FREE/BARGAIN - Audiobooks - 2016

[tubemonkey]

eMusic Relaunches Audiobook Service as eStories

eMusic, the online music subscription service that launched in the late '90s, is rebranding and relaunching its audiobook program under the new name eStories.

The subscription service will offer over 80,000 titles, unlimited cloud storage and allow customers to listen to their content on up to 10 devices. The relaunch follows the purchase of eMusic by Triplay in the fall.

eMusic entered the audiobook market in 2007, when it added audiobooks to its stable of digital music offerings. Although eMusic remained in the audiobook market, it was a very small player. With eStories, eMusic is dramatically increasing its investment in audiobooks.

The company is touting eStories as a low-cost alternative to the more dominant players in the audiobook market, the biggest of which is Amazon-owned Audible, with monthly subscription plans that begin at $11.99. (Audible's subscription plans, which come with an initial free month, start at $14.95.)

Audible and Downpour have a new competitor. They offer a free 30-day trial with 1 free audiobook, but that requires a credit card. You can access their catalog without having to join to see if you like their content. Although their catalog is smaller than Audible and Downpour, their credits are $1 to $3 cheaper. They have multiple monthly and yearly plans with 1, 2, and 5 credits per month. They also have a 30-day return policy.

I signed up for the trial, but haven't picked my free book yet. When I do, I'll test out their app (available for Android & iOS). See below for more details.

eStories (formerly eMusic Audiobooks)

• Monthly --> $11.99/ book | $21.99/ 2 books | $49.99/ 5 books
• Annual --> $9.99/ book | $17.99/ 2 books | $39.99/ 5 books
• Trial --> free 30-day trial (incl 1 free book)
• Catalog --> 80,000+ titles
• Format --> Android & iOS -- powered by Findaway
• Offline --> offline listening allowed
• Devices --> 5~10 devices (depending on plan)
• Returns --> within 30 days
• Availability -->
• Owner --> eMusic | TriPlay

eMusic is an online music and audiobook store that operates by subscription. In exchange for a monthly subscription eMusic users can download a fixed number of tracks to their MP3 players per month. eMusic was established in 1998, is headquartered in New York City with an office in London, and is owned by Dimensional Associates.

Beginning September 18, 2007, eMusic began to offer audiobooks in MP3 format.

eMusic was the first digital retailer to sell DRM-free downloadable audiobooks in the MP3 format beginning in 2007. Audible.com, its largest competitor, offers audiobooks with digital rights management in the .aa format.

On October 21, 2015, eMusic was acquired by Israeli media startup, TriPlay. The full terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed.

On July 14, 2016, eMusic launched eStories, an audiobook service that will offer 80,000 titles at a cost of $11.95 per title to use, plus 33 percent off additional purchases.

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[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

eMusic Relaunches Audiobook Service as eStories

Audible and Downpour have a new competitor.
<snip>

Does the membership automatically end if you don't renew it after the trial period is over, or do they automatically charge your card for the new month once the trial period has ended? I hate having to keep up with deadlines, etc., but if I don't have to manually cancel the membership at the end of the trial period, I might as well sign up and get a free audiobook.

Frankly, I wonder if the retail audiobook market can support one more player in the business. It seems pretty saturated now. Too, I'm concerned about eMusic's ability to create a bug-free and intuitive-to-navigate website and bug-free download or streaming audiobook product. For a while I was posting eMusic's daily free music downloads. But there were so many problems, at the time, dealing with them that I quit. It seems to have improved some since, however.

Thanks for letting us know about this development.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Does the membership automatically end if you don't renew it after the trial period is over, or do they automatically charge your card for the new month once the trial period has ended? I hate having to keep up with deadlines, etc., but if I don't have to manually cancel the membership at the end of the trial period, I might as well sign up and get a free audiobook.

Frankly, I wonder if the retail audiobook market can support one more player in the business. It seems pretty saturated now. Too, I'm concerned about eMusic's ability to create a bug-free and intuitive-to-navigate website and bug-free download or streaming audiobook product. For a while I was posting eMusic's daily free music downloads. But there were so many problems, at the time, dealing with them that I quit. It seems to have improved some since, however.

Thanks for letting us know about this development.

It's an automatic renewal unless you cancel. What I do for these deals is to add them to my calendar for a reminder to cancel - 1 and 3 days before renewal. Usually, I get the free book within a few days of signing up and then cancel. There's no point sticking around for the rest of the month, since I won't buy anything at member pricing.

FYI, eMusic was purchased by an Israeli media company last Oct. They're revamping eMusic all around. First up was a relaunch of audiobooks. Later this year they'll relaunch the music.

I'll let you know how well the app performs when I download my book. BTW, that book will be a history selection from The Great Courses once I decide on the one I want.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

It's an automatic renewal unless you cancel. What I do for these deals is to add them to my calendar for a reminder to cancel - 1 and 3 days before renewal. Usually, I get the free book within a few days of signing up and then cancel. There's no point sticking around for the rest of the month, since I won't buy anything at member pricing.

FYI, eMusic was purchased by an Israeli media company last Oct. They're revamping eMusic all around. First up was a relaunch of audiobooks. Later this year they'll relaunch the music.

I'll let you know how well the app performs when I download my book. BTW, that book will be a history selection from The Great Courses once I decide on the one I want.

History?!?! And you recently posted that you had watched a History Channel program! Are you feeling well? I think that maybe you need to check yourself into an animal hospital (one that treats monkeys). Maybe I could even try to look one up for you in the Seattle metro area . . . .

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

History?!?! And you recently posted that you had watched a History Channel program! Are you feeling well? I think that maybe you need to check yourself into an animal hospital (one that treats monkeys). Maybe I could even try to look one up for you in the Seattle metro area . . . .

I've always been a big history buff; along with astronomy, most sciences and nature stuff.

No need for an animal hospital. I have a special room reserved at my local PetSmart. I check in every now and then.

[koland]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

...Too, I'm concerned about eMusic's ability to create a bug-free and intuitive-to-navigate website and bug-free download or streaming audiobook product. For a while I was posting eMusic's daily free music downloads. But there were so many problems, at the time, dealing with them that I quit. It seems to have improved some since, however.

Only screwed up their free downloads twice in the last week or so, I think - once the page was missing, once the download file was missing.

Anyone looked to see what the selection is like? leaving aside the issue of drm and stability of their apps, if there isn't something you want to listen to, they will probably fail.

[Catlady]

What I want to know is if you can download/sideload eStories books to a computer and then to an mp3 player. It sounds like you can't. If I'm buying an audiobook, I don't want to be restricted to an app on my phone.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Catlady

What I want to know is if you can download/sideload eStories books to a computer and then to an mp3 player. It sounds like you can't. If I'm buying an audiobook, I don't want to be restricted to an app on my phone.

Doesn't look like it. Although the old eMusic audiobooks could be downloaded as MP3's looking at the eStories support pages all downloading references are to downloading books into an Android or iOS app. So at first blush at least it looks like their following in the footsteps of the geniuses behind B&N's relaunched audiobooks and making them app only (IIRC).


We may get lucky and it may end up being like Audiobooks.com where the files are MP3's when downloaded to the Android app and can at least be had that way. I know I'll probably do the free book at least and try and see if this works. Not ideal, but better than nothing.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Doesn't look like it. Although the old eMusic audiobooks could be downloaded as MP3's looking at the eStories support pages all downloading references are to downloading books into an Android or iOS app. So at first blush at least it looks like their following in the footsteps of the geniuses behind B&N's relaunched audiobooks and making them app only (IIRC).

We may get lucky and it may end up being like Audiobooks.com where the files are MP3's when downloaded to the Android app and can at least be had that way. I know I'll probably do the free book at least and try and see if this works. Not ideal, but better than nothing.

Yeah, I had enough trouble with audiobooks.com, but at least it was possible to retrieve the files. To my mind, it's okay to enforce the use of an app for a borrowed book (e.g., Hoopla), but not for a purchase--not worth the meager savings of, what, a buck less than Downpour and three bucks less than Audible.

[skinmaan]

Originally Posted by Catlady

What I want to know is if you can download/sideload eStories books to a computer and then to an mp3 player. It sounds like you can't. If I'm buying an audiobook, I don't want to be restricted to an app on my phone.

I just signed up for the eStories free trial, and here's the answers I have found thus far:

• If you had previously tried out eMusic's audiobook service, you are still eligible for the free month trial.
• It looks to me like all books are 1 credit (unlike Downpour, which charges more than 1 for a few titles).
• You can download the audiobooks through your PC. I got a download link immediately on purchasing my title.
• The books are DRM-free mp3 format.
• The only negative I've found so far: the files are all 32 bps - a pretty low quality overall.

My thoughts: I think it's better than audiobooks.com, and on par with Downpour (Downpour has better-quality files, but eStories charges 1 credit for all). I don't compare them to Audible or Nook since they have DRM.

[paulak39]

Is there a way to cancel directly on their website, after the free trial, or do you have to call to cancel?

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by skinmaan

I just signed up for the eStories free trial, and here's the answers I have found thus far:

• If you had previously tried out eMusic's audiobook service, you are still eligible for the free month trial.
• It looks to me like all books are 1 credit (unlike Downpour, which charges more than 1 for a few titles).
• You can download the audiobooks through your PC. I got a download link immediately on purchasing my title.
• The books are DRM-free mp3 format.
• The only negative I've found so far: the files are all 32 bps - a pretty low quality overall.

My thoughts: I think it's better than audiobooks.com, and on par with Downpour (Downpour has better-quality files, but eStories charges 1 credit for all). I don't compare them to Audible or Nook since they have DRM.

Great, thanks so much. With that info, when I sign up for the free trial I can get a book I want to keep, rather than something to consider as a one-time read. Too bad the file quality is so low, though.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by paulak39

Is there a way to cancel directly on their website, after the free trial, or do you have to call to cancel?

You can cancel directly from the website, but do it before the free trial ends. Like most free trial offers, eStories will automatically renew your membership once the free trial ends. If you don't cancel before then, your credit card will be charged.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by skinmaan

It looks to me like all books are 1 credit (unlike Downpour, which charges more than 1 for a few titles).

I attempted to get this book yesterday -- The Vikings (Great Courses) -- and got this message:

Sorry, this title is not available for purchase at this time. If you have questions, please contact us at support@estories.com

No idea why this popped up. Now I have to decide all over again.

[skinmaan]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I attempted to get this book yesterday -- The Vikings (Great Courses) -- and got this message:

No idea why this popped up. Now I have to decide all over again.

Maybe it was out of stock?