Comments on: ★ Audiobooks and DRM http://ianhocking.com/2009/12/13/audiobooks-and-drm/ Novellist Ian Hocking: accidentally best-selling since 2011 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:43:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ian Hocking http://ianhocking.com/2009/12/13/audiobooks-and-drm/#comment-1609 Ian Hocking Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:36:21 +0000 http://ianhocking.com/?p=855#comment-1609 I have to say that while the narration of Transition was very good, I was underwhelmed by the book itself. It seemed rather rushed. I was really looking forward to an Audiobook of Wordsworth's poetry - until I listened to the narrator. He sounds like an American putting on a camp English accent. In that case, though, I gave Audible a phone call and they let me send the book back, virtually, which was nice. I have to say that while the narration of Transition was very good, I was underwhelmed by the book itself. It seemed rather rushed.

I was really looking forward to an Audiobook of Wordsworth’s poetry – until I listened to the narrator. He sounds like an American putting on a camp English accent. In that case, though, I gave Audible a phone call and they let me send the book back, virtually, which was nice.

]]> By: by_tor http://ianhocking.com/2009/12/13/audiobooks-and-drm/#comment-1607 by_tor Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:05:45 +0000 http://ianhocking.com/?p=855#comment-1607 I was not much of a fan of audiobooks up until recently. I often felt the narrator didn't fit "my vision" of what the characters should sound like and that sort of spoilt it for me. Stephen Fry doing H Potter was an exception and maybe I was just unlucky because recently I've been listening to the abridged version of Iain Banks' Transition read by Peter Kenny. It's available as a free non-DRM podcast at iTunes Store, and it's really a great listen. The story is good, and the narration superb. If standard audiobooks were like this (I mean unencumbered by DRM, and great quality) I would certainly buy a lot more. I was not much of a fan of audiobooks up until recently. I often felt the narrator didn’t fit “my vision” of what the characters should sound like and that sort of spoilt it for me. Stephen Fry doing H Potter was an exception and maybe I was just unlucky because recently I’ve been listening to the abridged version of Iain Banks’ Transition read by Peter Kenny. It’s available as a free non-DRM podcast at iTunes Store, and it’s really a great listen. The story is good, and the narration superb. If standard audiobooks were like this (I mean unencumbered by DRM, and great quality) I would certainly buy a lot more.

]]> By: Ian Hocking http://ianhocking.com/2009/12/13/audiobooks-and-drm/#comment-1606 Ian Hocking Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:09:43 +0000 http://ianhocking.com/?p=855#comment-1606 Yes, that's what I thought, and that's what makes this so surprising. It sounds to me like the mechanism they have in place just presupposes the existence of a DRM policy and they don't have a workflow alternative that lacks it. Yes, that’s what I thought, and that’s what makes this so surprising. It sounds to me like the mechanism they have in place just presupposes the existence of a DRM policy and they don’t have a workflow alternative that lacks it.

]]> By: by_tor http://ianhocking.com/2009/12/13/audiobooks-and-drm/#comment-1605 by_tor Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:01:57 +0000 http://ianhocking.com/?p=855#comment-1605 So what is Apple's stated reasoning for continuing to demand DRM on audiobooks? I mean they ditched it for music. I always thought it was Audible that was the sticking point. So what is Apple’s stated reasoning for continuing to demand DRM on audiobooks? I mean they ditched it for music. I always thought it was Audible that was the sticking point.

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