Free Audio Books

Bob Russell · 06-20-2005, 08:15 PM

Almost exactly one year ago, we pointed you to AudioBooksForFree. It looks like they're alive and well, and they continue to add books. The web site is a bit busy, but it's enough to get you to the audiobooks.

Previously, most of their books were machine read. Don't know if that's still true, but it does look like they have a lot of books there.

Maybe a better source is the Gutenberg project, which also has audio books available for free, some by machine readers and some by human readers.

And don't forget that almost any pda with a memory card can hold and play mp3s. Add a car adapter kit, you can listen to these audiobooks on your car's audio system while you commute. (Any electronics store has car adapter kits for about $20 that connects to your pda's headphone jack to a cassette deck or broadcasts FM radio).

Gatton · 06-20-2005, 09:50 PM

Has anyone else been trying this? I know I was surprised the first time I heard the artificial voice reading a book at gutenberg. Of course it makes sense from a time/money perspective and as technology improves they'll sound better. Still I was unable to get through one. The harsh, unfeeling and never wavering voice makes for an inhuman experience

<Joshua> Would you like to play a game? </Joshua>

Chaos · 06-20-2005, 10:09 PM

On OSX, it's quite easy to create your own computer-read ebooks... If they're a plain text file.

Code:

say -v voice -f ~/file.txt -o ~/file.aiff

That command will read from the file named "file.txt" in you Home directory to an AIFF file in your home directory called "file.aiff", with voice being the name of a system voice (find them in the Speech prefs pane). It defaults to the preferences set in the Speech preference pane for voice and speed, if you leave out the "-v voice".

DanG · 06-21-2005, 05:24 PM

You could get the Palm to read the book in text format to you using HipTalk, a text to speech synthesizer:

You can find it on Palmgear
http://www.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fu...1&prodID=76507

beachwanderer · 12-03-2008, 06:57 AM

I have been searching for text-to-speech engines for Palm os 5

and HipTalk 2.0 seems to be the best solution that is or rather was around.

Sadly there is (and has been for some time) just a downloadable demo.

As I would really like to purchase the full program:

Is there anyone who knows a way to purchase it nowadays or would be willing to sell me his/her licence?

Get in touch ..

beachwanderer

dubconspirit · 03-21-2009, 11:10 AM

theres some great free ebooks out there - depends what your wanting to read?

musicaltales · 07-01-2009, 07:45 AM

Hi everyone,
I've been part of a very innovative project involving audio books.
It's a musical fantasy audio book. Innovative because it's incorporated with graphics and photos of dragons. wolves, dark mercenaries...and strong music backgrounds presented in videos.

You can download the videos for FREE or watch in streaming mode directly from the www.musicaltales.com website.

Take a look for yourself.

Moejoe · 07-01-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicaltales

Hi everyone,
I've been part of a very innovative project involving audio books.
It's a musical fantasy audio book. Innovative because it's incorporated with graphics and photos of dragons. wolves, dark mercenaries...and strong music backgrounds presented in videos.

You can download the videos for FREE or watch in streaming mode directly from the www.musicaltales.com website.

Take a look for yourself.

Hi, and welcome

Could you please repost this in Writers' Corner and in the Deals/Freebies forum as I think there are quite a few fantasy fans on MR who would like this very well thought out and put together idea

Leep · 07-01-2009, 12:03 PM

Many U.S. libraries also offer "free" audiobooks for checkout and download.

Recently, both the Overdrive and Netlibrary library servers have started offering MP3s (which work on iPod and iTouch) as well as WMA which work on other brands like Sanza. If you're in the U.S., check it out.

cheers

06-20-2005, 08:15 PM	#1
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Free Audio Books Almost exactly one year ago, we pointed you to AudioBooksForFree. It looks like they're alive and well, and they continue to add books. The web site is a bit busy, but it's enough to get you to the audiobooks. Previously, most of their books were machine read. Don't know if that's still true, but it does look like they have a lot of books there. Maybe a better source is the Gutenberg project, which also has audio books available for free, some by machine readers and some by human readers. And don't forget that almost any pda with a memory card can hold and play mp3s. Add a car adapter kit, you can listen to these audiobooks on your car's audio system while you commute. (Any electronics store has car adapter kits for about $20 that connects to your pda's headphone jack to a cassette deck or broadcasts FM radio).

06-20-2005, 10:09 PM	#3
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	On OSX, it's quite easy to create your own computer-read ebooks... If they're a plain text file. Code: say -v voice -f ~/file.txt -o ~/file.aiff That command will read from the file named "file.txt" in you Home directory to an AIFF file in your home directory called "file.aiff", with voice being the name of a system voice (find them in the Speech prefs pane). It defaults to the preferences set in the Speech preference pane for voice and speed, if you leave out the "-v voice".

06-21-2005, 05:24 PM	#4
DanG Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2005 Device: T3	Get your Palm to read the text You could get the Palm to read the book in text format to you using HipTalk, a text to speech synthesizer: You can find it on Palmgear http://www.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fu...1&prodID=76507

12-03-2008, 06:57 AM	#5
beachwanderer - Posts: 2,602 Karma: 16748808 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: At the Baltic Sea Device: Some	HipTalk - Still out there ? I have been searching for text-to-speech engines for Palm os 5 and HipTalk 2.0 seems to be the best solution that is or rather was around. Sadly there is (and has been for some time) just a downloadable demo. As I would really like to purchase the full program: Is there anyone who knows a way to purchase it nowadays or would be willing to sell me his/her licence? Get in touch .. beachwanderer

07-01-2009, 07:45 AM	#7
musicaltales Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: none	Free audio book in video Hi everyone, I've been part of a very innovative project involving audio books. It's a musical fantasy audio book. Innovative because it's incorporated with graphics and photos of dragons. wolves, dark mercenaries...and strong music backgrounds presented in videos. You can download the videos for FREE or watch in streaming mode directly from the www.musicaltales.com website. Take a look for yourself.

06-20-2005, 09:50 PM	#2
Gatton Groupie Posts: 150 Karma: 368 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Charlotte, NC Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2021, assorted Fire tablets.	Has anyone else been trying this? I know I was surprised the first time I heard the artificial voice reading a book at gutenberg. Of course it makes sense from a time/money perspective and as technology improves they'll sound better. Still I was unable to get through one. The harsh, unfeeling and never wavering voice makes for an inhuman experience <Joshua> Would you like to play a game? </Joshua>

03-21-2009, 11:10 AM	#6
dubconspirit Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: kindle	theres some great free ebooks out there - depends what your wanting to read?

07-01-2009, 12:03 PM	#9
Leep Guru Posts: 739 Karma: 1018859 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Near Seattle Device: kindle1, K3, K3G (thanks MR), iTouch, Kindle Touch	Many U.S. libraries also offer "free" audiobooks for checkout and download. Recently, both the Overdrive and Netlibrary library servers have started offering MP3s (which work on iPod and iTouch) as well as WMA which work on other brands like Sanza. If you're in the U.S., check it out. cheers

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