How do you buy an audio book for an older person?

[bisous]

So I have come to discover that my Stepdad has a condition where his eyes get really tired when he reads. He's never been a great reader. He has an engineering degree and has been successful but only in retirement has he determined that he does MUCH better with audiobooks rather than physical copies. So far I've been buying him books on CD, but that format is...old. He also uses "playaway" books from the library. He has an iPhone but is not super savvy on it. Aside from Audible, (neither of us are interested in paying for a subscription) how to you buy an audiobook for a person who is not super tech savvy and doesn't want Audible?

TIA!

[lizzywednesday]

...Aside from Audible, (neither of us are interested in paying for a subscription) how to you buy an audiobook for a person who is not super tech savvy and doesn't want Audible?

TIA!

Try Libro.fm which will allow purchases of audiobooks to benefit your local independent bookstore. The app is available in the Apple App Store - I have it on my phone and there is no subscription fee.

If his library uses hoopla or Libby, he can also check out audiobooks through those apps on his iPhone instead of using playaway or another physical item. The apps are free; sign-in is using your library card credentials.

[MaiseyDog]

My dad had a neurological disorder that resulted in a prolonged hospitalization and used audiobooks to help pass the time. He did use audible for some because I already had a subscription for myself, but also borrowed a lot from the library through Libby. He has since purchased a library card through the Brooklyn public library (it's $50) and uses that. They have a much larger selection than our local library does. It has been a fantastic investment.

[Liziz]

I'm fairly certain you can choose to actually buy an audiobook from Amazon instead of doing Audible -- you just decline to sign up for Audible and purchase the book instead (this was true for several I just looked at) -- you still need to use the Audible app to listen to it, but you don't have to have a membership. Unfortunately, it looks like to purchase (vs. membership) many books are pricy!

I highly suggest checking out what your library has to offer. I listen to multiple audiobooks a week, and I've never paid for a single one b/c I always check them out through my library. I have found Overdrive or Libby (both the same company) to be easy to use on the phone -- maybe you could go over and set it up/explain how it works to him, to make it easier for him? Hoopla is another library option that many libraries have, although I haven't used it enough to comment on ease of use.

[lizzywednesday]

... Hoopla is another library option that many libraries have, although I haven't used it enough to comment on ease of use.

If you can use Libby/OverDrive, you can use Hoopla, but do pay attention to the checkout limits - you get a set limit per month (my library offers 5) and you do not get new checkouts until the next month.

Also, length of borrowing time is shorter for things like music, movies/TV shows, and, I think, audiobooks in my system, so do be sure to check how long you get. I get music and movies for 7 days while I'll get novels for 21.

[echoesofspring]

4 free months of audible is a prime day deal, you get to keep your books after you cancel your subscription, so that might be a way for him to get a few.

[bisous]

4 free months of audible is a prime day deal, you get to keep your books after you cancel your subscription, so that might be a way for him to get a few.

Ooh. Maybe I’ll give that a try!