Hi Christina,
I think you're referring to downloading audiobooks using the OverDrive Media
Console software. I haven't used this for library downloads for some time
because available titles for download seem to be limited at my library in
recent years due to state budget cuts. I have had more success requesting
audiobook CDs from my library, and ripping those for listening. However, the
process is quite accessible. There are two types of OverDrive Media books that
are carried in downloadable format. The WMA protected formats can only be
downloaded on a Windows computer with the version of OverDrive Media Console
for Windows, and the Windows update to support the copy protection scheme in
effect. Of these, a subset may be transferred to the iPhone or iPod if the
publisher permits it. Some libraries now maintain a separate link for for
iPod-Compatible audiobooks, which includes those WMA titles that can be
transferred to an iPod or iPhone and the MP3 titles that can all be transferred
to an iPod or iPhone, and which all can be downloaded and played on a Mac, as
well as on a Windows PC.
Before you download an audiobook, you install the OverDrive software (and, in
the case of Windows machines, including installations on a Bootcamp partition
on your Mac, and I believe also through VMWare virtual machines, you may need
to install additional copy protection software). When you check out a library
downloadable audiobook, you download a small file with the name of the book and
a ".odm" extension (which are the initials for "OverDrive Media"). This file
sets the permission to play the book that you borrow for the fixed period in
the OverDrive software. It is specific to your machine, and you cannot move it
(or the audiobook files) to another machine and expect to play the files. Once
you download and open this file, an entry for the audiobook will appear in the
OverDrive Media Console, and you will have options in a dialog window to
download any number of parts. (Although the files are compressed MP3 files,
there will be 1 part for each of the original CDs). There are menu bar
options, and a number of shortcuts for playing and navigating through the
Audiobook using the OverDrive Media Player (a separate window). This interface
is very nice, with options to control playback speed, set bookmarks, etc. The
actual MP3 files gets downloaded into a folder that is created under the
Documents folder of your account: ~/Documents/My Media/MP3 Audiobooks/ in
separate folders named for each book. There will also be an "OverDrive
Welcome" folder created in this location.
I have always found it easiest just to add the files in these locations to my
iTunes library with the normal Command-O selection. At that point, they behave
just the same way as any other MP3 file in your iTunes library. You'll want to
select them all and use Command-I ("Get Info") to go to the Options tab, change
the "Media Kind" popup button to "Audiobook", and check the boxes for "Remember
Playback Position" and "Skip when Shuffling" to have these show up as
audiobooks. Alternatively, if you use a program such as Audiobook Builder by
Splasm Software, you can join these into one or two audiobook files with
chapter markers, and the software will automatically make the adjustments for
Media Kind, etc. so that the book shows up under your "Books" library in iTunes
and "Audiobooks" on the iPhone.
I haven't tried adding these audiobooks to an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad using
the OverDrive Console, although I've added such downloads to my iPod Nano both
through the OverDrive Media Console and directly from my iTunes library. You
will not be able to play or transfer the files through the OverDrive Media
Console after the expiration date of your books, and the software will give a
prompt notice to delete the files if you open it after the expiration date.
(Obviously, this doesn't affect the files you transferred to the iPod or iPhone
before this date, if you don't reconnect to your computer and sync the device.
I'm not sure how it works if you use the OverDrive app for the iPhone, which
I've never tried, and which seems to add an extra level of complexity.)
I'll point you to an old Mail Archive list post:
"General Instructions on OverDrive downloadable audiobooks"
http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries%40googlegroups.com/msg05166.html
This gives details on how to run the search and download process through
different library web interfaces, which seemed to be the sticking point for
some users. Note that post is two years old, and there is no links chooser
menu in VoiceOver under Snow Leopard -- just use item chooser menu instead --
you can press "l i n" first, for a link search.
HTH. Cheers,
Esther
On Feb 21, 2011, at 08:21, Christina wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I hope you're having a nice Monday. :) I was searching my library's book
> catalog for my children. I noticed that they offer audiobooks for download.
> It said that I can play these on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod. I am on a mac
> running Snow Leopard. Is the download process available for the mac
> platform? If so can this be done using voiceover both on my mac and on my
> iPhone? If so, what do I need to do to download these audio files onto my
> mac? Is it straightforward to put the book on my iPhone after that? I
> realize these files expire after a set period of time just like checking out
> a book. Is this process more difficult than it's worth?
>
> Thanks so much for any help,
> Christina
>
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