Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Audible

Strongbad, do you have 400,000 viruses?

WidgetAlley — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:47:25 -0800

My MP3 files are scrambled... but now only on my MP3 player! Is my MP3 player somehow defunct? Are my .mp3 files corrupted? Please help! First and foremost, this is a follow-up to this question, so if you'd like the back story it's all there. I have checked the date modified, run virus scans and so on, and nothing has shown up.

Since then, however, several things have happened. I loaded up my MP3 player with Audible files and set off on a weekend trip. An Audible file that worked flawlessly at the beginning of the trip was, by the return journey two days later, also scrambled and in French and backwards. Somehow, it managed to develop this during a period of being totally undisturbed.

Secondly, I downloaded VLC Media Player and tried playing the MP3s on my computer in that. They work perfectly-- no scramble, no skips or cracks. "Aha!" I said. "It's a software problem!" I uninstalled JetAudio and RealPlayer and Winamp and every other media player and rebooted the computer.

I suspected that maybe somehow, the software problem had been transferred to my MP3 player. I deleted everything on my Creative Zen Muvo Tx FM and reformatted it, thinking this would erase any remaining traces of data I might have missed in my sweep. I uploaded some MP3s. Lo and behold, they sounded scrambled. Yet, when I played them with VLC Media Player off my hard drive two seconds ago, they were fine.

What could have possibly caused this mess? I work outside and do use my MP3 player in upwards of 96 degree temperatures for four or five hours sometimes, so if it were solely my MP3 player I would suspect some kind of hardware failure. The fact that it's also my computer, though, leads me to believe software. I consider myself pretty computer-savvy, but I am so confused and lost it's not even funny.

One last note: the scrambled MP3s remind me somewhat of an Audible file played without the software "key" that allows you to unlock them. Is it possible AudibleManager is the cause of my troubles?

Help me buy an audiobook not for sale in the US

travis vocino — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 08:56:48 -0800

How can I get around the geographic restrictions on purchasing some books and/or where can I buy the audiobook for The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins in the US? I purchased the book The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins from a physical Borders store with no problem. Now I want the audiobook and it seems that it is not for sale in the US. Audible.com tells me "We can not sell you this audiobook due to your geographic location, it has been removed from your cart." Changing my account location to London, UK doesn't seem to hax0r the system either.

A search in iTunes for the book in the US store returns no results but if I move to the UK or other stores I'm able to get it listed but I can't purchase it -- "You are only authorized for purchases at the US iTunes Store. Clicking OK will take you there now."

I even tried Bit Torrent sites (I figured, I purchased the book already and simply can't get what I need available) but I couldn't find it.

Any ideas where I might be able to download or otherwise obtain this?

iTrouble with iTunes

grumblebee — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 06:47:21 -0800

All the audible.com audiobooks vanished from my iTunes library, and iTunes won't let me re-import them. (I've tried searching Google, ipodlounge, Apple support Audible support to no avail.

iTunes tech support is almost non-existent. I've emailed them, and -- from past experience -- I know there will now commence two weeks of frustration where, no matter how many times I write them, flunkies will keep pasting the same useless info into replies. There is no other iTunes support besides email.)

Here's the story:

1. Several years ago, I bought an iPod and signed up for an iTunes account.

2. A couple of years later, I quit using the email address associated with that account. I tried to tell Apple about my new email address, but somehow signed up for a new iTunes account instead. I didn't realize that I did this. And it wasn't a problem, because all the stuff from my old and new accounts worked fine together in iTunes.

3. My 3G iPod died and so I recently bought a 5G (60 gig) iPod.

NOTE: those first three items might have no baring on what follows. I include them just in case they do.

4. Even more recently, I downloaded and installed iTunes 7.

5. After that, I was suddenly unable to play over half of what was in my library. When I tried to play those songs (not audible.com stuff), I was asked for a password. When I tried my current iTunes password, iTunes didn't accept it.

6. This lead to a two-week, unhelpful, email exchange with iTunes tech support (they have no phone number). Eventually, I figured out the two-account thing (see item 2, above), tried the password for my old account, and and worked. Those songs that wanted a password were from my old account and needed my old password. Somehow, the fact that I had songs from two accounts in my library wasn't an issue until iTunes 7. Anyway, now I CAN play all my songs -- from both the old and new accounts.

7. But then I downloaded a book from audible.com. I tried adding it to my library, but it wouldn't import. I don't get an error message when I try to import it. I just choose Add Song to Library... and select the audible file on my hard drive. I click OK and nothing happens. It simply (and quietly) doesn't import.

8. I then noticed that all of my old audible files -- the ones that used to be in my library -- were gone. My guess is they vanished when I installed iTunes 7, but I can't be sure. This is the first time I've looked for them since I installed 7, and they're gone. They're still on my hard drive; they're still on my iPod. They're just not in my iTunes library any more.

9. I have tried re-importing them, but the same thing happens (nothing) that happened when I tried to import that new audible file.

This is really upsetting to me, because I MAINLY use my iPod to listen to audio books from audible. I've had an audible account for years, so we're talking about hundreds of missing files from my library. And I'm even more upset that I can't add new ones to my library.

NOTE: I tried De-authorizing my audible account and then re-authorizing it, but that didn't help.

I'm using the Windows version of iTunes.

How can I get an audiobook bought from Audible to play on my iriver H10?

chrissyboy — Mon, 15 May 2006 17:30:56 -0800

How can I get an audiobook bought from Audible to play on my iriver H10? I know I should have checked beforehand, but they support all kinds of obscure players, so I just assumed mine would be ok as it's a fairly 'mainstream' device.

The downloaded file's extension is .aa, is there any way to get it on to the iriver without messing about with DRM stripping?

I suspect not, so if the only way is to strip the DRM then what program would do it? A quick googling reveals this issue to be a real minefield, and any programs I can find have long since ceased to have any real functionality.

If anyone can help but wants to keep it 'on the down low' then let me know and I'll make myself emailable.

Thanks in advance =)

Can I Sell My Audible.com Books on eBay?

JPowers — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:31:19 -0800

I'm starting to buy a lot of books on Audible. Problem is: they're pretty expensive. Legally, can I sell the books I've listened to and no longer want to read on eBay? From Wikipedia regarding Audible and DRM: ".aa format files encapsulate sound encoded in either MP3 or the ACELP speech codec, but include copy protection by means of an Audible user name and password."

Thus, if I strip the DRM, and only sell each book once (which could be tracked via my eBay history), would I be breaking the law by selling these books?

I hate my iPod (for audio books, anyway)

dpcoffin — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 15:47:34 -0800

There’s GOT to be a way I can convert my .aa audio books from Audible.com into plain old audio files (eventually convertible to mp3s for compact packing onto as few as possible CDs) without burning them all onto physical CD disks at 44.1k first, doesn’t there?? (“Virtual” disks would be fine!) On a Mac, btw... And yes I’m aware that this seems to be something of a grail quest, but surely some M’Filterite has found it...yes?

Podcast Radio Recommendations

sanitycheck — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 14:32:49 -0800

I just got an iPod and have signed up for a free one-month trial of Audible.com. I get two free downloads. I'm planning to try one book and a monthly subscription to one radio show and am looking for recommendations. [MI] Radio shows:
I'm not too familiar with American radio, as I live in Canada. My default station here is CBC, and current favourite shows are The Roundup, The Current, and As It Happens. I'm thinking of subscribing to either This American Life or Car Talk.

Books:
I read everything from the latest trashy novels (e.g. the Shopaholic series) to sci fi and fantasy (Neil Gaiman is a favourite), to biographies, etc.

Keeping the above in mind, does anyone have recommendations for specific books and/or shows?