FREE/BARGAIN — Audiobooks

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

What did you find out about .m4a?

I read ApK's response, but I'm not sure that what he or she said is correct in all situations.

My Android plays ".mp4" files just fine. However, I'm almost certain that it won't play ".m4a" files. I don't have any ".m4a" files, on my smartphone, to test that, but I'm almost certain that when I try to play one I get a message that says "file type not supported," or something to that effect. I delete the file when I come across one (maybe not such a good idea, though---there may be an app that can be installed that will play them).

The Apple audio is in a mp4 container so will play if you rename the file from .m4a to .mp4 - there may be some exceptions but the .m4a files I come across have always worked if just renamed. If ones audiobook reader does not support .mp4 then it can be played in ones video player.

But note that many android audiobook reader apps will play .m4a files - I use Smart Audiobook Player which does (and mp4 too).

[ApK]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

What did you find out about .m4a?

I read ApK's response, but I'm not sure that what he or she said is correct in all situation
My Android plays ".mp4" files just fine. However, I'm almost certain that it won't play ".m4a" files. I don't have any ".m4a" files, on my smartphone, to test that, but I'm almost certain that when I try to play one I get a message that says "file type not supported," or something to that effect. I delete the file when I come across one (maybe not such a good idea, though---there may be an app that can be installed that will play them).

For the record: I'm a 'he.'...
More importantly, I said they are useable outside of iOS and Safari, and they work on my non-Apple stuff. That is true without qualification.

While it's certainly possible that you have come across a particular player on your Android device that can't play them (though do try renaming as 'cat said), it's also most certain that you could grab one of a hundred other players that can.

ApK

[bookmarked]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

The Apple audio is in a mp4 container so will play if you rename the file from .m4a to .mp4 - there may be some exceptions but the .m4a files I come across have always worked if just renamed. If ones audiobook reader does not support .mp4 then it can be played in ones video player.

But note that many android audiobook reader apps will play .m4a files - I use Smart Audiobook Player which does (and mp4 too).

Correct. MP4 is a standard for media files. An MP4 file can contain audio only, video with an audio soundtrack, etc.

A file with a .mp4 extension is ambiguous, so .m4a is commonly used for MP4 audio-only files, .m4v for MP4 video files, .m4b for MP4 audiobook files (basically an MP4 audio file formatted as an audiobook with chapters, etc.), etc. They're all MP4 files.

The different extensions also make easier to associate different media types with different applications.

[tubemonkey]

Audible UK -- Daily Deal -- exp 28 Apr

• £1.99 -- Everything You Told Me -- Lucy Dawson --> suspense

[tubemonkey]

This offer is now live and available today only (Sat) -- exp 28 Apr

Also, an 8th book has been added to the list (see below).

Originally Posted by skinmaan

Mark the date - April 28th at Libro.fm.

The free titles are:

• Tangerine By Christine Mangan
• Strange the Dreamer By Laini Taylor
• The Paris Secret By Karen Swan
• Brain Rules for Aging Well By John Medina
• The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body By Joanna Cole
• Penguin Random House Audio Story Sampler
• Macmillan Audio Story Sampler
• Information Doesn't Want to Be Free By Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer

Enjoy!
skinmaan
Your audiobook bloodhound

[GtrsRGr8]

[When I started this post, I didn't intend for it to be a review of the libro.fm audiobook membership plan, but by the time that I finished researching for, and writing much of this post, I saw that it would end up that way, G]

Is anyone going to spring for the Libro.fm membership?

Information about the plan is not obvious, to me, on the plain vanilla libro.fm Independent Bookstore Day opening webpage; however, I did end up finding it, at least some of it.

The features:
- First month--99 cents.
- Subsequent months--$14.99.
- One audiobook per month is included, and you get 30% off on additional audiobooks.
- Cancel at anytime, etc., etc.

They seem to imply that one audiobook is included the first month. I have to assume that one is, like it is for the additional months, but I don't see anywhere where it says, specifically, one way or the other. Furthermore, I assume that the 30% off on additional audiobooks includes the first month, but I don't see that specifically stated anywhere, either (for some reason, I'm more dubious about the second prospect).

Also, I saw on a libro.fm webpage somewhere at some time, but do not see now, that if you get a friend to join, you will get a free audiobook, and the friend will, too. I assume that that doesn't include this Independent Bookstore Day (!) but, again, I don't see anywhere where it says one way or the other. Perhaps libro.fm hasn't considered that scenario? Or perhaps the information is buried somewhere in the morass of information. But, who knows?

Because of all of the ambiguities, I'm going to have to say "nyet" to the membership plan. I don't need any more uncertainties in my life, and if I decide to cancel the plan, I feel like I'm going to have to jump through a lot of hoops, if not experience a lot of aggravation. That's too bad, too, because just looking over the first category ("Art") of audiobooks, I saw several of them that looked very promising.

Sorry, libro.fm. Maybe next year.

ADDENDUM: I said that, "They seem to imply that one audiobook is included the first month. I have to assume that one is, like it is for the additional months, but I don't see anywhere where it says, specifically, one way or the other."

I did find a couple of places where they said that "the first audiobook is 99 cents." Since the price of the first month is 99 cents, it seems reasonable to assume that one audiobook is included with the first month of the membership.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Is anyone going to spring for the Libro.fm membership?

I signed up last year for a non-paying account in order to get the freebies. At this time, I have no intention of getting a paid account.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

What did you find out about .m4a?

I read ApK's response, but I'm not sure that what he or she said is correct in all situations.

My Android plays ".mp4" files just fine. However, I'm almost certain that it won't play ".m4a" files. I don't have any ".m4a" files, on my smartphone, to test that, but I'm almost certain that when I try to play one I get a message that says "file type not supported," or something to that effect. I delete the file when I come across one (maybe not such a good idea, though---there may be an app that can be installed that will play them).

Originally Posted by ApK

For the record: I'm a 'he.'...
More importantly, I said they are useable outside of iOS and Safari, and they work on my non-Apple stuff. That is true without qualification.

While it's certainly possible that you have come across a particular player on your Android device that can't play them (though do try renaming as 'cat said), it's also most certain that you could grab one of a hundred other players that can.

ApK

Dear Mr. Apk:

You certainly did say that, and I apologize. I jumped into reading the discussion without having read all of the previous posts, and not reading them very carefully, at that.

I also failed to include, above, the apropos quote from badgoodDeb. I had completely forgotten about how you could simply change the suffix (or whatever it is called) on some files, and that would take care of issues like that. Thanks for reminding me. I'll start trying that on .m4a files that appear (Well, maybe I shouldn't do that, upon further reflection. Could it be a file that contains a virus, if I don't know where it came from?) It's too bad that that can't be done with, say, a .pdf file and a .doc(x) file (as far as I know!)--if you wanted to make a .pdf file into a .doc(x) file, or vice versa, you would simply change the ending!

I am an "he," too.

Regards,
GtrsRGr8

[ApK]

That's LORD EMPEROR ApK....

You don't have to worry about viruses and the like in cases like this. That kind of risk is usually regarding changing a file extension on a malicious file to one that indicates executable code.
Regarding the rest, as you probably realize, PDF, docx, and doc all indicate different kinds of files, and changing the name of course does not change content.
In this case, it's simply a matter of m4a and mp4 both sometimes being used to name the SAME kind of files, and some players were only programmed to check for one of them.

[tubemonkey]

Daily Deals -- exp 28 Apr

• Audible -----> $4.95 -- Garden of Beasts -- Jeffery Deaver --> espionage
  
• Downpour --> $3.95 -- Freedom’s Fray (book 3) -- Bobby Adair --> sci-fi
  
• eStories ----> $10.00 -- The Winter Station -- Jody Shields --> literary

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

Because of all of the ambiguities, I'm going to have to say "nyet" to the membership plan. I don't need any more uncertainties in my life, and if I decide to cancel the plan, I feel like I'm going to have to jump through a lot of hoops, if not experience a lot of aggravation. That's too bad, too, because just looking over the first category ("Art") of audiobooks, I saw several of them that looked very promising.

Sorry, libro.fm. Maybe next year.

ADDENDUM: I said that, "They seem to imply that one audiobook is included the first month. I have to assume that one is, like it is for the additional months, but I don't see anywhere where it says, specifically, one way or the other."

I did find a couple of places where they said that "the first audiobook is 99 cents." Since the price of the first month is 99 cents, it seems reasonable to assume that one audiobook is included with the first month of the membership.

I believe you are seriously overthinking this.

[ElspethB]

Originally Posted by issybird

Yep! I'm especially pleased about Emma; the narration I own is so bad I abandoned it and now I've got Nadia May!

Now you have me curious about who the other narrator is that you did not like. My library's Overdrive has Emma narrated by Juliet Stevenson and Wanda McCaddon. Is it either of them?

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I believe you are seriously overthinking this.

Thank you. I've been told that before. *sigh*

[tubemonkey]

Audible UK -- Daily Deal -- exp 29 Apr

• £2.99 -- The Fall of Hyperion (book 2) -- Dan Simmons --> sci-fi

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by ApK

That's LORD EMPEROR ApK....

You don't have to worry about viruses and the like in cases like this. That kind of risk is usually regarding changing a file extension on a malicious file to one that indicates executable code.
Regarding the rest, as you probably realize, PDF, docx, and doc all indicate different kinds of files, and changing the name of course does not change content.
In this case, it's simply a matter of m4a and mp4 both sometimes being used to name the SAME kind of files, and some players were only programmed to check for one of them.

May I simply call you, "Your Highness"?