Audiobooks discussion

I was trying to download Karin Slaughter's Kisscut and got this message
"We're sorry. Due to publishing rights restrictions, we are not authorized to sell this item in the country where you live"

I've never seen this message before. Ironically, the author lives in the next town over from me.

That's happened to me lots of times.
I really want the audiobook of The Light Between Oceans and I can't get it anywhere (except in CD format at 3 times the price) and the author is Australian and so am I!
It's annoying but understandable when there are different countries involved...but seems ridiculous when you live in the same country as the author and you can't buy it in the format that people in other countries can.

Trish, I get that message all the time! Since I am living in Europe. Many fewer books are available here. It is ridiculous and we customers must voice our displeasure so this practice is changed. Any paper book can be sent abroad while these antiquated publishing restrictions for audiobooks and ebooks are not changed. People have to complain.

It is really insulting, in general. Book publishers are honestly the worst and most backwards of any digital media. I mean there are always options for the other media, music, video. But a lot of audiobooks are so hard to get. Even with the CD versions they often won't sell to you (yes you, Recorded Books), and in some cases there just isn't any CD version. Like take Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep. The edition of the book I bought in Australia was the US Macmillan edition. That is the only version available here. But when they released the audiobook, they wouldn't make it available to Australians. Who are they competing with or protecting

They are honestly ENCOURAGING PIRACY. And worse still they are decreasing their sales. It is just idiocy. I cannot fathom the stupidity of the people that make these decisions. They aren't protecting anyone. They are reducing their income.

I think problem is, that you try to buy from wrong site. amazon.com prevents sometimes buying even physical books, because they can sell it on amazon.co.uk with higher price.

I got 2 short stories to download from audible.com and noticed that their daily deal is book, that I would like to listen too. But there was no possibility to buy it. I had also difficulties to get audiblemanager to work and I installed tablet software on my PC.

Problems I have had with these audible, itunes, amazon, drm etc. crap encorages me to use pirated versions. It is much easier to download pirated version, than legal one.

What comes to audiobooks on CD is another stupid issue. Why the he*l they still use audioCD and not mp3? I bought my first mp3 player 15 years ago and don't know anyone who uses portable CD-player. Last time I saw someone using such, it was more than 10 years ago and it had mp3 reading capability. Everyone I know that listens audiobooks, convert those CD's on mp3 files.

Most movies and music I buy on CD or DVD, I throw unwrapped on my shelf and download pirated version, because I have had so much trouble with drm and other copyright protection issues.

Patricia wrote: "I really want the audiobook of The Light Between Oceans and I can't get it anywhere (except in CD format at 3 times the price) and the author is Australian and so am I!..."

Not related to the subject of not being able to see/buy books based on your country (which I think is stupid), but...the narration of this book isn't good. The narrator lacks breath control, he mumbles sometimes, sometimes he's speaking so softly you can barely hear him, and the next second it's loud (too loud if you had just turned up the volume to hear what he was just softly speaking.

Check out this review and the comments, which are soley on the narration and not the story. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Trish - for some reason - there is no unabridged version of kisscut available in the US, but it is overseas - could that be why you are getting the message?

Why the he*l they still use audioCD and not mp3?

Several reasons for this. Mp3 limits their market. CDs are sold in STORES vs. online. Independent bookstores can also sell them. Libraries can buy them and they don't have to pay licensing fees like they do if they get them via electronic means. They also continue started collections via CD.

The fact that you and your friends don't have CD players indicates that you are the changing market, but realize that there are a lot of audiobook buyers who still only buy CDs. Besides, how can someone gift an audiobook to you unless they can buy the CDs somewhere. Friends and family know I'm having vision problems so I get 3 or 4 audiobook gifts a year now. :) Thank you audiobookstand.com and B&N. I can also legally share these audiobooks with friends and family AND sell them later to others. While Audible is VERY generous with registering devices, I am still very limited with whom I can share my purchases and this is true of any other downloadable venue.

Getting back to the topic, yes, I think it is incredibly annoying that there are geographical restrictions. On the plus side, I have enough unlistened to audiobooks to last me for about 3 years. By then I will have forgotten the annoyance of the one I couldn't get.

I buy audiobooks on CD still, over mp3 generally. I prefer to have the control over the conversion so I know what quality I get. And I convert using AAC not mp3