Audiobooks discussion
Archives
>
Where do you get your audiobooks from?
I use Audible. For $22.95/month, I get two credits. Most books are one credit. If the member price for a book is less than $12.00, I'll usually buy it without a credit. They also seem to be having a lot of $4.95 sales for members lately and I stock up on books that sound interesting then.
I have an IPOD, but I still just listen to CD's from the library. I don't have to do anything extra, just pop in the CD. I don't have to spend any money. If I listen to a book I really like, I download it to my computer or pick it up in paperback.
I use the library primarily. Between checking out CDs and taking advantage of Overdrive and Netdrive and getting either MP3s or WMAs which I use on my iPhone and/or iPad. I finally got it worked out so it's not that big of a deal when it comes to doing transfers, especially since I have a Mac and that pretty much means I have to use my husband's PC to do my transfers from Overdrive/Netlibrary. The only time I have gotten on Audible was for a few books that I really really really just had to had and couldn't find from the libraries.
I use audible primarily. I am moving to the 24 credit plan per year this month which equal 1 credit = 9.50. Before that I was on the $22.95/month for 2 credit plan. I also use the library. I also monitor audio publishers for any sales for buying directly from them and share those MP3 CDs with sister(s) and cousin.
I Love my ipod ....I use the library , put the cd's on ipod and delete when finished, and download directly from audible , probably 60% library and 40% audible. If I had someone to share with I might buy more .
I use my public library to check out the actual audiobook cd's, download them into the program called Audiobook Builder on my MacBook Pro and they transfer automatically to iTunes where I then put them onto my iPod. I also use my library's digital collection thru NetLibrary and Overdrive. (Ovedrive less so because I have had some weird warped audio problems from them.) NetLibrary books are downloaded directly into iTunes and can be kept until you've had time to read them, i.e. whenever. Overdrive titles expire and are deleted after 21 days, plus you have to use their proprietary app, Overdrive Media Console. Thank goodness for my public library bc I check out about 4x the number of audiobooks I end up listening to in their entirety.
Thanks for all the great information!Sandi, do you find audible has all the titles you want? There are many times when I see a book review on goodreads and add it to my To Read list and then find that my library doesn’t carry it in audio book format. I wonder how likely audible is to have it.
Ms Petra, that’s been working for me for a long time now too, and I am kinda overwhelmed at these other technologies for listening to books....
Keri, what is Overdrive? I keep seeing it referred to. I see NetLibrary has a link on my library homepage, but they don’t seem to have very many titles. Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a WMA and if I am putting it on an ipod, can I still use an MP3 format?
Vic, any audio publishers in particular you recommend? I think the ones I get from the library are usually Random House and Hachette, but I know there are many more.
Frances, you can SHARE downloads?
Out of curiosity, do many of you read paper books in addition to listening to audio books?
Out of curiosity, do many of you read paper books in addition to listening to audio books?..... not very often , I just haven't got the time , thats tha great thing about audio , you can listen whilst doing other things ....washing up has never been so ebjoyable :-)
I get 99% of my audio from the library and library Overdrive/Netlibrary. I listen to 3 audiobooks at a time and am always reading one print book.
I get all of my books from Audible.comI do the 2 credit a month plan with rollover.
Bxrlover, no worries about needing some clarification. We all have to start somewhere and it took me a little bit to figure it all out :)Here is a link that explains Overdrive pretty well: http://www.overdrive.com/Resources/Me... . It is pretty much like Netlibrary, just a different format for providing a digital format for books.
Windows Media Audio (WMA) is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. If I remember correctly, another thing about .wma files are that licensing can be checked too--at least with music files that I've seen before. I think too that's a little bit how Overdrive works, as was mentioned above. Overdrive only allows for a certain time limit on a checkout and once you go to access the program after expiring, the titles you have will be deleted. (in my case, some materials I can check out for a week, while others I can have two weeks--some libraries may have a different checkout period, like up to 3 weeks as I also think was mentioned).
There isn't a way to convert .wma into .mp3 but it can still be listened to on an iPhone/iPad/iPod.
What has happened when I have gotten books as an .mp3 is it goes into my music files on my iPhone. The .wma files have gone very neatly over into my audiobook section. Sometimes too, the quality of .mp3s haven't been as good as .wma I've noticed. But both formats can be used. It just takes a little bit of working around in my case to get a particular type of format to work.
As for reading the old-fashioned way, currently I don't do a lot of it, but occasionally I do.
I use Audible.com for 1 credit per month but I can carry them over. So I do this complex search when I want to listen to a book. First, does my library have it on either CD or on Overdrive as a recording or ebook. Second, do they have the book itself. Third, how much does the ebook and the audible recording cost Then, I consider whether based on my info I want to listen to or read the book! It really isn't that complicated, I just try not to buy books I can read for free--unless I NEED to own it!
Bxrlover wrote: "...Vic, any audio publishers in particular you recommend? I think the ones I get from the library are usually Random House and Hachette, but I know there are many more. ..."Well, I keep tabs on Tantor Audio (mostly Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance), Brilliance Audio (Little bit of everything - thrillers, UF, PNR), and Blackstone Audio (UF).
When I do buy, I tend to go for the MP3 CDs that has books split up by chapter already in mp3 format on the disk. Like I said, my sisters and cousin like a lot of the same books so we'll take turns picking up an audio in this format that we all enjoy.
I also own a Kindle and read either ebook or paperbacks.
I get audiobooks from the library (download and CDs and [horrors!] cassette). I also trade books through a couple of book swap sites (www.bookobsessed.com -- a community centered around book swaps -- and www.paperbackswap.com -- mostly just a trade site).I sometimes also buy audiobooks from the library book sale.
I have a new Sansa Clip+ which has made listening to downloaded books much easier. Since my car has a cassette player, I sometimes listen to books from the Sansa using a cassette adaptor. Old school.
I've toyed with joining audible, but I haven't come close to exhausting the books I want to read from the library and other sources, so I'll probably hold off a while longer.
Thanks for the swap sites, Joanna! I've only done that in a physical store and I didn't know about these sites.I love all the new things I learn from all the smart folks here on Goodreads!
I have audio, ebook and print (at least one of each) going at the same time usually.Maybe it's the software I use, but I've found new Random House books on CD almost impossible to rip to mp3/WMA - there's always a spot on almost every disc that jams the copying.
Bxrlover wrote: "Thanks for all the great information!Sandi, do you find audible has all the titles you want? There are many times when I see a book review on goodreads and add it to my To Read list and then fi..."
I find that Audible has more than enough titles for me. I also read a lot of books in print. There are some narrators I don't like and I'll read the print version of the books they narrate. I also try to avoid books that cost less in print (either paper of ebook) than in audio. I make exceptions for really great narrators.
Keri ★TX wrote: "Bxrlover, no worries about needing some clarification. We all have to start somewhere and it took me a little bit to figure it all out :)Here is a link that explains Overdrive pretty well: http:/..."
Hi Keri, I was responding to the part of your post where you noted "What has happened when I have gotten books as an .mp3 is it goes into my music files on my iPhone." Want it to go into your Books folder and be remember your last played location? If you have downloaded the file into iTunes, select the file/title you are interested in adjusting, then Get Info (from the file menu). Then select Options. Under Options you will see a pull down under Media Kind. Change the selection from Music to Audiobook and check off the Remember Playback Position and Skip When Shuffling boxes. This will put the file in your Books folder. Wasn't sure if you wanted/needed to know, but thought I'd pass it along.
Thanks, Cheryl. For some reason, two of the books I had gotten from Overdrive that were in .mp3 format could not be changed over, as they were transferred directly to the iPhone, and not into iTunes first. Overdrive has a particular way of where it downloads to, unfortunately. If you know a way to transfer back to iTunes, I'd love to know how so I could fix the .mp3 format.
Don't forget if there is an audiobook title you want to listen to but isn't available at your own local public library, most libraries participate in Interlibrary Loan. You may borrow items from libraries across the country - books, audiobooks,cassettes, Large print books,etc. You usually have to register separately for ILL and you will use a different link to search for your items (WorldCat). It could take from 2 weeks to 3 months to get your item, and most times if it's something fairly new it won't be available, but it's a wonderful system to use free of charge. Inquire at your branch or call your main library.
The Overdrive Manager has an "advanced features" option when you transfer - after you click that you should be able to then select "Books" as a destination for your audiobook.Cheryl --
My library charges $5 per I. L. L. item
I get the majority of my audiobooks from Audible. I also pick up a few from WeRead4You every now and then whenever they have a sale too good to pass up.For free audiobooks delivered in a podcast format check out Podiobooks.com or search the podcast section of itunes for free audiobooks. You probably won’t find a N.Y. Times bestseller here but there are quite a few diamonds in the rough to be uncovered if you search enough.
Bxrlover wrote: "Thanks for all the great information!Sandi, do you find audible has all the titles you want? There are many times when I see a book review on goodreads and add it to my To Read list and then fi..."
Bxrlover: I read printed books as well as listen to audio, but seem to get through audio books much faster, I suppose because I listen while doing so many other things--bathing, cooking, working out, driving, etc. I usually have three audio books going at once, and at least three print books as well. I get all my books through my public library, using Overdrive, and have never had any problems with that. I also use and old boom box at times, and listen to both CD's and cassettes on that.
Probably the best audio book publisher for me through the years has been Recorded Books, but I also have had good luck with Brilliance, Sound Library, Blackstone, Random House, and although I used to avoid Books on Tape, recent productions by them seem much improved.
My library does not charge for Inter-Library-Loans, nor for Mobius, which is a consortium of University Libraries in Missouri, which greatly expands the number of books available. But unfortunately, my library system does not currently allow audio books to be obtained through either of those sources. But the local library system has a great selection of audio and downloadable books, so I have not needed to go outside to find books I want to listen to.
Do you listen on a CD player (if so and a portable one, have you found one that starts back up where you left off?) I have an iPod Touch and have had mixed luck downloading CD's to it. Any specific suggestions on how this should be done? I wasn't even able to download to Overdrive. I feel quite inept as I would prefer listening on my iPod touch since I am not in my car that much.
Thanks again for all the information. I found out today that my library is getting Overdrive on Monday. I also checked the bargain area at Chapters today and was amazed to see audio books there. I scored 2 for $14!!
Shirley wrote: "Do you listen on a CD player (if so and a portable one, have you found one that starts back up where you left off?) I have an iPod Touch and have had mixed luck downloading CD's to it. Any specif..."Shirley: I have an old Walkman CD player, but don't use it very often; it just skips too much. I use either my old boom box, when I am at home and staying in one room, or my MP3 player. My MP3 player does start where I left off, as long as I don't download something else in the meantime. If I do that, I have to find where I stopped the last time. It downloads everything into music files, and so far I have not been able to find the option for transferring into audio books file--but I am still trying.
Shirley wrote: "Do you listen on a CD player (if so and a portable one, have you found one that starts back up where you left off?) I have an iPod Touch and have had mixed luck downloading CD's to it. Any specif..."I too have an Ipod touch and transfer loads of cd's from the libraray onto it no problem , Tell us what problem you have and perhaps we can help you.
When I downloaded the CD to iTunes, one time it showed the book and the disc number which is what I'd like it to do. The other two times when I tried it, it gave a message that it couldn't locate the info on it and when I downloaded it the cd showed as track 01, 02, etc. making it difficult to later find on my iPod Touch. I've noticed reference to loading things as audio books, but don't know how to do this. Thanks in advance for any assistance!
I get most of my audiobooks from Librivox, Uvula Audio, Lit2Go, Podiobooks and my library. If you're going for all free stuff, like me, there's a lot of not-great stuff to sort through, but there's also some really good stuff. I don't mean this to sound like a plug for my blog, but it's probably easier to link to it than to link all my sources: Free Listens.
A reminder to people about how to transfer and use Audiobook CD's on an iPod or iPhone. I have pasted these comments from some old posts:One tip that I would like to remind people of, which I think I shared before, is that if you are loading audiobook CD's onto an iPod, make sure you do the following so that the CD is dealt with as a unit, instead of individual tracks.
Put the CD into your CD drive, and then when iTunes shows the track listing, select all the the tracks, and then click the Advanced menu and choose 'Join CD Tracks'. This will copy the whole CD as a single file. If you do this in addition to the tips about making the file remember your place, you will have a much better audiobook experience.
You can make any audio file bookmarkable in iTunes. On a Mac, select the file in iTunes, and choose , from the menus, or press Command and the letter 'I'. You will see the File Info dialog. Press the Options tab, then make the following 3 changes. Change the Media Kind to Audiobook, check the 'Remember playback position' box and check 'Skip when shuffling'. Now your position in the book will be remembered every time to stop listening or shut off your iPod.
The same instructions work in iTunes for Windows.
Does your public library have audio books, Kate?
Shirley wrote: "When I downloaded the CD to iTunes, one time it showed the book and the disc number which is what I'd like it to do. The other two times when I tried it, it gave a message that it couldn't locate ..."Shirley
I am not brilliant at anything computer but this is how I have coped ....there might well be a better way .
when Itunes cant loacate my cd's I click "no" to import them and then mark the whole cd ,right mouse click- click get info- then ad any info you want I normally add books author as artist then books titel under album and include disc nr. and on the right side at disc number & out of nr, ie . 3 of 10 .then ask itunes to import. Once you have written the info ofr first cd itunes recognisises the names and you normally only have to type a letter or two before the write title pops up.
I have found it easyer to put the book I wasnt to listen to on a new playlist, I normallly go into "last added" then copy the whole book from there, as then I know I have got the cd's in the right order.
when doing this I normally mark the whole book, and again right mouse click - get info-options - check the "part of compilation" box and "skip when shuffle" and "remember position". you can also under "media kind" switch it to audio book .....hopes this makes sense.
Thanks for the tips! I'll give that a try the next time I get CDs from the library.
I'd like to add my thanks for the info about using itunes effectively. Can't wait to experiment with my next audiobook!
The Free Listens blog looks quite helpful. I have bookmarked it and will go in later to read the info so that I can download some to my iPod touch.
Kate wrote: "*Spooked by Overdrive limiting life of files despite one paying for them*."I thought Overdrive was part of a library system and that was why they had a limited life?
Can you also make purchases, I must check that out :)
I didn't understand why Kate mentioned Overdrive either? Her comment seemed better directed at Audible.
I've looked. Overdrive are distributers to libraries, schools and other such. Perhaps there is a local charge to avail of it through libraries etc to help cover its cost. From bits I've read here and there I think this must be it.
Yes, but her statement still makes no sense to me.
@Kate, I don't understand. When I purchase an audiobook at Amazon or Play.com or even 2nd hand on eBay, they do not have a limited life.I checked and Overdrive isn't retail, they don't sell books.
Of course Overdrive books are limited -- they're library books! Surely you don't think you're entitled to keep print library books forever? Librivox is free because the books are all in the public domain, and read by volunteers. How is one entitled to "free" books to which someone holds a valid copyright?
Frances wrote: "Out of curiosity, do many of you read paper books in addition to listening to audio books?..... not very often , I just haven't got the time , thats tha great thing about audio , you can listen whi..."I do read actual books too when I can't find them in audible format, on all the places listed in these posts or if I don't want to pay full price for the audible version. I usually get several audio downloads on Audible.com when they have great sales. Recently got 2 for 4.95 each and they were on my wishlist. I do knit a lot so I love the audible so I can do both, read and knit,at the same time. My favorite things in the world. If you use Librovoux or any of the public domain sites you can convert to your iPod or get from their podcast list in iTunes as well. So if you like classics or out of print books you will never be without a book to listen to.
I'm still a little confused @kate when I buy an audiobook for my personal(audible) or library's (cd's) use, I own them and can listen to them as many times as I want to so how are these companies controling them?
Susie:Kate seems to not understand that modern books have been copyrighted by the author, who is entitled to royalties for the book; she seems to think authors should let folks have all the books they want for free? Or so it seems to me.
I repeat: Librivox are free ONLY because there is no copyright, and they were recorded by volunteers. Overdrive books are all recorded for pay, and most are copyrighted.
No, Kate. I posted that as an announcement for those interested.
I get my audio books from the library and download for the audio library.
Here is my 2 cents worth........I have been very poor (no meat just vegetables culled after harvest)as a child of older parents doing the best they could with adopted children and health issues.
I have been rich (meat and able to eat out in restaurants) thanks to dual income and schooling (A.S.S. and B.S. at an older age.
At no time did I EVER believe I should get something for free at the cost of another individual's loss.
We have public domain, libraries and swap sites (low cost)why would I expect to have a current book for free?
Having spent time at University I have a true understanding of greed where books are concerned....Publish or Perish.... So glad I don't have to purchase a textbook.
I listen to audio cd's and cassettes 90 % of the time, because they let me accomplish other things while "listening" to a great book.
I watch for "lot" audio on Ebay and am happy to pay reasonable prices for so many enjoyable hours of entertainment.
When I run out of TBR on the shelves I might even get a "new fangled" invention.
In my opinion .....Free isn't always productive to create "for the good of all".
I listen to books on CD on my work computer mostly. I have a library with a good selection of audiobooks right down the street, but I find they hardly ever carry the whole series of a book. I just finished listening to Darkly Dreaming Dexter (#1). I NEED to listen to the second right away.. does anyone know where I can find it without downloading? Like maybe a website where I don’t download anything, it can just play on windows media player? Ps- I’m horrible with technology.
I cannot refrain from asking - does your library have the second one as a download? If so, you could always listen to that copy on Windows Media Player!
Audiobooks
Books mentioned in this topic
Pandaemonium (other topics)The Woodcutter (other topics)
Fairest (other topics)
The Book Thief (other topics)
Water for Elephants (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nevada Barr (other topics)Martin Edwards (other topics)
Graham Masterton (other topics)
I have been getting my audiobooks from my local library on CD for about 2 years now and just recently got an iphone. It has made me reconsider buying audiobooks for the first time ( not willing to pay $50.00 for one from Chapters) and I am wondering where everyone else gets their books from.