5 Things to know about iPods and downloadable audio books

MP3 audio books which are compatible with iPods and iPhones are now available through the Sno-Isle Library Download Collection website!

Here are 5 things you ought to know about this new collection.

One

There are two collections: an MP3 collection and a WMA collection.

MP3 and WMA are file formats.  The new MP3 collection works with most iPods and iPhones and contains 497 titles.  The collection will grow as more titles become available for purchase.   The existing collection of WMA audio books is larger and does not work with iPods or iPhones.

Two

Why not just one big collection that works for iPods and iPhones?

The library and OverDrive have wanted to offer downloadable media to iPod users since 2005.  DRM (digital rights management), a piece of software designed to protect files from illegal copying and sharing is required by publishers and authors to be added to their digital content by OverDrive before it can be sold to libraries..  There are two different versions of DRM, an Apple version and a Microsoft version.  Apple won’t release their version of DRM to other companies, like OverDrive  and Microsoft’s DRM won’t work with iPod.  These two incompatible versions of DRM, and the publishers requirement to include it, are why the library has been unable to offer audio books to iPod users in the past.

Three

So what’s changed, how can we offer downloads to iPods now?

Some publishers have begun to be willing to offer some of their content without DRM to OverDrive so they can be sold to libraries.  The new MP3 collection works with the iPod and iPhone because the DRM files have been removed.  Since the DRM is what made the files incompatible with the iPods/iPhones, the files now work with those devices.

Four

Is that why the MP3 collection is smaller than the WMA collection?

Yes, sort of, some authors and publishers don’t feel that DRM has been all that effective in preventing illegal copying and so they’re willing to try releasing a portion of their material without DRM to test the water and see what happens but they’re taking different approaches.  One group is willing to strip out the DRM and sell to libraries, and the other has begun selling only to the consumer market.  Both approaches are removing DRM from only a portion of their titles.

Five

Do the MP3 audiobooks work with Macs?

No, not yet.  OverDrive is beta testing the OverDrive Media Console  for Macs currently.  The OveDrive Media Console for Mac should be available late in 2008.  Until then iPod users will need to download their audio books through a Windows PC and then transfer them to their iPod or iPhone.

The help section of the Sno-Isle Download Collection has much, much more information.