I’ve been venturing out a little, looking to see if there are better audiobook apps for iOs than Audible, partly because I have so many non-Audible titles and the iTunes integration leaves something to be desired, and partly because, hey, new, shiny!
The Standby – Audible app. This one is free to use and connects to my Audible account. I can also link it to my iTunes desktop/laptop app and it will sync with iTunes, which depends on how your syncing preferences are set up. Pro: Free! All the Audible books automatically available. Lots of sorting/searching capabilities. Lots of bookmarking and note options. Social networking – share your progress! (does anyone do that?) Sleep timer. Make a clip! I haven’t mastered this but it has a lot of possibilities. I just created a clip and tried to AirDrop it to my MacBook but it failed. Con: Multiple times, the Audible app has lost my bookmarks on iTunes files (not Audible files), which – unless you are paying 1000% attention every listening minute – will cause you to be completely lost and spend hours trying to search for where you were. This is a big deal-breaker, so I’m always searching for a different app to use for non-Audible audiobook files. Also – you can’t actually purchase an audiobook within the program, you have to do it from a web browser.
The Standby part 2 – iBooks. This one isn’t as intuitive for me, but it does contain all the audiobooks you choose to sync from your computer’s iTunes application. Unlike the Audible app, it does not reciprocate and allow your entire Audible library to show. You have to download the Audible audiobook to your computer, which is then stored in iTunes and therefore will sync. I have moved my iTunes data to an external hard drive because, over years of audiobooking, my library was many, many GB and the new fast SSDs are limited in capacity if you’re limited in $$ to pay more! This means I might not have my library available while traveling. Also, since the Audible app is so easy, I find I rarely download audiobook files to iTunes anymore – although I should, since audiobooks actually can go “out of print” and disappear from the Audible site. (Caution! Download your favorites!)
ReMarkable – I tried to use this one a few years back because it has a really cool feature of allowing audio and written notes with bookmarks, so you could (theoretically) stop a book when the narrator irritates the heck out of you (say, by mispronouncing something) and leave yourself an audio note. It must not have been that great, though, because I stopped using it, plus it’s not being updated by the developer and doesn’t work with the latest iOs. So, Pro: it had a good note feature but Con: no longer available!
Book Mower – this one is US$3.99 at the App store, with a free trial period for limited number of days (60) and audiobooks (5). (Website here) It has multiple ways to upload audiobooks – you can use your computer browser to connect to it and even upload a zipped file; it will pick up books in your iTunes library; it is connected to iTunes Store and ListenUp Audiobooks, plus a search function for free audiobooks. There are a ton of adjustable preferences for rewinding and fast-forwarding by seconds or even by minutes; and some pretty advanced Driving Mode Options. It has a sliding scale for speeding up/slowing down the audio speed. I’m test driving it now. There have been a couple of blips between it and my chosen amplification, mostly my car audio which is connected by charger cable – once or twice it has totally forgotten where it ended the last time, and I haven’t made it a habit to put a bookmark. Since “last time” is generally less than 24 hours earlier, this isn’t much better than the Audible app, except it hasn’t happened as many times.
Bookmobile – same developer as Book Mower. On their website, the difference between the 2 is explained thusly: “Podcasts — Bookmobile supports them, and Book Mower doesn’t.” So I’m test-driving Book Mower and not Bookmobile cuz I generally don’t listen to podcasts anyway.
Downpour – this app is for titles purchased through Downpour, which is Blackstone Audio’s retail site. Blackstone represents other publishers as well, notably Harper Audio which has a lot of good Romance titles. Like Audible app, it’s proprietary to their titles; unlike Audible, there is no option for non-Downpour downloads. However, it looks like you can use a credit or buy a title within the app, and it does keep a library of already-purchased titles you can re-download. The browsing options are also good. If I were a Downpour subscriber, it would be a solid possibility.
Overdrive – this is the service that libraries often use to deliver audiobooks to their patrons. (Hoopla is another.) Because it’s not proprietary to a specific publisher, or set of publishers, the list of available titles is limited mostly by your library’s selections. You need to have a library card/account, and sign in to access the list. I don’t know about all libraries, but the model at my library is that the available titles are often restricted to 1 copy, so you go on a waitlist. Library members can keep the title for about 2 weeks. I have used it but the selection is pretty narrow and the wait time for popular titles long, and I usually give up and get it at Audible! The app works well, though… I see that Overdrive has a new app called Libby, but I haven’t tried it.
I prefer to use my iPhone for audio rather than have a separate device. Right now, I’m continuing with Audible for Audible books and Book Mower for review/non-Audible titles. The subscription model for audiobooks – either a monthly payment for a credit, or a monthly payment for unlimited titles – seems to be the best value for me, since I’m listening to multiple books every month. Of course, free is even better, so for that, I’ll use Overdrive. I would love to know how everyone else is managing their audiobook listens!
Melinda
Great artcle, Melinda! Thank you for this
From what I understood, Audible appears to be the most user-friendly. A very well developed app.
thanks! Audible app is the best so far, but still it occasionally forgets where it was in iTunes listings (books not downloaded directly from Audible) often enough to make me keep looking for something better!!
In reference to your remark that books can not be purchased through the Audible app….that is true for iOS users but those using android are able to purchase books directly through the app.
good to know, thanks!
Being the “hey it works well and I am too lazy to try others” kind of audiobook listener- I have only tried Downpour and Overdrive. For my listening habits, Audible works great.
:) I’m totally for leaving well enough alone! But that pesky Audible app starting the book over when I’m not even finished is pushing the limit for me!
I never had that problem, which would drive me crazy. .But I use my Android phone so that be the reason.
You seem to have more choice in the US – I admit I haven’t done a great deal of research, but I think Audible and Overdrive are the main methods to listen to audiobooks here in the UK. I use a Windows phone, and I’m able to make purchases using the Audible app, although I still much prefer to use an mp3 player for my listening, because the player is smaller and has a much longer battery life.
Being that Audible seems to be pretty much the only place to purchase audiobooks here, the only non-Audible ebooks I have are review copies, which, again, work fine on my player as mp3s, so fortunately, I don’t need anything else.
Which is no help – sorry!
Listening in my car is maybe as much as 50% or more of my listening time, and as I said, I want to use only 1 device, not juggle 2 in my commute, so it’s easier to use my phone. And of course, I can buy the audiobooks on my phone just not in the Audible app.
that being said, Book Mower – just like the Audible app – lost my bookmark twice yesterday and started over at the previous chapter start! Since it happens both with my bluetooth speaker and connected by cable to the car speaker, I don’t even know where to turn to make it work right. In addition to adding bookmarks, I’ve been know to screen shoot the app so I can find my place. Murphy’s Law corollary, if you do that, the app doesn’t lose your place. It only loses it when you forget!
I have a commute at the moment, so I’m also listening in the car quite a lot. I just plug my player into the Auxiliary port in the car (I don’t have bluetooth) and it works fine, so I manage with just the one device. My fear is that one day Audible will scrap support for everything but their app, OR that players compatible with Audible files will stop being made. As far as I can find, the Sansa Clip models I’ve been using for the last few years are pretty much the ONLY mp3 players now manufactured that will play Audible files. There are thousands of decently priced mp3 players on the market, but none play the encrypted files.
I’m a huge fan of Public libraries and used them for most my reading. Hoopla is my go to for audiobooks. Unlike Overdrive the titles are always available. There is a much larger selection which you get to keep for up to 21 days. Frequently new releases are offered. Selection are update weekly on Tuesdays.