Downpour DRM?

[Catlady]

I was just about to buy a book at Downpour and got a popup telling me the title was DRMed and could only be listened to in the Downpour app. I have the vague idea that there was a discussion of Downpour DRM here but I can't find it.

How bad is it? Can it be bypassed?

[AnemicOak]

Hmmm, I didn't even realize they have any DRM'd titles now. One of their big selling points when they started was that their downloads were simple MP3's/M4b's.


Searching their support stuff for DRM yields two entries...

How many computers and devices can each purchase be used on?
Our audiobook content is currently DRM (Digital Rights Management) free! This means you are allowed an unhindered experience with the audiobooks you have purchased. You may play your purchased audiobooks on any number of computers and/or popular mobile devices that you own.

What is DRM?
DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a copyright protection for digital media. While much of Downpour’s content is DRM free, and allows for usage across platforms, select products on Downpour are required by publishers to have DRM protected files. These products will be playable exclusively on the Downpour.com apps, available for iOS and Android devices.

Checking my library I don't see any I can't download DRM-free to test this, but it might be possible to find the book files on an Android device and add a .mp3 extension to them and play them as that has been the extent to some apps "DRM" in the past, but if the files are encrypted somehow I know of no method to "handle" that.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Hmmm, I didn't even realize they have any DRM'd titles now. One of their big selling points when they started was that their downloads were simple MP3's/M4b's.

Searching their support stuff for DRM yields two entries...

Checking my library I don't see any I can't download DRM-free to test this, but it might be possible to find the book files on an Android device and add a .mp3 extension to them and play them as that has been the extent to some apps "DRM" in the past, but if the files are encrypted somehow I know of no method to "handle" that.

It's not all titles; I was able to buy another book that is the usual non-DRM mp3 file. I wanted two books by Kate Furnivall, and for both of them, when I clicked on the buy button I got a popup saying "To listen to this title you will need our latest app. Due to publishing rights this title requires DRM and can only be listened to in the Downpour app." There were links to the app stores, and a box asking me if I wanted to continue with the purchase. I didn't.

I'm hoping someone who bought a DRM title will respond; it's not even clear if it can be downloaded or has to be streamed.

It's baffling to me that libraries, where DRM makes sense, have gone DRM free, while sellers are adding DRM, restricting the rights of a purchaser.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Catlady

It's baffling to me that libraries, where DRM makes sense, have gone DRM free, while sellers are adding DRM, restricting the rights of a purchaser.

A lot of titles libraries used to have available to them no longer are because of that.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I wanted two books by Kate Furnivall, and for both of them, when I clicked on the buy button I got a popup saying "To listen to this title you will need our latest app. Due to publishing rights this title requires DRM and can only be listened to in the Downpour app."

Not sure which books you were looking at, but Google Play has three of her audiobooks (The Survivors, The Betrayal and Shadows on the Nile) and all say they have the export option (download an M4A file). Odd that Google has them DRM free, but Downpour shows two of them as requiring DRM (Shadows on the Nile appears to be DRM-free both places).

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

A lot of titles libraries used to have available to them no longer are because of that.

I haven't noticed that; the books I want all seem to be available in Overdrive--certainly the new ones--though my libraries sometimes don't purchase them.

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Not sure which books you were looking at, but Google Play has three of her audiobooks (The Survivors, The Betrayal and Shadows on the Nile) and all say they have the export option (download an M4A file). Odd that Google has them DRM free, but Downpour shows two of them as requiring DRM (Shadows on the Nile appears to be DRM-free both places).

Oh, thanks for checking--availability isn't the problem; I know Audible has the two I want (Survivors and Betrayal), but I have a few credits at Downpour I need to use before they expire. And I'm curious about what they've done and how onerous it is.