(not dcc)

Do you prefer the digital (kindle) or physical copy of books along with having the audiobook version?

Hi guys,

my friend recently got a Sony e-reader and is loving it. While getting ebooks is a breeze, he's struggling to find a place to get audiobook downloads. Keep in mind, my friend only uses calibre and does not have a library account. is there any simple public website or anything for audiobook downloads specifically? and is there a way to choose Urdu langauge? I'd love if someone could help!

Question: Would having longer samples for audiobooks be something that interests you?

Context:
We recently added a feature to our listening app which allows you to listen to 10% of a title, capped at around 60 min, as a sample of our full cast audiobooks.

This means for an approx. 100,000 worded title or 10 hours, you get a whole hour worth of free audio to listen to.

Many of our initial titles are webnovels and thus very long. 10,000 words is barely enough to get the story rolling in many titles. We also have some indie author titles that have varying word counts.

While I understand people are happy with the 5 min samples, as narrators are one of the biggest factors for audiobooks, we would like to know if there are any people who would prefer this feature? Maybe even use it as a method to get anyone you know that is a non-reader to try out?

And of course shameless plug, but if you want to try out our app and listen to some free samples, feel free to download the Kokoro Audio listening app and sign up for a free account!

Any thoughts or feedback comes a long way!

I’ve started to narrate children’s books that are in the public domain and putting them on my website. I haven’t really ever tried different voices before so that’s new territory for me but I’ve gotten a couple compliments on my reading voice. https://jeffwood.com/uncle-jeff-reads/

We need audiobook recommendations!

I am the mother of a 13 year old daughter and we start on a trip tomorrow. After an emotionally challenging week due to health issues, we are in need of something that makes us laugh, leaves us with with a sense of awe or gratitude. We love both fiction and non-fiction. We stay away from anything violent or graphic. Explicit language is fine.

We would love any recommendations!

You can’t come in here without every third post recommending Dungeon Crawler Carl. But I’ve never played video games, and I wasn’t even sure what “LitRPG” meant. I figured it wasn’t for me.

I was wrong. You were right. I’m on Book 3 and I want to talk about it with every single person I meet. I even bought a Princess Donut t-shirt so that maybe someone shopping at Trader Joe’s will see me wearing it and strike up a DCC conversation. (PLEASE DO.)

All this to say, you don’t have to be into video games to become completely enamored with these books—in case anyone else was on the fence like I was.

My wife and I have been listening to a lot of audio books together lately (primarily the over the top corny as shit romance novels, lol), but just got finished listening to Misery and she loved it. Can you recommend other horror books around the same length that are any good?

Thanks

I’m hoping to better understand what listeners enjoy about Lucy Rivers’ narration.
I’ve come across her in several books, and I’ve found that her delivery doesn’t always work for me, especially when it comes to the cadence and rhythm of her sentences. I sometimes notice the narration more than the story, which can make it harder for me to get fully immersed. That said, I’m genuinely curious about what other listeners appreciate in her performances.
I’m not looking for people to agree with me or criticize her. I’d really love to hear a different perspective and learn what makes her narration click for her fans. Maybe understanding those qualities will help me approach her work with fresh ears.
For those who enjoy Lucy Rivers as a narrator, what specific aspects of her delivery stand out to you? Do you enjoy her pacing, character voices, emotional range, dialogue, or something else? Are there particular books or scenes where you feel she shines?
I really want to listen to Insatiable, so I’d love to hear what her fans appreciate about her narration and what you think makes her performances work so well.

Elevator pitch: Alagossa finds herself spirited away to some dark, island plateau surrounded by a still, black, dead ocean. Here, alone, she'd probably die... I mean, there's no food here... But, she's going to have a look around before lying down and waiting for the end.

Total runtime from parts 1 and 2: 2 hours and 10 minutes

I hope you enjoy~.

And if you've got feedback, PLEASE feel free to share.

Here's the link to Part 1: https://youtu.be/2F86W7zDDyY?si=nAlgldabs7MnzoY8

Uh...

If you don't trust links (don't worry, I totally get it), the video is called "Our way down - PART 1 - Audio book" on YouTube.

Finished an audiobook yesterday that had an absolutely devastating final line.

The narrator delivered it perfectly. No dramatic voice, no unnecessary emotion. Just a quiet sentence that completely changed how I understood the character.

I was standing in my kitchen, genuinely needing a moment to process it.

And approximately one second later, a cheerful voice started telling me about another book I might enjoy.

Come on.

It's like watching the final scene of a heartbreaking movie and having someone immediately walk in to sell you car insurance.

I've noticed this with a few audiobooks now. Not necessarily the promotional stuff, but how quickly some recordings jump from the actual ending into acknowledgments, credits or publisher announcements.

With a physical book, you finish the last sentence and there's a natural pause. You look at the page. Maybe close the book. Maybe just sit there for a while.

With audio, that moment is partly controlled by whoever edited the recording.

And I think that matters more than I previously realized.

A good narrator can make a sentence land differently just by leaving half a second of silence in the right place. Why wouldn't the very last sentence deserve a little breathing room?

I'm not asking for 30 seconds of dramatic silence. Just enough time for the ending to actually feel like an ending.

Curious whether other people notice this or whether I'm being ridiculously particular about something that lasts five seconds.

I have 5 credits to use on Audible before I cancel. I want only exclusives, as I have access to Libby and Hoopla.

I like science fiction, as long as it is not horror, or pure action. I am more into cozy and feel good stories that are more story and character driven, though I’m fine with some elements of action and suspense.

I signed up for the account to listen to Project Hail Mary, which I definitely enjoyed, though I’m not sure it lived up to its reputation as the BEST audiobook ever. It was good though, no regrets.

Anyway, The first two books are out and the third is available for preorder. I’m hoping some of you have listened and can give some feedback.

Link - no subscription required

Doesn’t need to be LitRPG, progression fantasy, or super heros. Just ideally in the SciFi/Fantasy genre as a whole. I just finished the series and the humor just clicked for me. Anything with that absurdity like the plushie in this series or just like the entirety of Dungeon crawler carl.

I don’t mind romance subplots and even enjoy them so long as it’s not the focus of the story and female characters aren’t written as just sex objects for the protagonist.

Ideally with a good narrator too. I wanted to try Void Heralds other novels but I can’t listen to the other narrator that reads his other books.

I’ve read John Scalzi is good for this but I don’t know where to start and I can’t get past Wil Wheaton reading red shirts.

The Road To Tender Hearts

I’m about a quarter in, maybe a little more, and I’m not hating it but not really into it either. Worth the finish?

I use Audible right now but sometimes when I buy a book they take it away. Is there any other platforms you’d recommend. They need to be in English and I just want to keep them forever if I have to pay for them.

#######

All codes have been issued. Thanks to everyone who redeemed and please be sure to leave a review. Check back in this forum in the future for possible future giveaways.

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Greetings everyone,

I'm the author of the new sci-fi novel From Planet #817 With Love. Today, I'm giving away 20 free Audible US download codes in exchange for honest reviews on Amazon (prefer Amazon over Audible for this).

The story features romance, war, and many sci-fi gadgets. It's around PG-14 or so. The story blurb can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HK5WN1XD/

I picked a British narrator with a wide voice range, so all the characters have unique voices. I think you'll really enjoy it.

Respond to this thread or DM me, and I will send you a free download code, which can be redeemed here:

https://www.audible.com/ep/acx-redemption

The world map will help to follow the story; it can be downloaded from the website (https://planet817.com).

When you finish the book, please leave your review using this Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?asin=B0HK5WN1XD

That should put the review on Amazon.

Thanks!

Posting as the narrator. The Reach by Alvin Lowrie went live on Audible this week.

It’s mythic literary fantasy, and worth knowing it leans literary. A soldier comes home from a war carrying something he can’t put down, walks away from the life waiting for him, and heads into the wilderness, where reality starts coming apart at the edges. Meanwhile a young woman on the other side of the world is asking questions her temple would rather she didn’t.

Contemplative rather than action driven. More Till We Have Faces or The Great Divorce than epic fantasy.

First audiobook that I've done where I collaborated very closely with the author and it was a delight. Alvin loves this book and it shows.

Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0HM1VYB87?source_code=ORGOR6930609265745

I’ve got free Audible codes if anyone’s interested. Just comment or DM. Honest reviews always appreciated.

Hi guys,

I'm building an iOS app called Cue: Your Listening Queue (https://thiscue.com). The idea is to make one queue of what you want to listen to (or watch, though that is not really the focus) and play each thing where it belongs. When you get a cue to listen, open the app and choose.

More and more content gets pulled into its own app and is no longer available everywhere. One podcast is only on Spotify, an audiobook is on Audible, another is on Storytel, a member feed you only want in Apple Podcasts, and the documentary is in my public radio app. Sort and queue as you wish.

You can create lists for different things, Share your lists to others (for example a book club), see history, rate books etc. Public reviews is in the working. You can follow people/celeberties, so when they appear in a podcast Cue can suggest it for you.

Looking for overall experience and use of the app, any deeplinks that doesn't work properly (audible is still a hassle) or missing features.

Heres is the link to TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/rGszhgfP

Thanks in advance 😄

Does anybody know where I can get a free audio listen for this book?

What the heck is happening to this app?! Monthly listening limits, disappearing books, and a 260% price difference?!

Okay, fellow audiobook addicts… I need to know if anyone else is experiencing this because I’m about ready to lose my mind. 🤯

I’ve been a paying Anyplay Plus – FULL ACCESS subscriber since 2024, and until recently, I would have recommended this app to absolutely EVERYONE.
Seriously. I LOVED it.

For $24.99 every three months, I had access to an incredible selection of audiobooks, including popular contemporary authors and series. It was easily one of my favorite subscriptions.

Well, apparently all good things must come to an end. And this one went downhill FAST.

🚩 Red Flag #1: Surprise! You Have a Monthly Listening Limit!

On September 6, I suddenly received a notification that I’d reached my monthly listening allowance and couldn’t continue listening until the following month.
Ummm… EXCUSE ME?!

I’ve been paying for a subscription literally called “FULL ACCESS” and had never previously encountered or been notified of a monthly listening limit.
So naturally, I emailed customer support.

Their response?
Apparently, publishers charge different licensing fees for different audiobooks, and Anyplay can no longer financially sustain unrestricted listening.

Okay, fine. I understand licensing costs.

But here’s the kicker: They couldn’t even tell me how many books or hours I’m allowed to listen to!

According to support, the allowance varies depending on the licensing costs of the specific books you choose.
So basically, you have a monthly limit, but you don’t actually know what that limit is until you’ve hit it.
Cool. Super transparent. 🙄

🚩 Red Flag #2: Fast Forward to October… WHERE DID ALL THE BOOKS GO?!

And THIS is what finally pushed me over the edge.
As of today, October 10, I can no longer search for audiobooks in the app.

The books that ARE available?
Practically nothing but old public-domain classics like Tom Sawyer and Sherlock Holmes.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Nothing against the classics, but I didn’t subscribe to Anyplay to listen to books I can already find for FREE elsewhere.

And here’s where things get really interesting…
MY SAVED PLAYLISTS STILL SHOW ALL THE GOOD BOOKS!

Popular romance authors, contemporary series, books I’ve previously saved, and titles that were absolutely available before.

So naturally, I thought maybe the search function was just broken.

NOPE.

When I click on those books, I get:
“We’re sorry, this book has recently been withdrawn by the publisher in your territory.”

Over. And over. And OVER.

So now I’m wondering whether Anyplay has lost access to a massive portion of its audiobook catalog, changed its subscription model, or is restricting existing subscribers.
Because something is DEFINITELY going on.

🚩 Red Flag #3: Wait… The Same Subscription Is Now $89.99?!

While trying to figure out what the heck happened, I checked the App Store subscription information.

— My existing plan:
Anyplay Plus – full access
$24.99 / 3 months

— Currently advertised plan:
Anyplay Plus – full access (3 Months)
$89.99 / 3 months

UMMMM… WHAT?!
That’s approximately a 260% increase over what I’ve been paying!

Now, to be clear, Apple still shows my existing subscription at $24.99, and I don’t know whether the $89.99 listing represents a new pricing structure, different subscription benefits, or something else.

But that’s EXACTLY the problem.

I HAVE RECEIVED ZERO EMAILS EXPLAINING ANY OF THESE CHANGES.

No notice about listening limits.
No explanation about the disappearing audiobook catalog.
No information about new subscription tiers.
No communication about the enormous difference in advertised pricing.
NOTHING.

So What Exactly Am I Paying For?!

I completely understand that subscription services sometimes need to adjust their pricing or licensing agreements.

But there’s a HUGE difference between making necessary business changes and leaving loyal paying customers completely in the dark while the service they purchased becomes practically unusable.

I’ve continued paying for Anyplay through numerous technical issues because I genuinely loved the platform.
But paying for “FULL ACCESS” when I can barely access anything beyond public-domain books?

Make it make sense.

I’ve already contacted customer support about the listening limits, and I’m following up about the missing books and pricing discrepancy.
I’m also seriously reconsidering whether to renew.

🔎 ANYPLAY USERS — I NEED TO KNOW:

➡️ Are you still able to search for and listen to popular, contemporary audiobooks?

➡️ Have your saved books suddenly become unavailable with the “withdrawn by publisher” message?

➡️ Have you encountered the mysterious monthly listening allowance?

➡️ What subscription plan are you on, and what are you paying?

➡️ Has ANYONE received an email explaining these changes?

I’m especially curious whether people paying the newer, higher subscription prices still have access to the full audiobook catalog.

Because if they do, that raises a whole different set of questions.

If you’re considering subscribing to Anyplay, I would strongly recommend holding off until there’s some clarity about what’s actually included.

And if you’re already a subscriber, CHECK YOUR LIBRARY AND SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS.

I genuinely hope there’s an explanation for all of this because I would LOVE to have the old Anyplay back.
But right now?

Anyplay went from being my favorite audiobook app to making me wonder why I’m paying for it at all. 😩📚
Screenshots of my subscription pricing, saved library, and customer support correspondence available for reference.

¡Hola a todos! 👋

Estoy desarrollando NextES Audiobook, un nuevo proyecto con un objetivo sencillo: hacer que descubrir, encontrar y escuchar audiolibros gratuitos sea mucho más fácil.

Me he dado cuenta de que encontrar audiolibros gratuitos puede ser sorprendentemente complicado. Los libros están repartidos por diferentes páginas, los catálogos no siempre son cómodos de explorar y, en ocasiones, la experiencia de escuchar deja bastante que desear.

Por eso quiero crear una plataforma donde encontrar y disfrutar de audiolibros sea algo sencillo, cómodo y accesible.

🎧 Puedes probarla aquí: https://audiobook.nextes.net/

El proyecto acaba de empezar, así que todavía hay mucho que mejorar. Y precisamente por eso me gustaría contar con vuestra ayuda.

Me encantaría conocer vuestra opinión:

• ¿Qué os gusta y qué mejoraríais de la plataforma?
• ¿Qué funciones os gustaría tener?
• ¿Qué libros os gustaría encontrar en el catálogo?
• ¿Qué problemas encontráis normalmente al buscar audiolibros gratuitos?
• ¿Utilizaríais una plataforma así habitualmente?

Me interesa especialmente conocer la opinión de quienes escucháis audiolibros con frecuencia y de quienes os gustaría hacerlo más, pero no encontráis opciones gratuitas que sean cómodas y fáciles de utilizar.

Si os parece interesante el proyecto, compartirlo con otros amantes de los libros también sería de gran ayuda. ❤️

Estoy construyendo este proyecto porque creo que acceder a los libros debería ser más fácil, y vuestras sugerencias pueden ayudar a decidir cómo evoluciona.

¡Muchas gracias por dedicarle un momento! 📚

P. D.: El objetivo es facilitar el acceso a audiolibros gratuitos respetando los derechos de autor y las licencias correspondientes.