Continuing our theme of MP3 players, let’s discuss digital audio books. These are simply books you listen to rather than read. You may be familiar with books on cassettes; digital audio books are basically the same but in a format for your computer or MP3 player. Audio books are read dramatically by one or more readers. My favorite kind of audio book is when there are multiple readers, one for each character. It is almost like being right there in the midst of the action. It is wonderful being able to play a book while working around the house, walking or running, or even while driving.
Audible (www.audible.com) was probably the first to bring us downloadable digital audio books, having been around since 1997. Their format is protective, meaning that you cannot play it on all MP3 players, though most players, including all iPods and your computer, are supported. Audible offers memberships where you pay a monthly fee and get one or two books each month for free, or you can buy individual books without a membership. Being a member also gives you discounts on all extra books you may want to buy.
As I write this article, Audible is having an introductory sale where you can join for half price for the first three months, which means you receive one book for free for US$7.49 each month for the first three months. After this the fee doubles to US$14.99. You can cancel your membership at any time, including after receiving one or more of the half price months. You can still listen to your Audible books even after you cancel your membership.
You can also buy Audible books from Apple’s iTunes Store, but Apple’s proprietary format limits you to listening to the books on your computer or an iPod.
Even better are websites that sell audio books in the MP3 format, which can be played on any MP3 player, as well as on your computer. Amazon (amazon.com), Barnes and Noble (bn.com), and Borders (borders.com) are just three examples of where you can buy audio books. Their selection may not be as extensive as Audible’s, but if you can find the book you want there, you’ll have the freedom to play your book whenever and however you like.
If you like listening to the spoken word, you might also look into podcasts, which are (usually free) digital audio files produced on a wide range of topics and in various languages. To find some, search online for the word “podcast” and the topic you want to listen to, and then download ones that sound interesting. You can also subscribe to the podcast, so new episodes automatically download to your computer, and if you have set it up, automatically upload to your MP3 player.
With your MP3 player, stories and podcasts can become part of your listening repertoire.
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