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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for audio book help

70 replies

WakeMeWhenTheyTurn18 · 08/03/2019 10:55

Not really aibu but posting here mainly for traffic. I have tried so hard to get into audio books and failed so far. Either the narration is too robotic or i refuse to pay triple the amount that it costs in print etc. I love books but just don't get the time to read these days.

So can any of you lovely people tell me what is the best app (for andriod phone)? Where do you download your books from? What price range do you pay? Etc I have tried audible but really wasnt a fan. There are so many books on my wishlist that i just dont have time to physically read and really want too! Please help!

OP posts:
YogaWannabe · 08/03/2019 13:05

Audible is really good value (without needlessly returning books you’ve enjoyed-please don’t do this if you become an Audible customer)
The narration is done by proper actors or the authors themselves, I have a 2 credit a month option and I often buy extra credits (3 for about £15) when you think all the work that goes into them and the price of a new best seller, it’s really good value!

Daily Deals can also be a wonderful way to get highly regarded, well reviewed books cheaper at £1.99 or £2.99

There’s really no need to take the piss as it’s a great service as it is and pretty low and grabby to take advantage as it will surely hike prices or change return policies for the rest of us further down the line.

hazell42 · 08/03/2019 13:14

The return feature is supposed to be if you don’t enjoy a book

The Audible listening guarantee cery specifically does not say that. It specifically says 'any reason' and ' no questions asked'.
This is not a loophole, it is acceptable practice.

YogaWannabe · 08/03/2019 13:51

They are trusting people will generally be decent human beings @hazell42

Original poster
WakeMeWhenTheyTurn18 · 08/03/2019 13:55

Some good suggestions and will read through all of the replies later. I don't mind paying at all. I just dont want to be paying alot when i may only use it 1 or twice a month until i get 'in to it' iyswim.
The audiable app i thought was horrible to use and it glitched alot, but that just may have been my crappy device. I also didnt realise you could return the books and get credits so that does make it a bit more appealing!
I was.mainly looking for a free app where you can buy books individually? Have a kindle and have used the audio on there in the past but its a 1st gen device so not in the best shape now!

OP posts:
ElspethFlashman · 08/03/2019 14:09

How on earth do you all get through so many books per month? I just completed one that was 22 hrs long and it took me a month as I was only listening to it on the commute (and sometimes not even, you need to take a break on occasion).

I just think 7.99 is a bit expensive?

Original poster
WakeMeWhenTheyTurn18 · 08/03/2019 14:12

P.s when i say more appealing this applies. to books i dont enjoy. Not just return because i have finished.

Wish there was an online service/app like netflix for both ebooks and audio. £x a month and read /listen as much as you like.

OP posts:
AlexaAmbidextra · 08/03/2019 14:18

You dont need a reason. Just click return
You can return them up to a year after you have bought them. I usually return between 4 and 10 a month. Never had a problem

I think you’re taking the piss. The return facility is there for you to return a book if you don’t like it. Not to use the site like a lending library. People like you who are clearly abusing the system will cause Audible to eventually refuse to allow returns. As usual, the entitled few will ruin it for everyone.

Original poster
WakeMeWhenTheyTurn18 · 08/03/2019 14:18

Thats what i mean @ElspethFlashman i can (when i have time) read a book in 2 days so 3-4 books a week. I would never spend £8 on one book/ebook. I usually buy offers/second hand etc. So if its crap i haven't wasted alot of money, and i always donate them to various places. But with audio i just cant see any good deals that make it worth it for me £8 for a book a month is alot to me.

I may have to give audiable another trial. It looks like it is just my reluctance to switch to audio that is the problem.

OP posts:
ElspethFlashman · 08/03/2019 14:24

Yes, I never pay more than about 3 quid for a Kindle book but at least I can burn through those.

I actually got that book free with a free trial. I really enjoyed it but it took sooo long that I would effectively paying 8 quid for one book every month. Way too much. They have sent me an email offering 3.99 for one month now, but it's still more than I typically spend on books. I either go to a second hand bookshop or buy very cheap books on Kindle.

A question for those who do the kindle+audio book combination thingy, do you have to have an active Audible account to play them on the app? Cos obvs my account is closed now.

GruciusMalfoy · 08/03/2019 14:28

No, you don't need an active audible account, I've gone through periods of cancelling my account and just getting then cheaply through "add audio".

Svalberg · 08/03/2019 14:29

Our library does audiobooks which you can borrow without charge. Far cheaper than Audible and a great selection!

ElspethFlashman · 08/03/2019 15:07

Thank you!

YogaWannabe · 08/03/2019 15:39

How on earth do you all get through so many books per month?

I get through so many I often wonder how as well!
I listen during commutes, an hour a day walking ddog, sometimes cooking, always cleaning, food shopping, in the bath and in bed!

hazell42 · 08/03/2019 17:38

They are trusting people will generally be decent human beings @hazell42

That is on no business plan, ever. They make it quite clear that they are happy for you to return a book for any reason at any time. Nowhere does it give a list of acceptable reasons. If they thought it was taking the piss, it would be in their terms a and conditions. It could be, but it's not.

YogaWannabe · 08/03/2019 17:51

Pathetic, greedy, grabby and tight

Stifledlife · 08/03/2019 17:54

You also need to look at who the narrator is. If possible go for someone who is an actor vs the author, and virtually ANYTHING read by Stephen Fry.
I always have an audiobook on the go.. I listen in the car then carry on when I carry the stuff inside and, if gripped, will do housework just so I can keep listening.
By the time I got to the end of "Girl with a dragon tattoo" my house sparkled!

Fere · 08/03/2019 18:16

yearly subscription is £110 for 25 books, so not 8 but 4 + there are offers 2 for 1. Also if you listen to a book you usually do something else as well so it isn't comparable with reading IMHO. You won't be listening instead of reading.
I love mine and finished Becoming and now listening to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde which is part of 30 hours Monster collection

EeeSheWasThin · 08/03/2019 18:23

I’ve only just downloaded audible, and couldn’t work out how to use it . I got on the online chat, and they said you download a book, read it, return it and get another. I said what, as many times as you like? and she said yes. Within a month? Yes. So from that description I thought it was a lending library. I have bought a couple of my favourite books because I knew I wanted to keep them but other than that I was planning to keep borrowing.

JenMumma · 08/03/2019 18:24

You can search by narrator !! I do as I'm very fussy and it can really ruin a book !! Search for Imogen church or Juliette Stevenson !! Ab Fab !! Xx

JenMumma · 08/03/2019 18:25

Not sure why I'm so !!!!!! - must be me getting excited 🤷🏼‍♀️🙄😂

hazell42 · 08/03/2019 18:28

Pathetic, greedy, grabby and tight

Ok. Discussion over then.

SlangBack · 08/03/2019 18:31

Following, as I get vwry confused on my kindle.

BlueSkiesLies · 08/03/2019 18:34

I re-listen to audiobooks which makes the cost per listen substantially reduced. Most audiobooks I will listen to twice. Many have been re-listened to 3 or 4 times. I will leave it a good while then eg re-listen to books 1-3 if a 4th is about to come out in a series.

Also the Libby app lets you borrow library audio books for free.

BlueSkiesLies · 08/03/2019 18:36

I have different kinds of audiobooks for different things.

Easy, relaxing audiobooks preferably ones I’ve heard before for bedtime and periods when I can’t sleep.

Exciting, gripping books for all other times - commute, walking, car journeys, cooking, doing other tasks that don’t require full concentration.

Porsmork84 · 08/03/2019 18:38

I think it's best to view £7.99 as a pretty good price for an audiobook, rather than expensive compared to ebooks or print. When comapring to ebooks, prices are mainly heavily discounted by retailers and most ebooks work as loss-leaders. Plus, there isn't much that goes into making an ebook if you already have a text file that is used to make a print book, it's just uploaded into the ebook software and reformatted.

To produce audio, however, is an incredibly expensive process, hence the higher price point. You need a studio, sound engineer, producer and voice over talent, all who require a decent working fee (I don't think the celebs would come cheap!). And it takes a LONG time to record audio. A novel would usually take a few days in the studio, then there is post-production/ sound editing etc afterwards, and of course the author has to be paid fairly from every copy sold. It's an art- not just a case of sitting in a room and bashing out the words. Hence a relatively higher price. Plus, the publisher and retailer will take their cut to cover costs and pay staff!
With regard to returing mutiple times, I don't think that's really fair. If everyone did that, retailers wouldn't be able to support their business model and prices would go up even more for customers, and authors/ actors/ producers/ publishers wouldn't get the ROS that would make audiobook production possible in the first place.