Audio Book Formats – let’s pick the format that best suits your needs.

Audio book formats started out in a very simple world but has steadily progressed into the complex digital world we live in today. It seems every few years another format gets introduced as technology rages onward into the uncertain but quickly changing future. Just the other day we came across yet another new format that is being introduced to audio books, but more on that later.

What are the most common audio book formats used today…

• Cassette Tapes (Books on Tape)
• Compact Discs (Books on CD)
• MP3 Download (Downloadable Audio Books)
• MP3 Compact Disc (MP3 Audio Books on CD)
• Audio Book on SD Card (Audio Book Chip)

Lets start at the top with the audio book format still being used today, audio books on tape. Other synonyms for audio books on tape are:

• Audio books on Cassette
• Books on Tape
• Books on Cassette Tape
• Books on Cassette

Audio books on tape have been enjoyed for several years.

Books on audio tape were found to be very reliable and introduced a higher audio quality in the 1980′s (wow, that seems like yesterday). They are played on small cassette tape players, portable walkmans, in dash cassette players for vehicles and those big ghetto blasters.

Even though it is getting tougher to find now, cassette players are still available.

But now, purchasing audio books on tape offer a lower audio quality (as compared to the other audio book formats available today) so the other available audiobook formats are preferred today, especially if you are just getting started with audio books for the first time.

But do not throw out your audio book on tape collection, you can easily convert audiobook tapes to CD.

We do understand though that there are people who just like familiarity. Maybe you grew up listening to books on tape and this is the audio book format you like. Can you believe there are people who still listen to music on those old LP vinyl records? These are the true music aficionados, and the same applies to talking audiobooks on tape.

View our recommended Audio Books on Tape sources.

With anything that is good, something else better eventually comes along.

Let’s enter into the digital computer age with audio books on CD (compact disc). This audio book format not only came in to replace music on vinyl records, movies on VHS tapes but also books on audio tape. Remember those old 45′s that definitely had their own sound? Snap, crackle and pop…. (Hey is that where Rice Krispies got their slogan from?)

Well CD’s definitely showed us the way to a cleaner, crisper and a truer digital audio product. They also allow us to store greater amounts of content on them.

Just like the cassette tape, CD’s also have many types of CD playing devices as well. Portable, hand held players allowed us to take our audio books on CD anywhere we are going. Vehicles quickly had in dash CD players and our stereo systems and computers quickly adapted to this new format style. Take a look at our suggested sources for CD players if you need a new one.

Now it seems CD’s are just a normal part of our lives including audio books. Publishers quickly made the change over to CD’s due to the cheaper cost of production, higher digital audio quality and larger storage capabilities. It just made sense, but they also realized that there would still be a demand for audio books on tape. This is why you find both formats available at all major audio book clubs for both retail and rentals.

You can easily convert your audio books on tape to CD, let us show you how!

We do recommend using audio books on CD as one of your primary audio book formats.

Whether you purchase them or rent audio books on CD, you can not deny the incredible high quality of audio books on CD.

View our recommended Audio Books on CD sources.

Technology takes audio books one step further… MP3 audio books.

MP3 audio book formats come in two versions, MP3 downloadable audio book and MP3 audio books on CD. MP3 is a type of compression format that takes a certain amount of information such as an audio book and compresses it to a smaller unit. This way a greater amount of an audio book can be placed onto a CD, therefore allowing for fewer CD’s for each talking audio book.

MP3 compression also made it easier and faster for audio book downloads as the size of audio book MP3 files are a lot smaller. This was a blessing for those who have dial up modems bringing the internet to their computers.

There are different qualities of MP3 formats, depending on the exact type of compression used. If you went to an online audio book rental club, you may have noticed that there was three or four different audio book MP3 formats. This allows you to choose how large of a file to download. The larger the file the higher quality of audio but also the longer download time as compared to the smaller MP3 files.

So you will find these MP3 audio book formats with most of the retailers but they are also very popular with the audio book rental clubs. They allow smaller files to download in faster times or smaller amounts of CD’s required and are cheaper to mail to their customers.

View our recommended online downloadable audio book sites and the online sites that offer Audio Books on CD.

The future is hear!(don’t try to eat one)

Recently we came across another audio book format, these are called audio book chips. This new format introduction just makes sense for publisher, retailer, audio book club rentals and most importantly you the customer.

These audio book chips are actual audio books on SD cards (Secure Digital Card). You maybe familiar with SD cards being used for digital cameras. Well now they are also being used to hold audio books, you can use a computer, PDA (personal digital assistant) or MP3 player that has the SD slot to enjoy this new format of audio book. So once again technology is taking all things in the forward motion.

View our Audio Book Chip sources now!

Audio book chip…chips…
Not as crunchy, but just as enjoyable!

Audio book chips definitely sound better than they taste!

(not recommended for internal consumption)

It is amazing what technology brings forth, and it seems all the new technology directly affects and improves the industry of talking audio books. Audio book chips are growing fast, with more titles being added to the book chip library each month.

But what are they?

Well take the ease of operation of an audio book on tape and the digital quality of an audio book on CD and together this gives you an audio book chip but smaller than the tapes and CD’s.

Audio book chips – no dip required…have you had a taste?

It is simply a SD smart card that we all recognize as digital

camera cards or memory cards. Audio book chips are not big in size, slightly larger than a 25 cent coin, but they can hold 5, 10, 15 or more hours of narrated audio book on a single audio book chip. Try to get that much narration on a audio book tape or audio book CD! With the ease of operation and the high audio quality, audio book chips are audio books for everybody!

So what makes audio book chips superior to what is currently being used?

• They hold more narration than audio book tapes or audio book CD’s
• True digital audio quality
• Light weight and versatile
• Durable with no moving parts
• Simplicity of use
• Personal book marking on most player devices
• Compact and easy to store

We feel that audio book chips are a tremendous step forward for audio book technology. Audiofy audiobook chips boast an ever expanding library of classic titles, children’s literature, business advice, mysteries, science fiction adventures, advanced language courses and scripture. Audio book chips will continue to grow and they possibly could overtake audio books on CD one day. Audiobook chips can be enjoyed on the go, at home, outdoors, in a vehicle or simply relaxing.

Audio Book Chips are Compatible with many devices such as:

• Microsoft Windows desktop and laptop computers
• Apple Mac OS X desktop and laptop computers
• Apple Ipod media players
• Play for Sure / Secure WMA media players
• Palm handheld PDA’s
• Palm Treo smart phones
• Windows Mobile smart phones
• Microsoft Pocket PC handheld PDA’s
• Verizon Wireless V CAST music phones

The simplicity of audiobook chips is appreciated by listeners all alike. Young or old, everyone can enjoy audio book chip.

With audiobook chips, there’s no:

• online downloading
• no need for a high-speed Internet connection
• no importing
• ripping compact discs
• monthly subscriptions to manage

Audio book chips (not made for dipping), are very enjoyable to listen to. They are another way technology takes an audio book and makes it better. Take a look why we are so excited about these little audio books on chips!

Review the audio book chip sources now!

Audio book downloads- just a click away

Audio books are now available 24/7 for 365 days a year with audio book downloads online. The electronic technology blast
has entirely changed our lives in every facet, audio books is one of those areas. By having audio books available
no matter what time or day it is, your favorite audio book title is always accessible.

Sometimes, audio books are offered as a free downloadable audio books by large companies as promotions. These free audio books are in the form of short stories rather than a full length book. However, as a free audio book, these short stories are entertaining and
worth listening to.

BMW has done just this with the release of 4 great audio books for download. Obtain your BMW audio book now!

Usually audio book downloads are offered by audio book rental clubs and offer either a monthly or yearly membership. The longer term of membership, the cheaper per audio book for the listener.

The best benefit with audiobook downloads is the immediate download time, there is no waiting for audiobooks to arrive in the mail. Once you download an audiobook, it is placed into a file that you designate on your computer. Then you can either download the audiobook onto your MP3 or Ipod player, make an audiobook CD by burning the audiobook onto the CD or listen to it on your computer. By downloading audiobooks, it really gives you a lot of versatility.

Some advantages to downloading audio books are:

• An economical way to listen to audio books
• No waiting time, downloads are instant
• Easily transfer audio books
• No bulky audio book tapes or CD’s
• Simple to download

We feel that audio book downloading is an definite asset to audio books. Not everyone wants audio books on tape or audio
books on CD, by downloading audio books, this gives listeners another option. Most audio book titles can be found as downloadable audio book and the titles keep growing. Downloading audio books is a choice for all listeners alike. There are many companies that offer downloadable audio books, but take a look below at our recommendations.

If there are any other online sources for new audio books on tape that you use and enjoy please share them with us!

Audio books on CD…
The digital way to read with your ears.

Audio books on CD started in the early 1980′s, but really became known in the 1990′s. The quality of audio and storage capacity make them a great audio book format, but eventually technology will replace audio books on CD.

It is just a matter of time until the CD format replaces the tape formats we became accustomed to in the 1980′s. Just like cassette tape accessories, CD players and their accessories adapted similar styles.

By adapting this technology of CD’s, it has lowered the production costs for audio books. As a result, we see competitive prices with audio books on CD from both retailers and rental clubs. There is a great selection of audio book titles on CD, this is a direct result of the economic impact of CD’s. Each year, more audio books on CD are produced, which is great for you, the audiobook listener.

There are two formats available with audio book CD’s, the regular audio book on CD and audio book on CD MP3. The only real difference is the amount of CD’s needed for each audio book. The MP3 format compresses the audio file at a higher rate, allowing a larger file to be placed onto a CD, which means less CD’s needed for each audio book. This is a great choice for audio book CD rental clubs, they are now able to ship the same book on less CD’s.

Many of you probably have a good collection of audio books on tape. We can tell you how to convert your audio books on tape to CD format. The process is not that all difficult, and a lot cheaper than you would think. This is an easy way to increase your audio book on CD library.

Convert audio books on tape to CD today.

Audio books on CD is a common format widely available today in both new audio book and used audio book conditions. New audiobooks on CD can be purchased at many selected retailers and audio book clubs.

Take a look at the new Audio Books on CD Sources!

If there are any other online sources for new audio books on CD that you use and enjoy please share them with us!

With used audiobooks on CD, you do not have to be as careful as you do with audio books on tape. But it still is important to go over our tips and questions when you are purchasing anything in used condition. CD’s can take a lot of abuse before the quality of the audio is hindered.

However, it is a good idea to make sure that the underside or playing surface has as little amount of scratches as possible. This is an easy way to quickly determine the overall condition. Used audio books are a great way to find those older audio book title you have been looking for, and are very affordable.

Hopefully you took the time to view our tips and questions needed when buying used items.

Use our tips and questions that give auction buyers the advantage.

Used Audio Books on CD Sources!

If there are any other online sources for used audio books on tape that you use and enjoy please share them with us!

Audio books on tape …
A classic way to read with your ears.

Audio books on tape have been used since the early 1980′s, the simplicity, quality of audio and size made them a favorite listening format that are still listened to today. But books on tape will eventually be replaced totally by audio books on CD. This will not happen for a number of years yet as the demand for books on tape is still strong.

It is just like the VCR tapes, DVD discs are slowly taking the place of the tape formats. As long as the tape players and accessories are available, the demand will also be there.

Since books on tape have been available for so many years, it makes finding the older titles of books easier. Book titles that might not be found on CD or MP3 format because of the vast amounts of new titles to choose from today. So if you are looking for a book from the past, you may have to buy it as an audio book on tape format.

If you wish the book was on CD, then wiggle your nose like Samantha on Bewitched (back in the 1980′s again) and your wish will be our command. We can show you how to convert your audio books on tape to CD format. The process is not that all difficult, and cheaper than you would think.

Take a look how to convert cassette tapes to CD!

Books on audio tape are still widely available today in both new audio book and used audio book conditions. New audio books on tape can be purchased at many selected retailers and audio book clubs.

Take a look at the New Audio Books on Tape Sources!

If there are any other online sources for new audio books on tape that you use and enjoy please
share them with us

With used books on tape, you have to be careful with regards to the quality of the book on audio tape. Since the audio books are used, you need to know a few important items to look for or questions to ask before you purchase a used audio book. Here are some great tips and questions you can use for buying used items such as audio books (no matter where you are buying them from). Used audio books are a great way to find that older audio book title you have been looking for. Used books on tape are very affordable, often they can be purchased for under $10.00.

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Hopefully you took the time to view our critical tips and questions needed when buying used items. Use our tips and questions that give auction buyers the advantage!

Used Audio Books on Tape Sources!

If there are any other online sources for used audio books on tape that you use and enjoy please share them with us