Audio Book FAQ

Everything you need to know about buying and renting audio books online.

General

Audio Book Formats

Digital or MP3 Audio Books

Books on CD

Digital or MP3 Audio Books vs. Books on CD. Which one is right for me?

General

What is an unabridged audio book?

An unabridged audio book is the complete retelling of a book word-for-word with nothing left out.

What is an abridged audio book?

An abridged audio book is a condensed retelling of a book with some less important parts left out. Abridged versions of books will be shorter in length than unabridged versions.

Do all audio books come in abridged and unabridged versions?

No. Popular audio books will usually come in both formats, abridged and unabridged. Very popular audio books will even have multiple books in each format, usually read by different narrators. Less popular books may only come in one format or the other.

What is a dramatized audio book?

A dramatized audio book is the retelling of a book in the format much like a play. Instead of one narrator there are multiple actors playing different characters in the story.

Audio Book Formats

What formats are audio books available in?

Audio books are available in a number of different formats the two most important distinctions being:

  • Digital or MP3 audio books (MP3's, WMA's, Audible.com) and can be downloaded instantly.
  • Books on CD or other physical products such as books on tape which arrive by mail.

Digital or MP3 Audio Books

What are Digital Audio Books?

Digital audio books are audio books that you download directly to your computer usually in a format like an MP3. After you download them you then transfer them to the listening device of your choice or burn them to CD. Some popular listening devices like iPod Touches and iPhones support downloading audio books directly from the internet from services like Audible.com®.

What is the file size of digital audio books?

The file size of a digital audio book will depend on the digital format of the audio book you are downloading. An average MP3 digital audio book will be about 14.4MB per 1 hour of audio. To find out more about the file size and format of the audio book you are interested in read below:

What format are digital audio books available in?

Digital audio books are available in the following formats:

  • Audible.com Digital Audio Books
    • Available in four digital sub-formats (2,3,4, and "e") ranging in file size and audio quality inlcuding a format very similar to MP3
    • Most Audible.com books are available in all four formats.
    • The formats will be listed on the individual product page of an Audible audio book
    Audible Digital Audio Book Format 2 3 4 e - Audible Enhanced Audio
    Sound Quality AM radio* FM radio* MP3* CD*
    File size for 1 hr of audio 3.7MB 7.2MB 14.4MB 28.8MB
    Download time per hour (high speed connection) 20 sec 40 sec 1m 19s 2m 37s
    Download time per hour (56K modem) 9 min 17 mins 35 mins 1h 9m
    * sound quality is similar to
  • MP3 Digital Audio Books - a very common format offered by many digital audio book services including Barnes & Noble. Can be played on any MP3 compatible device such as iPods or iPhones. Works on any PC or Mac home computer.
  • WMA Digital Audio books - a type of Microsoft Media Player compatible file. An uncommon file type that does not work on iPods but works on most PlayForSure MP3 players. Some SimplyAudiobook books are in this format. We recommend avoiding audio books in this format.

What devices are compatible with digital audio books?

Compatible devices are dependant on the audio book format:

  • Audible.com Digital Audio Books can be played on over 500+ compatible devices. If your device is made by one of the following manufacturers it is most likely compatible:

    • Apple
    • Cowon
    • Creative
    • Zune
    • Garmin
    • iRiver
    • Memorex
    • Blackberry
    • Motorola
    • Philips
    • RCA
    • Olympus
    • SanDisk
    • Sonos
    • TomTom
    • Pioneer XMp3

    A full list of audible.com compatible devices can be found here.

    Audible.com audio books can also be played on any PC or Mac home computer and can be burned to CD.

    Audible.com currently supports direct on-the-go wireless downloading for the iPhone and iPod Touch, Blackberry devices, and Android devices.

  • MP3 Digital Audio Books can be played on any MP3 compatible device including iPods, iPhones, Zune and most cell phones. For sample file size info check the chart above under "MP3". Check with your devices manufacturer to make sure. They can also be played on any Home PC or Mac. They can also be burnt to CD provided you have a CD burner.
  • WMA Digital Audio Books can be played on any Windows Compatible PC or portable music player that is capable of playing WMA DRM files including most PlayForSure MP3 players. Check your devices manual to make sure. They can also be burned to CD with a Windows PC with CD burning technology.

Why is it saying that I have to download software to download audio books?

In some cases it is necessary to download and install free software to download and manage your digital audio books. This requirement changes from audio book provider and operating system of your home computer, whether it be PC or Mac:

  • Audible.com
    • PC: you will be required to install the Audible Manager Software. This can then be set up to download and manage your audio books, transfer them to other devices, or transfer them into iTunes. Additionally after the install you can set it up so that the audio books download directly from audible into iTunes.
    • Mac: No software is necessary as all audio books are downloaded and managed through iTunes.
  • BarnesandNoble.com
    • PC: you will be required to install the Barnes & Noble.com Media Console. This can then be set up to download and manage your audio books, transfer them to other devices, or transfer them into iTunes.
    • Mac: you will be required to install the Barnes & Noble.com Media Console. This can then be set up to download and manage your audio books, transfer them to other devices, or transfer them into iTunes.
  • SimplyAudioBooks.com
    • PC: for MP3 audio books no software is required. For WMA audio books an installation of Windows Media Player is required.
    • Mac: No special software is required.

Books on CD

What are Books on CD?

Books on CD are any type of audio book that can be rented or purchased online and arrive by mail. They go by a number of names like CD audio books, audio CD books, or audio books on CD.

What are the different types of Books on CD?

There are two main distinctions. They are:

  • Regular Books on CD: a book recorded on CD's with uncompressed audio at the CD regular bit rate. Because a regular CD can only hold about 80 min. of uncompressed audio, a typical CD audio book can be five or more CD's in length. These can be played in any regular CD player.
  • MP3 on CD: a CD where the book has been recorded on it in a compressed MP3 format. This means that a regular book that might be ten CD's in length can now fit on just one CD. Because the audio has been compressed there will be a slightloss in audio quality though this will not be necessarily noticeable to the listener in much the same way as MP3 music files have overtaken music CD's in popularity. Most CD players made in the past 10 years will be able to play these types of CD's though older ones may not so you must check with your CD player manufacturer. These are not as popular as regular Books on CD but can be very convenient.
  • Books on Tape: audio books can still be purchased online on tape or cassette. We will not focus on these that much in this FAQ.

Can Books on CD be rented?

Books on CD can be rented in a Netflix like fashion from SimplyAudioBooks.com. You pay for a rental subscription, select the books you want to rent, and they are then mailed to you. Once you are done you mail the book back in a prestamped enevelope and they send you the next one you have selected. In a service like this you can consume audio books as fast as you can listen to them plus the time it takes the audio books to arrive in the mail. Check out our SimplyAudiobooks.com review for more info.

Digital or MP3 Audio Books vs. Books on CD. Which one is right for me?

We believe that in general, Digital or MP3 Audio Books are superior to Books on CD. However for different types of listeners, either or may be the superior choice. Let's go through the differents pros and cons:

Reasons to listen to Digital or MP3 Audio Books

  • Digital or MP3 audio books are downloaded instantly to your computer. There is no waiting for audiobooks to arrive in the mail.
  • Digital or MP3 audio books are usually cheaper than the same audiobook is on CD. This is because MP3 audiobooks have no associated shipping costs or inventory costs for the company supplying them.
  • Digital or MP3 audio books can be burnt to CD which means you can still listen to Digital or MP3 audio books on CD though you will need a computer that has CD burning capabilities. If you have a computer purchased in the last 10 years it's safe to say that it has CD burning capabilities.
  • Digital audio books can have the same sound quality as CD's. Companies like Audible.com now supply Digital audio books with the same sound quality as Books on CD

Reasons Books on CD may be better for you than Digital or MP3 Audio Books

  • You have no reason to believe you will be listening to your audio books now or in near the future on anything other than a CD player.
  • You will be listening to a lot of audio books on your CD player and you don't want the hassle of always burning them to CD.
  • You have a a slow internet connection or none at all.
  • You want to use a Netflix-like subscription plan to rent audio books on CD by mail like the one offered by SimplyAudiobooks.com. That being said, in practice, you probably won't save any money in a CD rental plan compared to a download plan like one from Audible.com
  • You simply don't want to deal with the technical hassles of downloading digital audio books. Downloading digital audio books is a very simple process and if you can browse this web site, you will most likely have no problem with downloading digital audio books. But for some, receiving books on CD in the mail might be simpler.
  • You'd just prefer to rent or purchase them on CD. At the end of the day do what makes you feel comfortable.

How do Digital Audio Book Download Plans or Books on CD Rental Plans work?

We currently provide information on plans from two different sites:

  • Audible.com: only provides digital audio books. They have number of subscription plans. More information can be found in our Review Sites & Plans section.
  • SimplyAudiobooks.com: has download plans for their digital audio books and rental plans for their books on CD. More information can be found in our Review Sites & Plans section.