Audible, or cheaper alternatives? How do they work?

[sunflowerblue]

Can I have a technophobes guide please.
I'm on a mission to generally simplify life (Marie Kondo I guess, but my own take on it).

I've started walking lots for exercise, and planning to start running again soon, and I've just started reading again after a bit of a break (just read the thread on 'going off' fiction, this was absolutely me! But all of a sudden I'm back in love with books). So I want to combine the 2, a 3 hour walk in the middle of nowhere with my favourite book being read to me sounds like bliss!

Would anyone mind explaining it to me please? I've stuck with music cds in the car and house up til now, and I'm ready to join the 21st century, but a bit lost and overwhelmed!
How does Audible work? How do I go from signing up to something on my laptop to walking with a story being told in my ears? Are there cheaper alternatives?

I need an idiot's guide

[abc12345]

I think I can get audio books for free from my library. Might be worth asking at your local

[HoofWankingSpangleCunt]

Audible works on a subscription basis. I use it for my DS as stories (currently Harry Potter) help him sleep. I get 1 credit a month which can get one book.
A free option is listening to podcasts. Do you have a smart phone? If so download an app such as podkicker. There are podcasts on absolutely everything. I've listened to podcssts about helping my ASD Ds and ones about history. "Stuff you missed in history class" is one of my favourites. Plus there are plenty thay might interest you regarding simplyfying your life. My dog walks have been transformed. I think there are also fiction ones available.
It can be a bit confusing at first so feel free to come back here or pm me.

[sunflowerblue]

OOh responses so quickly! Thankyou!

Won't podcasts eat up my phone batteries though when I'm out?
I tried them briefly (My Dad Wrote a Porno! Was all the rage in the running groups last year....)

[ThursdayLastWeek]

I use Audible and love it.

The subscription comes out of my account via direct debit every month and buys me one credit.

That credit is cheaper than a lot of the audio books in their site, but they also do very good offers that change monthly. They frequently have sales (but one get one free for e.g.) and the daily deal email. These Ines are worth spending real money on and using the credit for something newer/longer/better.

Once you buy a book it's in your 'cloud' and you download it to your device to listen. That's what's so good about having it in your phone for reasons toy described OP.

I listen walking the dog, running, doing chores or cooking, in the car. It's by far the subscription service I get the most out of.

[ThursdayLastWeek]

Oh yeah I love podcasts too.
I don't find they use up too much battery on your phone, but if you've downloaded them you can always turn on airplane mode if you're worried.

[sunflowerblue]

Do I have to choose one place to download it to/from? Or could I download something onto my phone last minute if I feel spontaneous, or do it at home from the laptop if I'm being organised?

[sunflowerblue]

Do I need an MP3 player?

[ThursdayLastWeek]

No a phone or iPad is fine. I think you can only access your library via the app but I'm happy to stand corrected.

I think you can have the app on 4 or 5 devices maybe?

Just try it!

[MrsNai]

Audible has a great range and you can download the app then listen via your phone. As they do a free trial you could test it out.

[scaredofthecity]

try the library. My library uses overdrive and I can download audio books to my phone.
Also podcasts, you can download these as well, I really recommend serial to get you started.
Both download straight to your phone, no laptop required.

[IroningMountain]

Audible do a free trial.

[Ulysses]

I use audible for running/commuting but I tend to read the book at the same time as well as often find I miss more when listening to it. If you buy a Kindle book you can often get audible narration a lot cheaper - so pay 3.99 for a book and get the narration for 2.99.

I also listen at 1.25 normal speed so it's that bit quicker.

[sunflowerblue]

I think I need even more of an idiot's guide!

Have signed up- on laptop. Bought a book on my phone (because I'd just installed the app after they sent me the link to my phone....

Now plugged in my MP3 player, and cannot see how to get it on there! Can't we all just listed to cds again??? It worked!!

Have clicked download on the book over and over again, given a list of plances to open it, including internet explorer (tried it, not the book!) and even paint!

I genuinely don't know how everyone understands how to make it work. Is it possible to choose a book then download it to an mp3 player?

[OutnumberedbyFurchesters]

Never used Audible but remembered a friend googling about putting them on Mp3 players...

how to put on mp3

[WinterIsComingKnitFaster]

A cheaper (free) alternative is BBC iPlayer app. You can download pretty much everything that's been on the radio over the last month, and listen to it wherever you like until it expires (including on the tube or other places without an Internet connection). If you scroll through the Drama section you'll find loads. I've currently got on my download list dramatisations or readings of Jane Austen, Henry James, Terry Pratchett, Wilkie Collins, Stanislaw Lem, Tom Stoppard, Stella Gibbons, Len Deighton and a bunch of comedy and documentaries as well.

[WinterIsComingKnitFaster]

And it all works directly from your phone, just download the app, register a free account, then pick a Bunch of stuff to download while you've got wifi.

[sunflowerblue]

Ahem, apologies for my little tantrum there!

So I appear to be downloading something, will have to wait and see where I've downloaded it to...
I chose an unabridged novel, 50 hours! So it's taking a while.Hopefully it'll be on my mp3 player, and hopefully I'll figure out how to use it without starting from the beginning everytime.

Such a great idea to listen to radio4 on iplayer!
Would it be worth buying some speakers to plug my phone into for listening at home?

[Deadsouls]

If you have audible, does that mean you get one free book per month, and have to buy the rest?

[sunflowerblue]

I think so, but you get to keep everything, so if you get through a book before the month is up you can go back and listen to something again....

And I think it's on a cloud, so it's using their storage, not yours.

[Ulysses]

My Audible subscription is £7.99 a month for 1 credit so it is quite pricey. However, the books alone can be really expensive with a new release costing £17!
I've stopped drinking at home so for me it's the equivalent of a bottle of wine but I have been buying the books with the narration added in and that tends to be about £7.

[Ulysses]

£7 for both I mean.

[cariadlet]

I listen on my phone via podcasts (I use the Podcast Republic app and have subscribed to dozens and dozens of podcasts), audible and BBC I-player.

I love it when I'm walking, on a long journey or gardening. I sometimes listen to stuff on my phone when I'm at home eg if I'm busy in the kitchen and there's nothing I want to listen to on the radio. I find that it's quite loud enough without needing speakers but I do tend to have the phone fairly near me.

I've never had a problem with it using too much battery (and I've listened for quite a few hours at a time), but if you download too much stuff then it takes up a lot of memory and also seems to slow other apps.
I try and be disciplined and just have one book at a time and a few podcasts episodes at a time actually downloaded, delete them as I've listened to them and then download a few more.

[cariadlet]

One of the good things about Audible is that you can "return" a book if you don't like it and get the credit refunded.

I've only done it once and I guess they wouldn't let you be cheeky and do it loads of times to try and save money, but if you just do it occasionally then there's no fuss or arguments about it.

[Pansythepotter]

I love Audible. Fast approaching my 7th Decade and a total numpty but I find it really easy to use. I get the 24. Book subscription which works out about £4 a book. Their customer service is great and easy to access.Any questions or difficulties just type In the query and they answer in a minute.

I never returned books at the beginning but now I do. It is hassle free,
There are loads of offers like the daily deal and £10 vouchers.

[sunflowerblue]

pansy maybe you could offer tutorials

For some reason it doesn't like either of my mp3 players, so I've given in and downloaded it to my phone. It meant deleting 1000+ photos, so I had to learn how to put them onto the computer first...

Anyway, thanks for the advice on here. I'm listening to the Mists of Avalon, and I think I might buy Rachel's Holiday (Marian Keyes) later too. Two of my favourite comfort books.