I just set up an account for my daughter with audible.com, and downloaded a book for her to listen to on the bus. The good news is that is appears to be all set up now, and ready to download to her iTouch. The bad news is ... everything else.We spent nearly an hour buying a single audio "book", and getting it copied down to her computer. The problems were nearly all related to digital rights management, though I'd class them in two groups: fundamental, and incompetent.The fundamental problem is that DRM makes downloading and using media much more difficult. It restricts which programs and devices you can use it with. Further, is it any surprise that downloading a program whose fundamental purpose is to prevent proscribed uses of a media file makes it more difficult to successfully use that media file? In the case of audible, we had to download a program to my daughter's laptop that insinuated itself into firefox and itunes in unspecified ways, so that she could download the Audible files she had paid for to her laptop, and thence to her iPod. This program failed to install itself properly the first time -- apparently it doesn't check to see whether itunes is running, but fails mysteriously if it is. When we tried to download the book we had paid for to her computer, we kept getting mysterious error messages. These went away once we reinstalled the software.The problems of incompetence were mostly caused by a user interface that tries to pretend that the challenge is easier than it actually is. The Web site makes a big thing out of the four simple steps required to get going with Audible. Step 1 is "Pick a plan". We didn't want to sign up for a plan, so it took us a while to figure out that you can buy books without a plan. Step 2 is "Download Audible software". In the description it says "You can also use ITunes to download audio ...". We decided to go that route initially, before figuring out that apparently the audible.com software is required in addition to iTunes. It didn't help that the iPod Touch is not listed in the "supported devices" list, so we had to guess which software we need. Step 3 is "Purchase and download". Our problems with this step are described in the previous paragraph. Step 4 is "Transfer your audio to your AudibleReady device". Here the solution was easy: we just had to figure out that Audible had created a new sort of "playlist" in iTunes, and that we had to tell iTunes to sync that playlist with the iPod Touch. A common step in iTunes -- but it would have been nice for Audible to walk us through that step.A very frustrating hour later, my daughter is pretty happy with having her book ready for the bus. I'm much less happy. Audible seems like a company that is going to fail if they don't figure out these user interface issues. What, then, will happen to the DRM that requires a "phone home" to install the book on a different device? (Yes, even the iPod Touch will one day seem outdated.) Even though I'm eager to listen to "books on pod" while I exercise, I refuse to buy these DRM-crippled alternatives. Yes, convenience is worth a lot, but more important to me is the principle that media that I buy must be usable for me into the murky future, independent of the survival of any one company, format, device, or business model.What do you think?John
Audible sucks
I just got a gift certificate to Audible.co.uk. After failing to understand how using it works for about ten minutes, I realized I have to pretend I'm purchasing books for money, click a store credit checkbox, and then install some stupid program just to download the file.
Not only don't they support Linux, but my only other option fails too, because the S60 app they provide is for S60 v3. I have S60 v5 on my phone. If you're going to use DRM, at least keep your moronic software up to date.
Either the person who bought the gift card gets the money back or I'm complaining to the government. Either way, I hope they go out of business due to this DRM crap.
I just found out that a lot
I just found out that a lot of my credits expired. I did not know that they can expire my fully paid for credits. I called customer support and closed my account. Does anyone on the earth hear about this kind of things before? I would not recommend that anyone sign up to even purchase a single book from audible. I should have read the custom review first before I tried Audible.com.
depending on the type of
depending on the type of account you have yes your credits have a time limit on them, back in 04 when I signed up my account there was one 2 options buy the by the book or a monthly subscription, if you didnt pick you book out in a month you lost your credits (they stopped selling my account years ago), I belive the new subscriptions now give you 12 months to purchase your books, there are more then enough books on the site to have picked them out in 12 months
it's not so bad, but..
I've been using Audible for a couple years and just got an iPhone, (previous devices were non-mac products) and while I found Audible manager clunky, it worked acceptably. However.. after several hours of search and reading through Audibles knowledge base, this was the first place I saw the playist thing mentioned. It took about two seconds to get it working. Audible- come on.
Why Audible.Com is Failing
I am a customer of Audible for more than 1,5 years an NEVER had any problems as stated above. Even when I had to re-install everything because of a malfunction of my pc, everything went well.
Buying is simple, correct and easy with the download helper. Even now with I-Tunes as the standard program for music, it is automatically transferred into I-Tunes...it couldn't be more easy!
Only Part 1 was downloaded
Hopefully someone here can help since Audible's support won't be back until after Memorial Day. I bought a large audio book and part 1 downloaded fine. But I have no idea how to get part 2 downloaded (and when I bought the book had no idea it would come in two parts). Any pointers as to how to locate part 2 so I can download it? I've checked "my account" and there's no clues about this, only that I bought the book.
Thanks, Pizzaiolo
Nevermind, I found it
I never saw the "My Library" until after I posted my question.
I love Audible
Audible is the simplest interface imaginable. Every book you buy is permanently stored in your online library, you simply change your account settings to reflect the current computers you own or the listening devices you use.
It's really that simple.
I know people want to whine about DRM and how fascist it is and how it's a pain and blah blah blah.
But I value the works of these authors and narrators, and would not want their efforts dissolved in the hazy scum cloud of filesharing.
So yes, I don't mind the DRM. I also don't mind paying for Audible, because the prices are quite reasonable.
I have read all the comments
I have read all the comments on this particular blog entry and am fascinated by the problems people have had with the downloads and software from this site. I use a Mac, iTunes, Firefox, iPod and CD's and have not had a single issue. I'm fairly knowledgeable when it comes to downloading and installing (even on PC's) and am not sure where the problem lies. I hope everyone figures it out, though. :)
long-time audible customer
I've been an audible customer for a long, long time (at least 7 years now I think). I do a lot of driving in my job and enjoy listening to the audiobooks. In that time I have seen audible update their software only once and it was better BEFORE the update. The software is buggy, doesn't play right, it always skips during playback (on my windows mobile device), forgets what book I'm playing after I turn it off. Remembers bookmarks for books I haven't had on the device in months (i.e. I load a book into it and it says I've already listened to the whole thing. I have to rewind back to the start).
I love the audible service. I love being able to download the books I want in the morning and walk out the door listening to one of my favorite authors. But their software sucks. They need to hire some real programmers to write new software and keep it up to date.
I completely agree. I joined
I completely agree. I joined audible for the Ricky Gervais series. Turns out I cant burn to CD for my car unless I have Nero 8 ultra - yeah right, I'm goin to buy that just for this purpose (Ive got Nero but its not the expensive high spec version). Yesterday I bought an Ipod Touch and cant even find that as a device. I emailed Audible and told them straight that it was time to get into the 21st century and they have lost my possibly lucrative business. Being told to donwload yet another (very poor) piece of audible software so I can transfer to my Ipod is a step too far.
DRM doesnt work, there are hacks every time it revises. The DVD industry tried and failed to prevent copying and they are still going strong.
What annoys me is this, you pay for the track then you cant use it how you want. The theory is one person buys it, then gives it to everyone for free if it didnt have DRM. I wont do that - if I pay for something I cant get from Torrents then no one else is getting it.
DRM doesnt work, and any company that promote it in their products needs a wide steer. Ive bought the podcats from Itunes instead - yes some are still DRMd (it looks like they are going to drop it on standard Itunes) but at least it bloody works and transfers to my Ipod. Easy.
Audible's DRM is very
Audible's DRM is very cumbersome. Fortunately I usually just listen to the books straight off my PC. A single glance at "click here to register your device" was enough to steer me away from even attempting to transfer the books to my mp3 player.
I would suggest http://podiobooks.com They offer free audio books in a variety of categories (mostly by independent writers). For example, The Pocket and the Pendant is an excellent book for kids and adults alike (http://www.podiobooks.com/title/the-pocket-and-the-pendant) Well written and well read.
Audible's software and customer sevice is terrible
On a whim last night, I really missed a Deepak Chopra program I had on cassette. I don't own a cassette player anymore and decided to pay for a legal copy in digital format. Amazon didn't have it in download format, so I didn't find many options; only Audible.com and Simply Audiobooks. The 'price' seemed better at Audible, so I went with it.
First, I found their membership programs to be confusing but I didn't let it stop me. If only I had known what I was soon in for, I would have gone elsewhere.
They managed to charge my card instantly, but when I was introduced to 'My Library' I had to think hard what to do next. I don't have an I-Pod, I just wanted an MP3 or such. It seemed obvious that the thing to do was click 'Download' next to the audio I had added to my library, but when I did so, it installed a download manager (yet another crappy implementation on par with microsoft's own) and AudibleManager, which is the gatekeeper for the DRS functionality. Thing is, nothing ever downloaded, there was no intro or instructions, and clicking 'help' did nothing at all.
I thought I should wait a while but next morning, there is still nothing in my library on my computer.
I was also perplexed how difficult it was to get customer service via email; I finally found a web form to submit a trouble ticket, in which I explained that clicking 'download' next to the audiobook in my library (on the website) only downloads the manager program again.
I got a robotic response by email late this afternoon that did not address why my download did not arrive. I responded to that emphasizing that the software is not working. The next robotic response read as if I never mentioned anything about the download failure. It just said download from 'my library' as before, ignoring the problem with the download. I've sent a third response, but now I wish I'd never tried them. I'm running XP, not some exotic OS flavor.
In my book, the service I'm getting is on par with Verizon (who is only worse because I can't get them to take my money!)
Audible's software and customer sevice is terrible
FYI, the wesite's download functionality doesn't work with Opera. You have to use Internet Explorer. Typical. Would have been nice if that was mentioned somewhere!
John, there's " "
John, there's " " strings appearing in your posts, both in Google Reader and directly on the GL blog. I wonder if this is related to the posting software you're using?
Yes, it turns out that
Yes, it turns out that ScribeFire was inserting those buggily. Should be fixed now. Thanks!
John
Audible
I experienced the same frustrations when I first started using audible, but if you listen to a lot on tape while you're working out or travelling, they have a nice selection, and I haven't found a better alternative yet.
My biggest complaint is that I can't lend anybody any of the books I listen to, so if I find one that's particularly good (the 10 faces of innovation comes to mind), I can tell my colleagues about it, but not share it with them. In practice, Audible's DRM is more restrictive than a book.
Give your colleagues your
Give your colleagues your audible username and password and let them download recommended book from your library.
Hmmm....I've been using
Hmmm....I've been using Audible for years and so has my wife. We haven't had any problems - just made sure the devices we tried to download on to were on their list (first, my Rio player, and later until present, iPods).
When I want a new book, I:
1) Purchase it (2 mins)
2) Navigate to the "My Library" section and download it to my computer (5 mins for most books)
3) Transfer the program onto my player (1-2 mins)
I've thought about the inability to lend as mentioned previously, but if I was running the business I don't know what better scheme I'd come up with to make sure that authors, readers, and Audible itself get paid.
Buying just one book on CD at a bookstore costs many times what the same book does from Audible and each book represents a goodly sized box of CD's laying around that has to be kept somewhere.
So, while it might be a pain at times, it makes my commute a lot better and I haven't seen anything even close to it in the Recorded Books arena.
I'm with you; I love Audible
I've been an Audible member on and off for over five years. I've had minimal difficulty with the program. The titles are extensive. The download is straight forward and quick (especially with Format 2). I've been able to burn to CD off Itunes. Mostly I can store a huge library in virtually no space. The space this would take up in CDs or hardcopy text would be significant and I would probably wind up pruning titles regularly.
If someone wants a copy, I can loan out an old 1st gen nano I've kept, or I can burn to CD.
I've used Audible on both Apple and PC desktops. My only non-Itunes MP3 experience was with the Audible Otis from way back. Otis was a bit of a drag because the SD card was so small it could only hold one book at a time.
I'm sorry so many have had so much difficulty. For me, Audible's been awesome.
Step 2) Download it to my computer (5 min)
I have attempted to download my second book from audible.com. It downloaded Part 1 fine, but after many, many tries, Part 2 timeouts. Their help page says router manufacturers have reported firmware problems, suggestion is for customer to upgrade firmware. Great help!
My ISP is Time Warner cable, I use a Mac with OS 10.4, Safari, iTunes. Pretty standard customer setup. If audible.com can't handle my situation - they are definitely headed for problems.
I don't understand why one file would download fine, then minutes later the second one will not download after several tries over a 24 hour period.
Can anyone help?
AUDIBLE.COM TIMEOUTS
I have the same problem. Sometimes a download proceeds uninterrupted but more often than not it times out. I use a Mac, 10.4.11, Safari, iTunes.
I previously used a PC, and Audible's software. Audible's download manager had the ability to resume a timed-out download where it had left off, rather than to restart. This had to be done manually; sometimes as many as 10 times during a single download.
Safari (and other Mac download managers) have to restart from scratch which can be expensive if like me you have to pay extra to your ISP.
I have raised this with Audible and suggested that what is required is software for the Mac that can (1) resume from the point of interruption, and (2) do so automatically in the manner of, for example, "Speed Download" by Yazsoft. (Incidentally Speed Download also resumes Audible downloads from the start, not the point of interruption.)
It is odd though that downloads time out so much. I download similar sized files (100+MB) to instal software, or watch video, or listen to mp3s. Those downloads rarely if ever fail. The problem must be at Audible's end. That nonsense about router firmware has been on the Audible website unchanged for ages. Audible's is the ONLY site with which I have this problem, and it occurs whether I use broadband or dial-up, Mac or PC, directly plugged in or via wireless.
Their email support rarely produces answers that are even relevant to the question. Their human support on the phone is usually the better option: 888-283-5051 (USA & Canada) 973-820-0400 (International).
Lending books via audible
First - I disagree with the article here. These are all simple steps in relative computer terms. Once you know them it is all very quick.
I've now been an active audible book listener for nearly a year. I have a large library and wanted to share with several other audible listeners at work, friends, and family.
I just decided to get an ipod shuffle for just that purpose. Mostly I listen with my iPhone, but in order to share a book or ask someone to let me borrow a book - the shuffle should work fine. A 1GB new is $50. I got one from ebay for $35. One shuffle will contain about 4 books and the lack of a screen should not hinder listening since you are only talking 8-12 files to select between.
There are many books that I use bit torrent to get (since more than 2 books a month is my norm). But the ease of use and selection make me continue to pay 22/mo to audible. I do wish that the public library system would support iPod formats.