AGONY the like of which I hope never to suffer again, I got it to transfer ONE audiobook collection to the phone. It WOULD NOT do more than one, which could have had to do with limited memory space on the phone besides the app being UTTERLY EVIL.
Other books, I managed to listen to by lugging a laptop computer out near where I wanted to be, but still close enough to the house for the WiFi to work and lugging out heavy speakers all of which was still A THOUSAND TIMES EASIER than trying to transfer to the phone!
Well, so far so good. I thought, I can listen to the Overdrive books on the computer during winter months. It's only during the summer that portability is as much of an issue. The Overdrive books expired in the original download location on the computer, but when transferred to iTunes stayed indefinitely. Until, of course, I wanted to listen to one within the past month. In the meantime there have been several software upgrades including some kind of "fix" on iTunes. When I went to retrieve the book I found EVERY SINGLE OVERDRIVE TITLE UTTERLY AND COMPLETELY MISSING from my iTunes library! The set I'd already heard was still on my phone, but no longer on my computer!
So I have the choice of checking out the SAME books YET AGAIN (making at least the third time after a previous screwup)--which I couldn't as every title I wanted was checked out at the time I wanted it--which is why I save them--reading the paper copy, and ain't nobody got time for that--or listening to an audiobook ripped from CD, none of which were what I wanted to listen to at the time, which have to be listened to sitting in the same room as the computer as iTunes has NO INTENTION of transferring them to the phone as it did before the app was screwed up! *Sigh.*
I'm willing to try to obtain the books again whenever they are not checked out, but does anyone know of a format in which to save them other than iTunes? I do have an old iPod--I was going to get rid of it because it is such a pain to use--but as far as I know the files go onto it fine, it just puts you through agonies to play anything due to the device's workings. Should I try to immediately transfer audiofiles to the iPod to save? If so, can they be transferred from the iPod to the phone, or to the computer and then the phone, to save me fighting with the accursed iPod? (When it bounced off the car seat and skipped four chapters of a book--I was done.)
Other question I have is, is the Overdrive Library contents the same nationwide or does it differ by state? Thanks for any help!
There is one master Overdrive catalog from which librarians order - each library's content varies.
Oh, wow, thanks, that's what I was afraid of.
On the other hand, you can ask your library to add an overdrive title as well (purchase request).
While people have the overdrive books saved on their computers etc. I assume that means they are unable to be borrowed by someone else. So if you keep wifi turned off the book is yours until you elect to return it. That might be part of the reason for the long waits for books on overdrive. You can be "next in line" for a book for months on overdrive. They could require that books be streamed, which I would hate, but I really wish they could speed up the wait times.
I don't believe that's the case, Faith. The lending period automatically expires at the end of the loan. If you copy the book somewhere, I don't think the library or system "knows" that, so it expires your loan and allows someone else to check out the material.
Joy wrote: "I don't believe that's the case, Faith. The lending period automatically expires at the end of the loan. If you copy the book somewhere, I don't think the library or system "knows" that, so it expi..."You're probably right, since overdrive doesn't mention the concept of "overdue" audiobooks.
Overdrive lets you renew it 3 days before book is due back to the library.
Mara wrote: "Overdrive lets you renew it 3 days before book is due back to the library."Only if there is no one waiting for it.
I forgot about that. It depends on the size of the library. That's why I like HOOPLA & AXIS 360. The waiting for a book isn't as long.
In addition to my Macintosh computer I am getting a laptop soon. I wonder if I download the originals onto the computer and then copy them onto the laptop it would work. I'd prefer that to trying to mess with the iPod. What I'm afraid is if I still use iTunes, even on the laptop, it will all be the same app so whenever the app updates it might dump all the saved files again and then there I'd be out of all that work for a fourth time.
It finally occurred to me that most if not all of the audiobooks in question would have been downloaded onto my first laptop using the old version of iTunes--you know, the one that WORKED--in this case 11.4. THANK GOD the laptop is VERY OLD and CANNOT be updated, but not so old I can't still use the Overdrive Library!!!Oddly enough, of the first two authors I checked, titles by one were still in the iTunes library while those by the other were not! There is at least a record of what seems to be all my downloads, but I will have to check title by title to see what is still in that version of the library!
As long as the website still works with this old computer it seems to be the thing to do to save titles there and get them from there when wanted. It would be great if it would work to transfer them to the phone. I want nothing to do with ANY version of iTunes 12! But, since the phone is updated to *whatever* the latest version, it may not work. I am awfully afraid it was one of the many, many, MANY things I tried during those eleven days of torment, now mostly just a blur, so I may have to resort to lugging the laptop and speakers around, as I want nothing to do with the iPod either. But at least it now seems possible to access these titles and play them when I want, for the time being, as long as the old laptop continues to work. After that will see.
Just wanted to add that all Overdrive audiobooks are now in mp3 format. They have fixed it some way so these files can be opened ONLY in the Overdrive Media Console and CAN'T be transferred to iTunes, even using a much older version (from before they wrecked and then fixed it). Titles still don't expire on the phone or whatever player device, but they DO expire on the computer, and I have found NO way around it! There are software programs which claim to strip DRM protection but I can find NO WAY to get the Overdrive files into any of these programs! Anyone who can help and doesn't want to answer here, can you please message me? Thanks. Maybe there is some kind of player where they can be put on it and then moved back to the computer.
MP3 files don't have DRM encoded. The expiration comes from additional files Overdrive includes in the transfer.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Washington: A Life (other topics)Washington: A Life (other topics)
Washington: A Life (other topics)
Washington: A Life (other topics)
