Audiobooks format?

[Southern Ivy]

Just curious what everyone uses when they say they have their kids listen to audiobooks/readalongs. 

Are you finding these on cd? Are they still on cassette? Do you use a source like Audible? 
Any format recommendations? 

[wathe]

A mix of physical CDs and mp3 files. 

 

I like CDs better for little kids - I think it's good for them to learn to manipulate and care for physical objects.  (We are an electronics/screen minimizing family).  But mp3 is  sometimes the easiest or only way to get particular audio.

 

The kids have their own little portable CD player, and have free access to their CD collection.  CD's mostly from amazon.

 

Most of our mp3s are public domain books from Librivox.  We have a few Jim Weiss mp3's from Peace Hill Press, and a few from Audible, bought a la carte.  I don't have an audible membership because we don't get enough from there to warrant the cost, but I have gotten a few great deals via "deal of the day".  We've set up an old iphone with playlists that the kids have free access to.  Sim card has been removed, and all icons other than itunes have been moved off the main screen.

[Southern Ivy]

Great! Thanks. :) 

I'm not a big audiobook person, but I would like to start my daughter with them on road trips. 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Audible is a really great option, and probably the cheapest if you have a subscription.  My kids listen to them through one of our apple devices through the audible app.  It's really easy and even the 4yo can put on her own books.  

[MeaganS]

I prefer audible. So much easier. Your whole library is available on all your devices and don't get broken or melted like cds. So yeah, audible is my favorite. Especially if you learn to play the game and buy whispersync books, only pay for a subscription when you want, and pay attention to sales and other offers. Also I buy several of the reduced daily deals throughout the year.

 

Overdrive is also handy in that it is also an app. Obviously it is limited based on what your library has, but easy to use with a smart phone or tablet.

[908874]

My son loves audiobooks (he tells me this almost every time he finishes a book). In his room he plays them on a portable CD player while he plays with Legos (that's usually what he does, but he's allowed to play with whatever he wants while listening). I get CDs from the library and usually let him pick what he likes.

 

In the car we use a mix of CDs (library, again) and MP3s (also from the library). I do have an audible account but I don't use it so much for him yet.

 

He has one audiobook in his leappad (a magic tree house). Soon he will get a Kindle and then we'll probably do more mp3s.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Critterfixer]

CD format is what I use. 

[Black-eyed Suzan]

We love audiobooks here! We check a lot out from the library. Most are on CD, although occasionally they have a "playaway" technology. I prefer the CDs. We also use the Overdrive app and check it library audiobooks that way.

 

I have only purchased a few so far from Audible, but the app is easy to use. I bought CDs for SOTW and some Jim Weiss. I find it easier to deal with CDs while I'm driving on road trips, but the mp3s take up less space and can travel outside of the car. :)

[prairiewindmomma]

I prefer audible. We've had too many lost disks, scratched disks, and incompatible mp3 players.

 

 

[lexi]

Audible with membership.

My kids have iPods. They listen on those. I was hesitant to get them iPods but it has been a wonderful investment! I hate messing with CDs that get lost and scratched and CD players don't seem to last very long at all.

My phone can sync to our car so we can listen to stories on my phone while we are in the car. It's been a sanity-saver for me!

[theelfqueen]

Primarily - CDs and downloads from the public library for us.

 

I bought a groupon for a 3 month audible membership but I'm holding onto it til I 'need' it.

[Southern Ivy]

So, how exactly does audible work? I have to pay $14.99 a month to get 30% off audiobooks? That doesn't seem like a great deal. Surely there's something I'm missing. 

ETA: Never mind. I see that you get a credit for one book. So, basically, you get a book a month, then 30% off anything else? Are there any other "free" books included in the subscription?

Edited March 10, 2016 by Southern Ivy

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

So, how exactly does audible work? I have to pay $14.99 a month to get 30% off audiobooks? That doesn't seem like a great deal. Surely there's something I'm missing. 

ETA: Never mind. I see that you get a credit for one book. So, basically, you get a book a month, then 30% off anything else? Are there any other "free" books included in the subscription?

 

There is usually a deal where your first month is free, so one free audiobook.  Then, there are lots of audiobooks that are regularly priced or sale priced to really reasonable amounts, like well under $10.  You can also get some really great audible deals if you own the kindle book or buy them as a bundle.  These are called Whispersync books.  There are some posts on the blog Simply Convivial that show how to get a TON of books for cheap.  

 

Also, there are quite a few The Great Courses series on audible, which is the cheapest way to get those.  

[Hobbes]

Audible membership, with the books on iPods. We've mostly gotten the iPods secondhand. My kids have a daily quiet time and each have an iPod/speaker setup to use.

 

I also use Audible on my phone, usually for whatever new book we are listening to together in the van. We use some CDs in the van as well. I'd love to use more CDs in the house (especially ones from the library), but I can't find a CD player that will last any decent amount of time.

[Hunter]

Audible gives me deals. They offer me 1/2 price subscriptions for limited periods. I cancel as soon as that period is up, until they offer it to me again.

 

When I don't have the subscription I only buy audios that are part of the whispersyn sets and deeply discounted. Sometimes I borrow the library ebook, and while that is in my account, Audible offers me the audiobook at the whispersync set price. Many classic whispersync sets are just 99 cents. I own most of those.

 

I borrow from my library using Overdrive and Hoopla, and I use Librivox.

 

Most state capitals give all state residents a free library card. Then you can download from anywhere in the state. A trip to the state capital is often worth it.

 

I seem to have lost every CD and download I ever purchased. Sigh! I don't even have a CD player right now. I loaned to somebody.

[theelfqueen]

I was talking to DH this morning about the CD player with bluetooth that I want to buy for our school room!

ALL sorts of AUDIO!

[Hunter]

I'm on my cellphone and the site isn't working right for me, but try clicking on the 99 cent deals.

 

EDIT: I can't get it to work

Edited March 10, 2016 by Hunter

[CAMom]

So, how exactly does audible work? I have to pay $14.99 a month to get 30% off audiobooks? That doesn't seem like a great deal. Surely there's something I'm missing. 

ETA: Never mind. I see that you get a credit for one book. So, basically, you get a book a month, then 30% off anything else? Are there any other "free" books included in the subscription?

 

I have the Platinum membership which is $22.95 a month for 2 credits. So, just over $11 per credit. I only use my credits for books that cost more than $10. They have sales all the time where you can get books for $5.95, $2.95, etc. I stock up when those come around! :) They just had a $5.95 sale and I got 7 new books.

 

My 10 yo LOVES Audible! He listens to it on the iPad for at least an hour every day-usually longer. I don't count it as screen time because he's only engaging with the screen to turn it on. He knows how to add his choices to my wishlist. :)

 

I have listened to a ton on books on Audible. My dh, who informed me he wasn't interested in audio books, now has the app on his phone and has listened to so many books I lost count!

 

I love my new Honda Odyssey. Since it has blue tooth, I can connect my phone in the car and always listen to a book while driving. When 10 yo is in the car, I let him choose the book and he can have me listening to the books he loves.

 

It's been totally worth it for us!

[Guest]

I use CDs. Audible annoys me.

 

I also download from librivox where applicable.

[Southern Ivy]

I have the Platinum membership which is $22.95 a month for 2 credits. So, just over $11 per credit. I only use my credits for books that cost more than $10. They have sales all the time where you can get books for $5.95, $2.95, etc. I stock up when those come around! :) They just had a $5.95 sale and I got 7 new books.

 

My 10 yo LOVES Audible! He listens to it on the iPad for at least an hour every day-usually longer. I don't count it as screen time because he's only engaging with the screen to turn it on. He knows how to add his choices to my wishlist. :)

 

I have listened to a ton on books on Audible. My dh, who informed me he wasn't interested in audio books, now has the app on his phone and has listened to so many books I lost count!

 

I love my new Honda Odyssey. Since it has blue tooth, I can connect my phone in the car and always listen to a book while driving. When 10 yo is in the car, I let him choose the book and he can have me listening to the books he loves.

 

It's been totally worth it for us!

So, is there a way for dh, dd, and I to use the same account, but on different devices? 

 

Do credits roll over or do you have to use them that month or lose them? 

Edited March 11, 2016 by Southern Ivy

[Hobbes]

So, is there a way for dh, dd, and I to use the same account, but on different devices?

 

Do credits roll over or do you have to use them that month or lose them?

You can sign in on many devices... our entire household uses the same account.

 

Credits accumulate, you don't have to use them every month.

[Southern Ivy]

You can sign in on many devices... our entire household uses the same account.

 

Credits accumulate, you don't have to use them every month.

Awesome! Thanks so much!

[desertflower]

There is usually a deal where your first month is free, so one free audiobook.  Then, there are lots of audiobooks that are regularly priced or sale priced to really reasonable amounts, like well under $10.  You can also get some really great audible deals if you own the kindle book or buy them as a bundle.  These are called Whispersync books.  There are some posts on the blog Simply Convivial that show how to get a TON of books for cheap.  

 

Also, there are quite a few The Great Courses series on audible, which is the cheapest way to get those.  

 

Ah, thanks for explaining this.  I am in the same boat as SouthernIvy.  I looked into audible, but didn't understand why it was so good.  The books I want are $15 anyhow (except for the Harry Potter series), so I didn't see the savings. 

 

Off to look into whispersync and the blog you mentioned. 

[kitten18]

My kids listen to audio books almost constantly.

Ninety-nine percent of our audio books come from the library.

Most of our books now are downloads through Overdrive, One Click Digital, or Hoopla.

Sometimes we find a book on the shelf that is on cd and sometimes I have to request the discs from another branch.

 

We don't have a subscription to Audible, it hasn't been necessary for us.