Cannot listen to audiobooks from Cloud Library

GracieAllen · 11-02-2017, 09:22 AM

Rather than hanging this on page 10 of the big "reading versus listening" to books topic...

Some libraries are switching from an online catalog to Cloud Library. In my case, TWO of the libraries I use have done so. And the Cloud Library LISTS audio books.
Unfortunately, I cannot find any way to actually DOWNLOAD the audio books so they can be put on a flash drive and actually USED in the car. It appears they can ONLY be listened to in the cloud library.
I tried speaking to one of the "support" people at one of the libraries (Bibliotheca does NOT appreciate actually having to talk to mere users and forces all support questions to go through the "local" library). But that's a different rant...
So for all y'alls who are listening to audio books, HOW have you gotten the audio books from the Cloud Library to your local device?

Deskisamess · 11-02-2017, 10:02 AM

I don’t use Cloud Library, but found info on their site:

Can I transfer my e-Audiobook from my PC to my MP3 player?

No. Both the PC and MAC version of the app stream the content and do not download the entire audiobook file. Transfer of the file is not available

Can I listen to my e-Audiobook offline?

Offline listening is available via the iOS and Android apps only. Offline listening is not available via the Web Streaming or PC and MAC streaming of the audiobook. Note: Traveling in and out of network coverage may result in a loss of connection of an active download or playing of an eAudiobook. You may need to the tap the download and/or play button to resume when this occurs.

AnemicOak · 11-02-2017, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GracieAllen

So for all y'alls who are listening to audio books, HOW have you gotten the audio books from the Cloud Library to your local device?

For CloudLibrary (and RB Digital too IIRC) it's their app for iOS or Android or nothing. If you have a device with one of these OS's you can download through CL's app and play it with that device. Depending on your car stereo you may be able yo connect such a device over Bluetooth or by using an Aux cable. If you don't have such a device a used Android phone can make a great "MP3 Player" or a non-contract/pre-paid Android phone (unregistered so no actual service fees) will work as well. Usually around Black Friday such a device can be had for as little as ($10-$20).

GracieAllen · 11-02-2017, 02:11 PM

So as I understand it they've managed to make the audiobooks on Cloud Library inflexible, and largely useless.

All that app'ing and wi-fi-ing and all in just lovely when I sitting at home and don't need it. In reality, I'm traveling in a car with NO WI-FI and only the OCCASIONAL CELL SIGNAL. So an app that "streams" an audiobook isn't useful. And even if there was, I'm on Verizon, and it's NOT unlimited.

It's disappointing that after this many years of ebooks and audiobooks, and all the technology that was supposed to be such a HUGE improvement in flexibility, we're still having to deal with this kind of inconvenience because of the miniscule amount of theft or piracy it prevents.

AnemicOak · 11-02-2017, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GracieAllen

So as I understand it they've managed to make the audiobooks on Cloud Library inflexible, and largely useless.

They've made them app only which is the way a lot of things are starting to go.

Quote:

All that app'ing and wi-fi-ing and all in just lovely when I sitting at home and don't need it. In reality, I'm traveling in a car with NO WI-FI and only the OCCASIONAL CELL SIGNAL. So an app that "streams" an audiobook isn't useful. And even if there was, I'm on Verizon, and it's NOT unlimited.

You download the book(s) to the app ahead of time (usually over WiFi). No connection is needed once the book is stored on the device. It's not streaming only.

thomkat27 · 11-02-2017, 02:26 PM

The support site does mention you can download the books for offline listening using an iOS or Android device. I usually download my books right away so I can read and listen offline whenever I need to then

IronChaim · 11-02-2017, 03:17 PM

Quote:

I cannot find any way to actually DOWNLOAD the audio books so they can be put on a flash drive and actually USED in the car.

There may be a way for the OP to still use the App (with the books download for offline use) with their car. At the minimum, most cars going back at least 10+ years have an auxiliary input that's just a headphone jack (3.5mm?) so you can plug in a male-to-male from your phone to the car. Newer stuff like Bluetooth, CarPlay, etc. might also work.

Without any hard data to back this up, I believe there's still a surprising amount of (demographically expected) users who prefer to burn their audio to CD to use in the car.

Dazrin · 11-02-2017, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IronChaim

There may be a way for the OP to still use the App (with the books download for offline use) with their car. At the minimum, most cars going back at least 10+ years have an auxiliary input that's just a headphone jack (3.5mm?) so you can plug in a male-to-male from your phone to the car. Newer stuff like Bluetooth, CarPlay, etc. might also work.

Without any hard data to back this up, I believe there's still a surprising amount of (demographically expected) users who prefer to burn their audio to CD to use in the car.

Even if you don't have an auxiliary jack or bluetooth or ... you can get audio from your phone or mp3 player to your car fairly easily as long as you have an FM radio.

There are college graduates younger than my car so I don't have any "fancy" things like an auxiliary jack.

Instead, I use a little FM transmitter for when I need to get audiobooks to my car audio. They cost less than $15 (I think I got mine for less than $5) and work ok as long as you can find some "dead" space where you don't have a lot of interference. High quality sound? No. Understandable? Yes. That's good enough for me.

If you don't have an FM radio you can get a small bluetooth speaker and use it with your phone. I have done that a couple times and it works fine too.

badgoodDeb · 11-02-2017, 03:44 PM

Even with Audible, which does allow you to download books to the device, I've had problems with it wanting to connect to my account when I first try to start a new book. I don't recall the circumstances, but it was annoying at the time. I now try to start new books only when I'm at a rest stop with wifi.

Of course, I can't start a new book while driving, anyway, because the screen is too hard to read in extremely-brief glances away from the road. Which I ought not to do, so that reinforces my policy: only start a different book when stopped, prefereably at a rest stop.

issybird · 11-02-2017, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Even with Audible, which does allow you to download books to the device, I've had problems with it wanting to connect to my account when I first try to start a new book. I don't recall the circumstances, but it was annoying at the time. I now try to start new books only when I'm at a rest stop with wifi.

I've had that problem with iThings but never with Android.

badgoodDeb · 11-02-2017, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

I've had that problem with iThings but never with Android.

Yeah, I'm on an iThing. [ If this topic is mainly for Android, I apologize. I didn't go back to check the thread topic. ]

Toradtall · 11-03-2017, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

I've had that problem with iThings but never with Android.

Same experience here. Android confirmed master race.

Alohamora · 11-03-2017, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

For CloudLibrary (and RB Digital too IIRC) it's their app for iOS or Android or nothing. If you have a device with one of these OS's you can download through CL's app and play it with that device. Depending on your car stereo you may be able yo connect such a device over Bluetooth or by using an Aux cable. If you don't have such a device a used Android phone can make a great "MP3 Player" or a non-contract/pre-paid Android phone (unregistered so no actual service fees) will work as well. Usually around Black Friday such a device can be had for as little as ($10-$20).

^This. I can't rave enough about using a phone app instead of an mp3 player for audio books.

I started doing this years ago when data plans were too expensive for me. I used a flip phone for a phone, but got a used Android phone, Android version 2.0 at the time, and put the Audible app and some mp3 music on it, and never activated phone service on the device.

I'm paranoid about running down my phone battery with entertainment apps and not being able to talk when needed, so I've kept the habit of using an inactive smart phone just for books and music. Even the cheapest Android will do the job. But last year, around Black Friday there were some fairly nice no-contract phones on sale and I picked up one that even has a 5.5" screen good enough to be my ebook reader too. Load up content while on WiFi and Bob's your uncle.

BTW, Tubemonkey runs an excellent Black Friday watch thread in the deals section if you're in the market for such a device.

copyrite · 11-03-2017, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alohamora

I'm paranoid about running down my phone battery with entertainment apps and not being able to talk when needed, so I've kept the habit of using an inactive smart phone just for books and music. Even the cheapest Android will do the job. But last year, around Black Friday there were some fairly nice no-contract phones on sale and I picked up one that even has a 5.5" screen good enough to be my ebook reader too. Load up content while on WiFi and Bob's your uncle.

BTW, Tubemonkey runs an excellent Black Friday watch thread in the deals section if you're in the market for such a device.

I'm the same way with not using my phone for media consumption. I thought my LG Volt media device was on its way out about six months ago, but it must've been an app consuming the battery because I uninstalled all unnecssary apps, and it got better and is still going strong.

GracieAllen · 11-03-2017, 07:23 AM

Well, ok... It sounds like this is the direction things are going, where instead of doing something amazingly easy like COPYING THE FILES ONTO A FLASH DRIVE AND SHOVING INTO THE USB SOCKET, we'll be copying them down to a phone, doing whatever, the plugging THAT in and trying to remember to plug in a charger, and whatever...

Does anyone else find this ridiculously inefficient?

11-02-2017, 09:22 AM	#1
GracieAllen Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 93638 Join Date: Nov 2017 Device: Nexus 9	Cannot listen to audiobooks from Cloud Library Rather than hanging this on page 10 of the big "reading versus listening" to books topic... Some libraries are switching from an online catalog to Cloud Library. In my case, TWO of the libraries I use have done so. And the Cloud Library LISTS audio books. Unfortunately, I cannot find any way to actually DOWNLOAD the audio books so they can be put on a flash drive and actually USED in the car. It appears they can ONLY be listened to in the cloud library. I tried speaking to one of the "support" people at one of the libraries (Bibliotheca does NOT appreciate actually having to talk to mere users and forces all support questions to go through the "local" library). But that's a different rant... So for all y'alls who are listening to audio books, HOW have you gotten the audio books from the Cloud Library to your local device?

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11-02-2017, 10:02 AM	#2
Deskisamess Wizard Posts: 2,742 Karma: 45300001 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Ohio Device: iPhone 13 Pro, iPad mini, iPad Pro 12.9",Paperwhite 6.8", Scribe 2022	I don’t use Cloud Library, but found info on their site: Can I transfer my e-Audiobook from my PC to my MP3 player? No. Both the PC and MAC version of the app stream the content and do not download the entire audiobook file. Transfer of the file is not available Can I listen to my e-Audiobook offline? Offline listening is available via the iOS and Android apps only. Offline listening is not available via the Web Streaming or PC and MAC streaming of the audiobook. Note: Traveling in and out of network coverage may result in a loss of connection of an active download or playing of an eAudiobook. You may need to the tap the download and/or play button to resume when this occurs.

11-02-2017, 02:11 PM	#4
GracieAllen Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 93638 Join Date: Nov 2017 Device: Nexus 9	So as I understand it they've managed to make the audiobooks on Cloud Library inflexible, and largely useless. All that app'ing and wi-fi-ing and all in just lovely when I sitting at home and don't need it. In reality, I'm traveling in a car with NO WI-FI and only the OCCASIONAL CELL SIGNAL. So an app that "streams" an audiobook isn't useful. And even if there was, I'm on Verizon, and it's NOT unlimited. It's disappointing that after this many years of ebooks and audiobooks, and all the technology that was supposed to be such a HUGE improvement in flexibility, we're still having to deal with this kind of inconvenience because of the miniscule amount of theft or piracy it prevents.

11-02-2017, 02:26 PM	#6
thomkat27 Digital Librarian Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2017 Device: iOS, Nook GlowLight+, PC, Kindle Fire	The support site does mention you can download the books for offline listening using an iOS or Android device. I usually download my books right away so I can read and listen offline whenever I need to then

11-02-2017, 03:44 PM	#9
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,539 Karma: 64201357 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Even with Audible, which does allow you to download books to the device, I've had problems with it wanting to connect to my account when I first try to start a new book. I don't recall the circumstances, but it was annoying at the time. I now try to start new books only when I'm at a rest stop with wifi. Of course, I can't start a new book while driving, anyway, because the screen is too hard to read in extremely-brief glances away from the road. Which I ought not to do, so that reinforces my policy: only start a different book when stopped, prefereably at a rest stop.

11-03-2017, 07:23 AM	#15
GracieAllen Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 93638 Join Date: Nov 2017 Device: Nexus 9	Well, ok... It sounds like this is the direction things are going, where instead of doing something amazingly easy like COPYING THE FILES ONTO A FLASH DRIVE AND SHOVING INTO THE USB SOCKET, we'll be copying them down to a phone, doing whatever, the plugging THAT in and trying to remember to plug in a charger, and whatever... Does anyone else find this ridiculously inefficient?

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