Looking for specific audiobooks in MP3 format
November 2, 2024 11:14 AM Subscribe
I recently picked up a copy of John McPhee's Annals of the Former World at a church sale - but decided I really wanted someone to read me the books in the series. The only place I am seeing audio books in the series is on Audible - but would I be able to get them as MP3s?
My preferred listening mode is to load MP3s onto a small Walkman (which I can put in my pocket) and listen through headphones. On long car trips, an audio output cable lets me listen over the car speakers.
I am not familiar with the options available with Audible, and don't want to spend the money if I can't use it the way I want to use it. As far as I know, it would be possible to stream the books over an iPhone - but the only iPhone I have is a company issued phone and I don't think it would be proper to use it for personal streaming. And an iPhone is (in my opinion) a clonking weight to carry around in comparison to a Walkman.
Maybe it is possible to download the books to an iPhone, and offload them from there?
Alternatively, if I could get them a CDs I could save them as MP3s - but my searching did not show that as an option.
My preferred listening mode is to load MP3s onto a small Walkman (which I can put in my pocket) and listen through headphones. On long car trips, an audio output cable lets me listen over the car speakers.
I am not familiar with the options available with Audible, and don't want to spend the money if I can't use it the way I want to use it. As far as I know, it would be possible to stream the books over an iPhone - but the only iPhone I have is a company issued phone and I don't think it would be proper to use it for personal streaming. And an iPhone is (in my opinion) a clonking weight to carry around in comparison to a Walkman.
Maybe it is possible to download the books to an iPhone, and offload them from there?
Alternatively, if I could get them a CDs I could save them as MP3s - but my searching did not show that as an option.
I am afraid you're about 10 years too late to listen to Audible books on something's that's not a phone. I believe Audible books are a special format that's made for the Audible apps that are out there.
(If my info is wrong, I hope someone will correct me.)
Audible used to support a LOT of different audio players. I had a great little player that I used to use, but Audible support for it is gone now. I'm pretty sure it's now down only to phones as personal listening devices.
Here's the Audible page on ways to listen.
I think the same thing goes for Libby.
posted by Archer25 at 12:48 PM on November 2, 2024 [1 favorite]
(If my info is wrong, I hope someone will correct me.)
Audible used to support a LOT of different audio players. I had a great little player that I used to use, but Audible support for it is gone now. I'm pretty sure it's now down only to phones as personal listening devices.
Here's the Audible page on ways to listen.
I think the same thing goes for Libby.
posted by Archer25 at 12:48 PM on November 2, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: They are available on Libro.fm here. Libro offers DRM free downloads.
There are (not strictly legal) methods to download your Audible purchases, but you should support places that sell mp3s and not lock you into apps.
posted by soelo at 12:52 PM on November 2, 2024 [2 favorites]
There are (not strictly legal) methods to download your Audible purchases, but you should support places that sell mp3s and not lock you into apps.
posted by soelo at 12:52 PM on November 2, 2024 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks! I just tried Libro.fm and was able to download the first book in the series (Basin and Range) as MP3s. I've got credit for 2 more books. I am currently on a monthly membership (I think that was required to get the first credit) but may wish to switch to a 'pay as you go' at some point.
This looks like the answer I was looking for. Would I had to 'google harder' to get google to show me this option? I tried my original search ["Annals of the Former World" audiobooks] again, and went down 10 pages without finding Libro.fm.
posted by rochrobbb at 5:31 PM on November 3, 2024
This looks like the answer I was looking for. Would I had to 'google harder' to get google to show me this option? I tried my original search ["Annals of the Former World" audiobooks] again, and went down 10 pages without finding Libro.fm.
posted by rochrobbb at 5:31 PM on November 3, 2024
I always search books by the actual title, and author if needed, not the series name. It comes up in the first page for me on both Google and DuckDuckGo when I use the title of the first book, as the ninth result on DDG, and the sixth result on Google. The problem is that none of those results tell you that you can get DRM-free mp3s from Libro.fm - it is just something you'd have to know or have searched for. I see the store listed in many articles and Reddit posts asking for DRM-free sources, plus it is the 7th result for me on DDG when I searched today.
posted by soelo at 6:23 PM on November 3, 2024
posted by soelo at 6:23 PM on November 3, 2024
Sounds like you have your solution, but FYI you do not need a phone to listen to Audible. I use the download button to download them as .aax files and import them into iTunes, then sync them with my iPod nano.
posted by catquas at 7:46 AM on November 4, 2024
posted by catquas at 7:46 AM on November 4, 2024
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In Audible, I see that Basin and Range is one of the "included with your membership" books; in other words, it's not necessary to use a credit to listen to it.
You should be able to use either the Libby app or Audible on any kind of phone, if that helps.
posted by Well I never at 11:42 AM on November 2, 2024