RBdigital

issybird · 10-03-2018, 12:52 PM

I got an email from one of my libraries to say that it's switching away from the audiobook component of Hoopla to RBdigital. I have mixed feelings about this; on the one hand I've still got access to Hoopla through another library (with much fewer borrows), but on the other I like Hoopla's midlist/backlist/classic audiobooks and the email sounds as if RBdigital's offerings are a lot more current/popular. They mention Evanovitch, Koontz and Gabaldon, none of whom interests me.

Can anyone who has access to or uses both compare the audiobook libraries? Just in general terms, of course.

tubemonkey · 10-03-2018, 02:41 PM

All of my libraries have dropped Hoopla audiobooks and two of them now use RBdigital. I don't think I've tried it yet.

issybird · 10-03-2018, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

All of my libraries have dropped Hoopla audiobooks and two of them now use RBdigital. I don't think I've tried it yet.

I've taken a look and I'm not impressed. Fingers crossed FLP doesn't drop Hoopla; it's my go-to source for P.G. Wodehouse audiobooks. And no waiting means that I can listen as the mood strikes me.

AnemicOak · 10-03-2018, 04:42 PM

RB Digital (RB is short for Recorded Books) is like OverDrive when it comes to content. It depends on what the library buys.

RB Digital's audiobook availabilty is made up of "over 35,000 titles published by Recorded Books, as well as tens of thousands of premium audiobooks from other major publishers".

SeaBookGuy · 02-09-2019, 02:46 PM

My library only has one RB title in which I'm particularly interested (Jane and the Waterloo Map).

Bookworm_Girl · 02-09-2019, 03:13 PM

I'm curious, issybird. How have you liked the RBdigital app for audiobooks?

I find the app is slow and sometimes freezes. The app interface was so much better when it was OneClickdigital. I stopped borrowing from their audio catalog when they switched names to RBdigital.

Also interesting is that many libraries use RBdigital for magazines. One of my libraries just abandoned RBdigital and switched to Flipster.

GracieAllen · 09-01-2019, 11:38 AM

One of my local libraries switched to this less-than-optimal system...

It appears that the vast majority (at least the vast majority of anything I wanted) of audiobooks on there are "protected". Which gets you a popup stating something to the effect that "Because Microsoft stopped supporting DRM in 2015, you can't download this book".

Which, since my audiobook listening happens in the car when traveling, makes this site far less usable since I can't download the audiobook, put it on a flash drive, and listen to it in the car.

BTW: Two (the only two I've tried) of the books I COULDN'T download from RBdigital, I WAS able to download from a different local library with NO problem, NO disclaimers, NO complaints about something Microsoft supposedly did years ago.

I HOPE none of the other libraries I use switch to this *&^%$# thing.

Tarana · 09-08-2019, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

I've taken a look and I'm not impressed. Fingers crossed FLP doesn't drop Hoopla; it's my go-to source for P.G. Wodehouse audiobooks. And no waiting means that I can listen as the mood strikes me.

Depends on what you are looking for. The science fiction and fantasy selections are limited (as usual), but they have all of John Sandford's Prey novels. In addition, the app hasn't been buggy at all.

My library abandoned Overdrive due to the increased costs. So now it's Cloud Library and RGDigital and then Hennepin County through Libby. Still doesn't help a whole lot for the science fiction and fantasy categories (sans romance), but a larger mystery/crime/thriller selection (barely any UK authors however).

tubemonkey · 09-08-2019, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarana

Depends on what you are looking for. The science fiction and fantasy selections are limited (as usual), but they have all of John Sandford's Prey novels. In addition, the app hasn't been buggy at all.

My library abandoned Overdrive due to the increased costs. So now it's Cloud Library and RGDigital and then Hennepin County through Libby. Still doesn't help a whole lot for the science fiction and fantasy categories (sans romance), but a larger mystery/crime/thriller selection (barely any UK authors however).

I use four libraries and they all have OverDrive, plus two of them also have RBdigital. So far, I've been content with OverDrive and haven't felt the need to explore RBdigital.

Catlady · 09-09-2019, 04:40 PM

The last time I used RB Digital, I could download to my Sansa Clip after registering it. Sounds like they've changed, and not for the better

My local library system dropped Overdrive for new books at one point, in favor of Axis360 and RB Digital, but now they're pretty much back to Overdrive, which is so much better, especially since the waiting lists are consistently quite short compared to those at my other two libraries.

issybird · 09-10-2019, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

I'm curious, issybird. How have you liked the RBdigital app for audiobooks?

I find the app is slow and sometimes freezes. The app interface was so much better when it was OneClickdigital. I stopped borrowing from their audio catalog when they switched names to RBdigital.

I know this is ancient, but I just saw it.

In any case, I never got around to trying the app until a prolonged spate of insomnia last night, when I started playing around with it to kill time. My short experience of it was fine, but perhaps the bugs have been fixed since your post? My real issue is that they don't have a lot of books I want to hear, but the price is right and I'll root around some more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

The last time I used RB Digital, I could download to my Sansa Clip after registering it. Sounds like they've changed, and not for the better.

I did some looking around last night and this is because Microsoft no longer supports DRM encryption and not down to RBDigital. I did notice that some books are unprotected, so presumably you could sideload those. Probably not the ones that interest you.

GracieAllen · 09-13-2019, 12:33 PM

I don't particularly care if they use Overdrive or rbdigital or something else AS LONG AS IT WORKS. For me, "WORKING" means if they have the audiobook I can DOWNLOAD IT TO A COMPUTER. Not a phone, not a "mobile device", a computer from which I can put it on a flash drive so I can listen to the audiobook in the car while traveling.

It's never been a problem with the library I was using. Now, suddenly, in rbdigital, I get this ridiculous popup claiming I CAN'T download the audiobook because of something Microsoft did 5 years ago.

I contacted rbdigital and their response, predictably, was the the book WASN'T downloadable, THOUGH IT COULD BE DOWNLOADED TO A "MOBILE DEVICE".

At least 80% of the audiobook I attempted to get from the library COULDN'T be downloaded, which makes rbdigital a HUGE step backward.

As for the Cloud Library, same problem. There is NO provision to download ANY audiobook from there. Again, contacted Bibliotecha, who were VERY displeased to have a mere user contact them, and was told that "you can ONLY listen to the audio books online"

This whole DRM BS was old years ago and it's getting stupider.

issybird · 09-13-2019, 01:22 PM

You're rather shouty here; it's not as if any of us are to blame.

For me, so long as I can download an audiobook to an app that works seamlessly enough and has a sleep timer and some speed function (although the more granular, the better), I can live with it. I've got a few cheap non-activated Android phones and really, it's easier just to download a book to the app than it is to download it to the computer and then have to sideload it to a flash drive or player. Plug the phone into my dashboard and there I am. Those with newer cars can use Bluetooth.

I admit that I'm glad apps take up just virtual room, as I feel as if my phone would probably clank with the weight of all those audiobook apps if they had a physical presence. But... I can't get exercised about this. I prefer OverDrive audiobooks when borrowing, as the app is pretty good and I have some use for non-DRMed audiobooks for my waterproof MP3 player. On the other hand, the price is right at RBDigital also and if it's got a book I want to hear, I won't quibble about having to use the app. I'm glad this thread had me look, as while I prefer the selection at Hoopla, I'm working up a wishlist at RBD also.

Still, sometimes ya gotta rant. So rant away, but not with so many caps.

10-03-2018, 12:52 PM	#1
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,229 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	RBdigital I got an email from one of my libraries to say that it's switching away from the audiobook component of Hoopla to RBdigital. I have mixed feelings about this; on the one hand I've still got access to Hoopla through another library (with much fewer borrows), but on the other I like Hoopla's midlist/backlist/classic audiobooks and the email sounds as if RBdigital's offerings are a lot more current/popular. They mention Evanovitch, Koontz and Gabaldon, none of whom interests me. Can anyone who has access to or uses both compare the audiobook libraries? Just in general terms, of course.

10-03-2018, 02:41 PM	#2
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,477 Karma: 158151390 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	All of my libraries have dropped Hoopla audiobooks and two of them now use RBdigital. I don't think I've tried it yet.

10-03-2018, 04:42 PM	#4
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	RB Digital (RB is short for Recorded Books) is like OverDrive when it comes to content. It depends on what the library buys. RB Digital's audiobook availabilty is made up of "over 35,000 titles published by Recorded Books, as well as tens of thousands of premium audiobooks from other major publishers".

02-09-2019, 02:46 PM	#5
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	My library only has one RB title in which I'm particularly interested (Jane and the Waterloo Map).

02-09-2019, 03:13 PM	#6
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	I'm curious, issybird. How have you liked the RBdigital app for audiobooks? I find the app is slow and sometimes freezes. The app interface was so much better when it was OneClickdigital. I stopped borrowing from their audio catalog when they switched names to RBdigital. Also interesting is that many libraries use RBdigital for magazines. One of my libraries just abandoned RBdigital and switched to Flipster.

09-01-2019, 11:38 AM	#7
GracieAllen Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 93638 Join Date: Nov 2017 Device: Nexus 9	One of my local libraries switched to this less-than-optimal system... It appears that the vast majority (at least the vast majority of anything I wanted) of audiobooks on there are "protected". Which gets you a popup stating something to the effect that "Because Microsoft stopped supporting DRM in 2015, you can't download this book". Which, since my audiobook listening happens in the car when traveling, makes this site far less usable since I can't download the audiobook, put it on a flash drive, and listen to it in the car. BTW: Two (the only two I've tried) of the books I COULDN'T download from RBdigital, I WAS able to download from a different local library with NO problem, NO disclaimers, NO complaints about something Microsoft supposedly did years ago. I HOPE none of the other libraries I use switch to this *&^%$# thing.

09-09-2019, 04:40 PM	#10
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,345 Karma: 52398889 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	The last time I used RB Digital, I could download to my Sansa Clip after registering it. Sounds like they've changed, and not for the better My local library system dropped Overdrive for new books at one point, in favor of Axis360 and RB Digital, but now they're pretty much back to Overdrive, which is so much better, especially since the waiting lists are consistently quite short compared to those at my other two libraries.

09-13-2019, 12:33 PM	#12
GracieAllen Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 93638 Join Date: Nov 2017 Device: Nexus 9	I don't particularly care if they use Overdrive or rbdigital or something else AS LONG AS IT WORKS. For me, "WORKING" means if they have the audiobook I can DOWNLOAD IT TO A COMPUTER. Not a phone, not a "mobile device", a computer from which I can put it on a flash drive so I can listen to the audiobook in the car while traveling. It's never been a problem with the library I was using. Now, suddenly, in rbdigital, I get this ridiculous popup claiming I CAN'T download the audiobook because of something Microsoft did 5 years ago. I contacted rbdigital and their response, predictably, was the the book WASN'T downloadable, THOUGH IT COULD BE DOWNLOADED TO A "MOBILE DEVICE". At least 80% of the audiobook I attempted to get from the library COULDN'T be downloaded, which makes rbdigital a HUGE step backward. As for the Cloud Library, same problem. There is NO provision to download ANY audiobook from there. Again, contacted Bibliotecha, who were VERY displeased to have a mere user contact them, and was told that "you can ONLY listen to the audio books online" This whole DRM BS was old years ago and it's getting stupider.

09-13-2019, 01:22 PM	#13
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,229 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	You're rather shouty here; it's not as if any of us are to blame. For me, so long as I can download an audiobook to an app that works seamlessly enough and has a sleep timer and some speed function (although the more granular, the better), I can live with it. I've got a few cheap non-activated Android phones and really, it's easier just to download a book to the app than it is to download it to the computer and then have to sideload it to a flash drive or player. Plug the phone into my dashboard and there I am. Those with newer cars can use Bluetooth. I admit that I'm glad apps take up just virtual room, as I feel as if my phone would probably clank with the weight of all those audiobook apps if they had a physical presence. But... I can't get exercised about this. I prefer OverDrive audiobooks when borrowing, as the app is pretty good and I have some use for non-DRMed audiobooks for my waterproof MP3 player. On the other hand, the price is right at RBDigital also and if it's got a book I want to hear, I won't quibble about having to use the app. I'm glad this thread had me look, as while I prefer the selection at Hoopla, I'm working up a wishlist at RBD also. Still, sometimes ya gotta rant. So rant away, but not with so many caps.