How to Listen to Books on Tape

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By M.K.

The publishing industry has increased the accessibility of literature by releasing books on tape, CD and in digital formats for people who are too busy to set aside time for reading or who prefer to listen to books while engaging in other activities like driving or exercising. These books are available from a variety of sources, some free and others that can be more expensive.

Step 1
Determine how you will listen to audio books. If you plan to listen to them while in your car and your car plays only cassettes, or if you want to listen to them while running and you have an MP3 player, you will be limited as to which audio books are available to you, depending on format.

Step 2
Find a source for your selected source of audio books. Many public libraries offer books on cassette and some books on CD for little or no charge. There are also a number of online websites that offer either audio book rentals or sales of audio books that can then be downloaded and either recorded onto a CD or transferred to an MP3 player. Some sites that you can visit online are BooksOnTape.com, Audible.com, Borders and Barnes and Noble.

Step 3
Determine if you want to purchase a subscription or individual books if you decide to purchase an audio book. Subscriptions offer members lower prices and special offers, so they are better for people who plan to buy a number of books over the subscription period. For example, at Audible.com, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" costs about $6 more to purchase for nonmembers. However, if you only plan to buy a limited number of books, you are usually better off not becoming a subscriber.

Step 4
Download audio books you have purchased online onto your computer. If you have a CD player, burn the downloaded audio book to a CD; make sure the file is in a format that is compatible with your CD player. If you have an MP3 player or an iPod, download the audio book onto your player for listening.

Tips & Warnings

If you are borrowing audio books from a library or rental company, be sure to return your items on time to avoid paying a late fee.

audio book subscription