Top Apps to listen to audiobooks on iPhone

about 2 years ago

With these apps, your favorite books will be available to you anytime, anywhere.

How often do you allow yourself to spend an evening in the company of a good, interesting book? Does it happen that everyday affairs recede into the background, and you plunge into the world of adventures, novels and intrigues written many years ago, but still not losing their relevance today? But what if, during your daily routine, work and household chores, you cannot find time to read a book that you have been putting off for a long time? Fortunately, for such cases, modern world there are audiobooks. Can't make time to read? Install an audiobook and listen to your favorite piece on the way to work, while cooking, cleaning or playing sports!

Today we decided to understand the variety of applications for listening to audiobooks, which is offered in App Store.

To begin with, I would like to note that there are two ways to listen to books on the iPhone, iPad and other “apple” technology: using the built-in iTunes player and through special applications.

In order to listen to audiobooks through a standard player, you first need to download desired file on computer. Then copy the audiobook to iTunes. The Audiobooks tab will appear in the left sidebar of iTunes under Library. If you don't see "Audiobooks" in the left pane of iTunes, you can turn it on manually on the "General Settings" screen.

After that, connect the device to the computer, it should appear in the “Devices” category. Next, in the “Music” tab, you need to mark the “Audiobooks” playlist and synchronize the device with the computer by clicking on the “Apply” button. After that, the audiobook will be copied to the device and can be found inside the player in the “Audiobooks” section. By default, this section is located in the "More" section.

After performing these simple manipulations, you can enjoy your favorite books anytime, anywhere.

Remember that if you upload files in mp3 format, the system will treat books like music. The player may not play files one by one and may not remember where you left off last time.

Therefore, for more convenient listening to audiobooks, it is better to record them in m4b format. To do this, the file will need to be previously converted using special software.

If there is no desire or time to convert files, then you should take a closer look at the set of applications for listening to audiobooks, which are quite numerous in the App Store today.

"Book aloud

In this application, you will find a huge number of audiobooks, most of which are supplemented with text and additional materials (photos, videos).

This application has a fairly large library of voiced books, which is constantly updated and updated. With the “Book aloud” you can listen to those novels and detective stories that your heart has been longing for for a long time, but your hands have never reached. At the same time, you can either just listen to them or follow the events in the book on the screen. The application provides full synchronization of the audio track and text.

Audiobooks from VoxClub (free with in-app purchases)

This is another application for listening to audiobooks, which contains a huge number of both classical and modern works for every taste.

Audiobooks from VoxClub has:

• more than 4,000 books in Russian, while the library is constantly replenished;
• every week a set of books is provided, which are available for free;
• convenient functionality;
• nice design;
• stability and speed of processing requests;
• the ability to use bookmarks and write down notes while listening to an audiobook;
• playback and player control on the lock screen and more.

Listen! (free with in-app purchases)

Listen! is an application designed to listen to the huge LitRes library.

With this application you will have access to a lot of books, some of which can be installed absolutely free. Nice bonus It will also be that all books are voiced by professional actors.

Librivox (free)

This application is suitable for those who want to improve their knowledge in English or just likes to listen to the works of English-speaking authors in the original.

The application contains more than 3000 books, which are supplemented with text for greater convenience. In addition, the entire library is categorized by genre and popularity, and you can search by author, title, genre, or even keywords.

"Audiobooks Bibe.ru" (free, there are built-in purchases)

This application is designed specifically for listening to books from the site bibe.ru. By installing the client, the user can download more than 50 books absolutely free. Further, a pack of over 100 books is available at favorable price. In addition, you can buy your favorite books individually.

The collection of audiobooks is regularly updated. Each audiobook is available for free preview.

The application has a convenient player that allows you to adjust the playback speed and saves positions when you accidentally press the rewind buttons.

The utility supports iCloud synchronization and the ability to listen to downloaded content without access to the Internet.

MP3 Audiobook Player (Rs. 169)

This application allows you to listen on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch audiobooks in any format without the need for formatting.

It is important to remember here that the application itself does not contain a library, it plays downloaded files, but does not require conversion from mp3 to m4b.

The application loads a cover from a folder with a book or a file being played, allows you to adjust the playback speed, “understands” control from the headphone remote control and contains a built-in sleep timer with the ability to set different periods time or until the end of the chapter.

Among literature lovers there are both those who prefer exclusively paper books and those who like to listen.

In the latter case, as a rule, a gadget is used. This method began to gain popularity, and now it is not so difficult to find your favorite work read by professional announcers.

At first glance, there is nothing difficult in finding a device on which you can listen to audio, because in fact it is a regular file. If we are talking about about smartphones and tablets, then the standard player does an excellent job with audiobooks. But there are many programs that make this process easier and more enjoyable. We will find the most best programs that are in the store Google Play and we will talk about them in detail.

Audiobook search

The first application will definitely appeal to those who like freebies or those who want to decide whether they like to listen to the works of Pushnik and Gogol or not. To do this, it is not necessary to buy an audiobook - the program will help you find and listen to the desired work for free. It is noteworthy that the main purpose of the program is precisely the search for works, although the listening process is implemented perfectly.

The program is very simple. After installation, you only need to select a language and accept the terms of the license agreement. After that, the main screen will appear with a search bar in which you can enter the author or title of the work. Upon completion of the search, select the desired position from the list and listen in the player. The content is not downloaded to the device, but listened to online, therefore, an Internet connection is required.

Pros:

• free;
• simple and clear menu;
• convenient search;
• no need to download content.

Minuses:

• requires an internet connection;
• you can't upload your files;
• the program does not remember the time at which you stopped listening.

We liked the Smart Audio Book program right away. It takes up little space and is easy to use. In fact, this is a regular player that plays files from the selected directory. It is she who is invited to choose immediately after installing the program on the phone. The main menu has only four sections: read, new, entire catalog and started.

The program has a fairly large list of settings. For example, you can choose to automatically reset if you have not listened to an audiobook for a long time - then listening will start over. There is an auto-sleep mode, which should appeal to fans of leaving playback overnight. Bookmarks can be added to the book or characters can be tagged. The last function is a bit obscure. Most likely, it will be used as an additional bookmark with a note.

Playback of files occurs without any delays, the sound quality. It is possible to change the playback speed or adjust the equalizer (in the full paid version).

Pros:

• the program is free;
• remembers the fragment where you stopped listening;
• does not require an internet connection;
• simple menu.

Minuses:

• no built-in store or links to online libraries, only plays pre-loaded files;
• when a directory is selected, it lists all folders without a hierarchy, making it difficult to find.

Running this program, you will see a list of books that are collected in a completely incomprehensible order. But at the top home page there is a search bar, in the menu - the transition to genres, the section favorites and popular. We recommend that you immediately use the search bar, since the distribution by genre is not always correct. In general, it would be logical to make the main screen along with the search bar.

Playback starts immediately after you have selected the desired audiobook, and of the available actions in the playback window, there is only the ability to add it to your favorites or move to another part. You can neither pause nor add a bookmark. If you close the program or exit the menu, playback will stop and you will have to listen to the passage from the beginning.

A huge plus of the "All Audiobooks" program is a large number of works and the ability to listen to them without downloading and purchasing. The application will definitely appeal to those who do not want to spend money.

Pros:

• the program is free;
• a large selection of content;
• no need to download books to your phone.

Minuses:

• very inconvenient and incomprehensible management;
• ill-conceived player;
• a permanent internet connection is required;
• you cannot continue playback from the middle of a passage or add a bookmark.

Listen LitRes

This program is presented by the popular online store LitRes. It is not surprising that any content in it is offered for purchase. The list of available literature is huge. There is a search by genre, advanced search and a separate section of periodicals.

The program allows you to log into your LitRes account so that you can immediately listen to all the audiobooks that were purchased earlier. All works have detailed description, an abstract, reader feedback, and a two-minute introductory excerpt.

While playing, you can minimize the window and continue listening in the background. It is also possible to add a bookmark or pause the recording. LitRes plays all books from the network without having to download them.

You cannot listen to your own content purchased from other stores or downloaded from free sources.

Pros:

• a large selection of literature;
• synchronization with an account on LitRes;
• functional player with the ability to add bookmarks.

Minuses:

• you have to pay for each work;
• internet connection required;
• you can not listen to audiobooks downloaded to the phone in advance;
• few settings (no way to set a sleep timer or program hotkeys).

Alibabook

Alibabook allows you to find all the books that are available for free download. After starting the program and accepting the license agreement, you will be taken to the library. After the first launch it is, of course, so you need to use the search. The program is clear and easy to use, and it also supports swiping across the screen.

The choice is great, the sound quality is good. The player remembers the last fragment and even after exiting the program it offers to continue exactly from the second at which listening was stopped.

You can’t download and listen to your own books, but if there are no problems with the Internet, then everything will be so convenient.

Pros:

• the program is free;
• extensive library;
• a good player with remembering the time of the last playback;
• simple and beautiful interface.

Minuses:

• you can't upload your files;
• there is no way to set a bookmark;
• few settings (no sleep timer and hotkeys).

Audiobooks today have gained great popularity due to the fact that while listening to them, you can do some work in parallel, for example: go home, cook dinner, play sports or clean the apartment. Many now use a smartphone as a player, but this is not always convenient - it is still quite large in size and massive, and its batteries do not last long continuously.

In today's inexpensive MP3 players brands Texet, Wexler, Ritmix, etc., developers are chasing the creation of the most versatile device. Such players have a lot of extra functions that are not related to playing sound files, for example: video playback, reading texts, various games on a tiny screen. As a result of such an upgrade, both the reliability of the device and the usability and sound quality suffer.

It turns out that choosing a high-quality player for listening to audiobooks is not as easy as it seems at first glance.

In this material, we will try to show the highest quality modern devices suitable for high-quality listening to both music and audiobooks. When listening to books, there are several specific requirements that apply to the player. This is due to the fact that one audiobook often consists of several tens, and sometimes hundreds of files, if there are several books in the player's memory, they must be arranged in separate folders. Audiobook manufacturers do not adhere to a single audio file format (such as MP3), on the contrary, books come in a wide variety of formats. Therefore, for audiobooks in the player, you must:

• the ability to continue playing from where it stopped;
• the ability to play audio files in folders;
• the presence of a display to search for the desired folder (audiobook);
• support maximum number sound formats;
• the presence of a large amount of memory;

Sandisk Sansa Clip+ and Sandisk Sansa Sport are two models with amazing sound quality, probably the best in our line of players. The devices support a large number of audio formats. The Sandisk Sansa Clip+ has a smaller footprint than the Sandisk Sansa Sport and, as a result, has a smaller display and battery capacity. The Sandisk Sansa Sport differs from the Sandisk Sansa Clip+ in that it has a spring-loaded clip for attaching the player to clothing. For the Sport model, finally, audiobooks mean not only the foreign Audible format (100% paid content is not common in Russia), but also FLAC and MP3. Therefore, the Sandisk Sansa Sport, the only player considered in this review, has the Audiobook mode not useless, but working as it should. The name of the audiobook is not taken from the folder name, but from the tags of the audio files. There are no extra functions in the menu of these players, everything is concise and understandable - a player for music and audio books. Both models of players have a slot for a micro-SD card with a capacity of up to 32 Gb.

Launched in 2016, it inherits all the best from previous models. Amazing sound quality, simple operation, laconic design, small size and weight make it an indispensable gadget for sports and recreation. It has 18 hours of continuous audio playback, which is less than the Sandisk Sansa Sport, but the minimum internal memory is 8Gb. The device has a hardware limit on the number of files. More than 2000 files (totally located on the internal memory and on the micro-SD card) cannot be placed, this is due to the internal database software. They just won't play. Memory cards are supported up to 32Gb inclusive.

When you turn on the device for the first time, the maximum volume may seem insufficient to many. To significantly increase the maximum volume, it is enough to change the region "Europe" to "Rest of the World" in the player settings.

Philips SA4VBE08 (8Gb internal memory) and Philips SA4VBE04(4Gb internal memory) is characterized by high-quality sound and reliable design. It is quite convenient to use, but has a number of unnecessary functions - watching videos and playing audiobooks in the Audible format. To play audiobooks or all tracks of a folder, you must use the "FILES" menu item. Tracks are played in accordance with the playlist, but if you have not created one, the files are played in the order in which they were recorded in the player's memory (not alphabetically).

Philips SA5AZU08 (8Gb internal memory) and Philips SA5AZU04(4Gb internal memory) - these players have a larger battery life and screen size, added the ability to play files via Bluetouch on a headset or car radio.

Sony NWZ E384 (8Gb of internal memory) and Sony NWZ E383 (4Gb of internal memory) are metal players with very good sound. Like Philips, the menu has a video playback function. There is no separate menu item for audiobooks. You need to use the menu items "Music" and "Folder". Players from SONY, when connected to a computer, are not visible as a separate disk, but are visible only in Explorer as a SONY device, which is not always convenient.

The MP3 players Sony NWZ E584 (8Gb internal memory) and Sony NWZ E583 (4Gb internal memory) have been increased screen size and battery life. Of the supported formats, FLAC has been added (not in the instructions, but verified by users).

Transcend MP870 And Transcend MP710, both have 8 Gb of internal memory. The MP870 is more interesting: it has a slot for a memory card, more supported formats than the MP710, but the latter has a much longer continuous operation time on a single battery charge. There are a lot of unnecessary functions in the menu of both players, there is no special menu item for audiobooks. You need to use the "Music" or "File Management" tab.

Recently, the number of MP3 players famous brands began to decline sharply. Many models have already been discontinued and are not sold in stores. What about those who need a small, light, high-quality and inexpensive device for listening to music and audiobooks? There is only one way out - to pay attention to small Chinese companies that produce players. For example, Ruizu manufactures many of its players using the same sound processing chips as Sandisk (RockChip Nano and RJ2127). Let's look at them in more detail.

Very similar to Sandisk Sansa Clip+. Look at the parameter table: size, weight, supported formats are very similar for these models. The location of the controls and the design of the clip-lock are also almost identical. Users who bought RUIZU X26 speak well of the sound quality of the player. In addition, the RUIZU X26 MP3 player has the ability to connect a wireless headset or headphones via bluetooth. According to the manufacturer, the player's MicroSD slot supports an external memory card up to 64 Gb.

The only thing that users of this device complain about is the impossibility of fast-forwarding the file being listened to when wireless headphones are connected. But the price for RUIZU X26 is about three times lower than for the twin from Sandisk.

Very similar to the Sandisk Sansa Sport. Outwardly, it differs only in the mirror arrangement of the "return" key. Support for formats, dimensions, weight and time battery life both MP3 players are almost the same. RUIZU X50 has a bluetooth port that allows you to connect the player to wireless headphones, headset or car radio. The advertising booklet states that the player's MicroSD slot supports the installation of an external memory card up to 128 Gb. There are very few reviews on this player model yet, as it began to be produced in the spring of 2017.

It has been produced for a very long time and has already managed to win the sympathy of users. The player features support for a large number of audio formats and a huge battery life. The manufacturer's website states that it can play up to 80 hours on a single battery charge. In addition, the RUIZU X02 has an Actions RJ2127 audio chip, which is also used in the Sandisk Sansa Sport player. Thanks to this, most users are satisfied with the sound quality of the device. Only unusual controls and a confusing menu cause complaints, but you can get used to it. The microSD slot of the player supports the installation of an external memory card up to 64 Gb.

Positioned by manufacturers as a player for sports. Small (the size of the previous two models), stylish, supporting major audio formats, it could become very popular if it were not for the very short battery life. It is no more than 10 hours, and according to the owners, it is much less. The microSD slot of the player supports the installation of an external memory card up to 64 Gb.

Parameter table.

The question before me was buying a new mp3 player. The current one works, but in many respects it is obsolete, and most importantly, it is not suitable for listening to audiobooks. Player manufacturers seem to be completely unconcerned about the interests of buyers like me, and do not report support for the features that I consider the most important. Sellers of players - even more so. Therefore, I decided to make for myself a list of requirements for the desired player (mandatory and desirable).

Why am I posting this on LiveJournal? First, a reminder to yourself. The paper will be lost, the post will remain. Secondly, over the past 3 years, people have contacted me more than once with advice on what to look for when buying a player. Thirdly, suddenly someone will tell you something wise. What I need, I know, but which models meet my needs, I don’t know. Searching for information on the net did not give me much, and forum discussions of models completely confused me.

So my list of requirements for the player to listen to audiobooks:

1. It must be flash player, not the HDD. Capacity - 1G or more. The HDD is large in size, it can break when dropped, it is unstable to shaking. But I want the player to fit in a fist and at the same time contain 1-2 books of a characteristic size in itself, even without first reducing the bitrate. Going on a 10-day vacation, you can reduce the bitrate so that a good dozen books fit into such a player.
2. Mandatory memorization of the stop position when switching off and playback from the interrupted point next time you turn it on. Moreover, not only the file itself should be remembered, but also the position in it. I would like this memorization not to "break" after resuming new files into the player and deleting old files. Some players apparently remember some absolute position, which is not entirely correct.
3. It is desirable to have at least a couple bookmarks so you can stop listening to one book and quickly switch to another.
4. Mandatory convenient scrolling within the file. And I want that when scrolling back, having reached the beginning of the file, the scrolling gets to the end of the previous file and continues there.
5. Desirable mode support fast forward. Unlike music files, audiobook files are sometimes large (for example, 60M). For such files, slow scrolling becomes a nightmare. But I do not consider this requirement to be strictly obligatory, because, fortunately, such "coarse-grained" books are not so common and, in the end, can be pre-cut into pieces.
6. Directory support. Required - up to 3 levels deep, preferably - up to 5. My old player doesn't support directories at all. And I even had to write a program that destructures them.
7. Two more are directly related to the previous point. Support sorting by name and traversal of files according to this sorting, and not just shuffle or foolish tags. It is also important to have a mode correct traversal of these directories. Those. until everything goes deep to the end, so that it does not move further in other directories.
8. The main information displayed on display, should be: the name of the file, its duration and how much it was listened to, the number of all and the number of files listened to. Showing tags should be secondary. Not bad, but not instead! It is desirable that the backlight retention time be controlled by the settings. But what colors all this is highlighted, I don’t care at all. If only it was clearly visible even in the dark.
9. The player must support long filenames with spaces and display both Russian names and Russian tags (if the latter are shown at all).
10. Desirable support for standard Winamp M3U-sheets. This will allow you to get out in a situation where the player still makes a fool when bypassing directories.
11. Mandatory Support bitrates in a wide range of 20-320, and not only constants, but also variables. You can convert the bitrate, but it is better that there are fewer restrictions of this kind.
12. Mandatory support for 2 main formats: MP3 and WMA. Support for ASF and OGG is desirable, but not essential. They are rare in audiobooks, but there are no problems with conversion. To be honest, you can easily do without WMA support.
13. Ratio signal/noise should be no worse than 85 dB (better - 90), and output power for each ear - not lower than 10mW. The latter is associated with audibility in closed metro lines. However, with good headphones, the power requirements may not be so stringent. In my "vacuum" I perfectly hear everything that I have not heard before in standard headphones at a power of 7.5 mW per ear.
14. Headphone jack should be standard (I think it's called 3.5mm).
15. Many people prefer battery power as universal, but I like the included ones more (removable ones are better) accumulators Li-Pol or Li-Ion, but with a capacity of not less than 500 mAh (better - 700 or more). Charging via USB is also nice to me, because. I already have a USB charger from the network. But these are purely personal hiccups. I just don’t want to buy AA batteries and a charger for the player. And the size of a player with a flat battery is usually smaller.
16. PC connection should be standard (USB or mini-USB). Files must be uploaded via UMS (USB Mass Storage), i.e. without drivers and special programs. Both USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 must be supported (required!).
17. If the player supports fade-mode (slow increase in sound at the beginning and weakening at the end of files), then in the settings it must be possible to blackouts. This is good for music (preserves the ear), but for audiobooks it means cutting off 2 seconds of text at the beginning and at the end of each file. I have not encountered this, but people constantly complain on the forums.
18. Not required, but would be desirable amplifier so that you can listen to the player in the kitchen during breakfast without headphones. Lordship, of course. But it would be nice.
19. I would also like to, but now such players are almost never produced so that the volume of the sound is regulated not by a stupid joystick, but by a good old wheel. Then it would be easy to change the sound without taking the player out of your pocket. But this is the voice of one crying.