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App for Audible.com needed

Here's the reply I got back:

Thank you for contacting Audible.

I understand that you are inquiring as to when Audible will support the Android OS. Audible does not have any estimated time as to when or if we will be compatible with the OS, but it is an item that we are looking into.

In addition, Audible understands that there are many loyal customers such as yourself now using or considering to purchase an Android mobile device, so we do apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. If there is anything else that I can assist you with, please let me know.
Click to expand...

:/
 
I was able to listen to Audible books using Orb on my home pc. It isn't the best solution but it played the files on the Hero without having to convert them.
 
Here is the response I receive from their support today:

Dear Spencer,
Thank you for contacting Audible. I do apologize for any inconvenience but will be able to assist you.
I understand that you would like to know if you will be able to use the Android OS to download the books to. Unfortunately, at first the OS will not be audible ready. The technicians have said that they are looking in to compatibility but no definite word when it would be available. We have been recording requests about the new phone so the technicians can discuss with the different manufacturers about creating an application or some kind of software to allow the play back of the audible books. I will be sure to forward the email to the techs so they know of the request.
Here at Audible, we truly value and appreciate your business; if you need further assistance, please respond to this email or if you wish, please provide me with a contact number and the best available time to reach you.
 
SpencerC1 said:
Here is the response I receive from their support today:

Dear Spencer,
Thank you for contacting Audible. I do apologize for any inconvenience but will be able to assist you.
I understand that you would like to know if you will be able to use the Android OS to download the books to. Unfortunately, at first the OS will not be audible ready. The technicians have said that they are looking in to compatibility but no definite word when it would be available. We have been recording requests about the new phone so the technicians can discuss with the different manufacturers about creating an application or some kind of software to allow the play back of the audible books. I will be sure to forward the email to the techs so they know of the request.
Here at Audible, we truly value and appreciate your business; if you need further assistance, please respond to this email or if you wish, please provide me with a contact number and the best available time to reach you.
Click to expand...

I got really annoyed with the lame responses I got from customer service at Audible, so I sent a moderately pointed note suggesting that they really are missing the boat (and some other suggestions as to how to make the customer service response a little more honest and accurate). To my amazement I was passed on to a senior development guy who responded: "Android is on our 2010 road-map. We hope that it comes together mid 2010. Sorry I wish it was sooner for you!!" I'm counting on that.
 
Below is the reply I just got back form Audible.com customer services line.. It is still a ways out but I am happy they are moving forward with creating a way for Android owners to someday have one device for everything including their cherished audio books...:rolleyes:


[FONT=&quot]Keith,

We will be releasing an Android app later in 2010.

Howard


On 11/30/09 1:25 PM, "Keith Smith" wrote:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Looking to see when you will be providing support for Android OS?:eek:

K
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT]
 
kokiangel said:
What format would your books have to be in to listen to them on your android phone?
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Android has 4 formats that they release their books in. Increasing sound quality is the big differentiator, as well as file size, of course. The most recent format, "enhanced," is claimed to be CD quality. See here for details. All formats are proprietary, of course. Making mp3s from Audible files is an inconvenient pain in the butt, so I'm sure very few people do it.

Creating apps that read their files and presents them in with a good "Audible experience" is why they talk a while. (But they should never have taken this long.)
 
I don't know if Audible still allows this, but they used to have a membership option where you could "suspend" your membership for a few months and then re-activate it without losing any of the credits you accumulated. It might get someone's attention at Audible if enough Android-Audible customers suspended their account pending the release of an Android app. This is flatly ridiculous.

I've been an Audible subscriber since 2002, and I'm getting tired of waiting for webOS and Android support.
 
this is what happens when devs wait and then react after they've been caught with their pants down instead of being proactive.
 
doublebullout said:
I don't know if Audible still allows this, but they used to have a membership option where you could "suspend" your membership for a few months and then re-activate it without losing any of the credits you accumulated. It might get someone's attention at Audible if enough Android-Audible customers suspended their account pending the release of an Android app. This is flatly ridiculous.

I've been an Audible subscriber since 2002, and I'm getting tired of waiting for webOS and Android support.
Click to expand...

Years ago I switched to being an "annual member." I don't get monthly book/subscription credits, but I get "member prices" when I buy stuff "a la carte." That worked well for me. So when my "annual membership" expired last month, I declined to renew, and in the box where they ask why, I told them and said that when they supported the Android, I'd renew my annual membership. I don't expect this show of force to get them to accelerate their development schedule, but it felt good.
 
I found this on another forum, I have NO idea as to its legality or how well it works but there is a windows based app called SoundTaxi that will, they claim, convert the Audible format to mp3 ( iPhone). My personal feeling is that as long as you have legally purchased the book and it is strictly for your personal use, it should be ok to change the format so that it can be played on an Android phone.
 
I have found plenty of ways to "Convert to MP3" so that my non-supported devices can play audible content, but it is just not worth it as most techniques require you to play the duration of the audiobook while it records. Since most books can be over 30 hours, that is a long time of not being able to use your computer. Other ways such as burning and ripping CDs have file naming issues. I would just like Audible to come out with this new app sooner than later so that there is no more hassle to listening to a book. I work in the cell phone industry and more people are buying Android phones than any other. Anyways, I think anyone who reads this should send out an email to Audible asking for the app and ETA so that it shows them how many of us are out there. Hopefully they can get it out by new year and not mid-2010.

(I also asked in my message if the app will support the new high quality audio format. It is worth mentioning so that they do not try to flake out and release a crappy quality app to satisfy the public faster rather than take the time to make a good quality app)


Edit:
Reply from Audible (not as detailed as some of the other replies):
I understand that you are inquiring about the compability of the Android operating system. Unfortunately, this platform is currently not Audible ready. We are hoping to add support to these phones in the future, but we do not have an estimated time of when would this be.
Click to expand...
 
I use Sound Taxi (under $30) to convert the .aa audible.com files into mp3 format. It doesn't take that long to convert. I think it took about 45 minutes to convert a 6 hour audible book. Just let it convert while you're doing something else.

Then I use a free app I got from Market called Astro Player -- it has bookmarks. I'm in business, no problems. I would prefer it if Audible.com would make droid compatible, but until that happens, this is an easy work-around.
 
mitc1111 said:
I use Sound Taxi (under $30) to convert the .aa audible.com files into mp3 format. It doesn't take that long to convert. I think it took about 45 minutes to convert a 6 hour audible book. Just let it convert while you're doing something else.

Then I use a free app I got from Market called Astro Player -- it has bookmarks. I'm in business, no problems. I would prefer it if Audible.com would make droid compatible, but until that happens, this is an easy work-around.
Click to expand...

I couldn't get Sound Taxi to reliably convert my .aa files. Some converted fine, others get error messages. Was there some special setting necessary for Audible? :confused:
 
If Apple and Microsoft can provide native support for Audible files, so can Google. This isn't only Audible's problem. Google needs to get off its butt!
 
Good News Everybody! On twit 232 Leo Laporte and Jason Calacanis discussed the lack of an android audible player.
1:09:45

Leo:"The biggest single thing missing on android is an an audible player."

Jason:"trust me, it's going to be made in the next 10 days"

Leo: "I have it on good authority that they are working on it right now. Generally the way audible works is that they give an SDK to the partners and they ask that the partners develop it for the phone and i understand they are working with google to do an audible player and that will be coming soon"

It can't happen too soon!
 
This thread make me do this :( I mean what does it say that Audible is putting their focus on WebOS and Palm phones, over Android. *sigh*
 
xraptorx said:
What other providers sell audiobooks with a price model similar to Audible?
Click to expand...

Although I am still an Audible member but I am also using eMusic.com. They have a decent book collection. At least all the newer ones are in. If Audible does not release anything for Android in next 2-3 months either I'll quit Audible or buy an iPhone.
 
jdeslip said:
I use the emusic DRM free audiobook store and am very happy with it. No more audible for me...
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I just went to their web site & I'm unclear just what the "player" looks like as it only mentions music. How does it compare to, say, the Palm Audible app? Does it bookmark?
I also looked at the books & they don't have any where near the selection as Audible
 
Myronbg said:
I just went to their web site & I'm unclear just what the "player" looks like as it only mentions music. How does it compare to, say, the Palm Audible app? Does it bookmark?
I also looked at the books & they don't have any where near the selection as Audible
Click to expand...
eMusic don't supply you with a player because they give you plain mp3 files which you can play with any player. Obviously you've to use one of the audio book players from the market because the default Android Music player does not work well for books because it does not remembers last position, nor allows book marking. I use Dogg Catcher for it remembers the previous position and you can also FF quickly. I've also used Astro Player, which worked reasonable.

I found eMusic collection adequate. Most good new releases are there. True, their collection is nowhere near Audible but good enough to serve me one or two decent books every month. The quality is somwhere between 4 and enhanced.

I am waiting for Audible to get their act together, but for interim period I am quite happy with eMusic.
 
Hi all,

First post here. Happy to have discovered other avid Audible/Android users. Should we be called AA? OK, perhaps not.

I wanted to thank you guys for the useful information about Audible and Android. I have been an Audible subscriber for >2 years, having purchased something like 80 audiobooks, and as unhappy as I am that Audible doesn't yet have an Android app, I like them enough to be willing to jump through some hoops for the moment.

I took several of your suggestions, and consolidated them as follows (with one of my own) for a quick tutorial on Audible->Android (sorry, Mac guys, the computer side of this is for PC):

1. Buy SoundTaxi. The version that will work for this project is Platinum, which costs $19.95 and can be downloaded from here. Note that the Trial version will only create a 90 second converted file; the licensed version is well worth the price.

2. Download Astro Player for Android here. (If you have Barcode Scanner or something similar installed, you can just scan the barcode at the bottom of that page.)

3. (optional) Download Bluetooth File Transfer here. It's a very simple-to-use Bluetooth FTP application that will allow you to move files from your computer to your Android device without a physical connection.

4. Run SoundTaxi, click "Select files," navigate to your Audible directory (by default it's something like \Users\Public\Documents\Audible\Downloads) and select the file(s) you want to convert. You can also drag/drop into the SoundTaxi application.

5. Transfer the file(s), which have been converted to MP3s, to your Android device (using BFT if you have installed it). You can now open and run them in Astro Player.

The only downside to all of this is that the conversion takes a while. I converted a 6 hour book and it took over an hour.

...dan
 
I too love audio book and movies from Cinemanow but hate multiple devices, which why I moved to the Droid. I also had a Windows Mobile device and came away not too pleased. I am honestly done waiting for both companies Roxio/Cinemanow and Amazon/Audible to check their corporate egos and get on the Android wave. I have a great tool DRMBuster Ultra Video that addresses both issues and allows me to take movies that I've legally purchased licenses to and audio books likewise legally purchased and copy them down to my Droid. It takes a while convert either a audio book or a movie but the sound and sound/video on the Droid are incredible. When all else fails, when you've begged, pleaded and waited - bust out the eye patch, hoist the skull and cross bones, give a hearty HAR HAR and go rogue.
 
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