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More Frequently
Asked Questions about Audiobooks
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What is an OverDrive Audio Book
title?
An OverDrive Audio Book title
is a digitally-protected audio book that has been optimized for
download. OverDrive Audio Book titles are built using the
Microsoft® Windows Media Audio format, which greatly enhances
the sound quality for desktop listening, play of CD copies (when
allowed by the publisher), and portable device use.
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What is the OverDrive Media
Console™?
A free, fully-integrated, and
easy-to-use application, the OverDrive Media Console allows you
to download and listen to OverDrive Audio Book titles in
high-quality Windows Media Audio format on any Windows computer.
OverDrive Media Console also permits you to create and burn CDs
of your audio books (when allowed by the publisher) for use in
your car, home stereo, or portable CD player. OverDrive Media
Console grants you the added functionality to transfer your
audio books to supported portable devices.
OverDrive Media Console offers
a flexible and intuitive user interface, allowing audio book
users to easily navigate, play, and enjoy popular audio
materials.
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What are the features of
OverDrive Media Console?
Features of OverDrive Media
Console include:
- Multi-part download
management: Audio books typically include multiple parts;
OverDrive Media Console allows you the flexibility to specify
parts for download. This enables you to begin listening to an
audio book and return to download the remaining parts later.
Alternatively, if only a given part of a file is of interest,
you can simply download that desired part.
- Audio book library
management: OverDrive Media Console automatically
creates, maintains, and displays a comprehensive library of
audio books in a logical folder hierarchy. As titles are added
to your collection, they are automatically moved into the
appropriate folder(s). The organization system is also
customizable, allowing you to create and name new folders to
suit your needs. Within each folder, titles can be sorted by
title, author, date acquired, expiration date, and date last
played. If a title expires, OverDrive Media Console will prompt
you to delete the unusable file from your library, allowing you
to keep your audio collection tidy and up-to-date.
- Navigating the audio file
with MediaMarkers™ Each OverDrive Audio Book title is
divided into parts, and parts are then sub-divided into logical
sections (such as chapters). The beginning points of these
logical sections are MediaMarkers, which are displayed as
hyperlinks.
When you
click on a 'Part', the MediaMarkers associated with that Part
are displayed in the right-hand portion of the 'OverDrive Media
Explorer' window. Simply click on a MediaMarker to jump directly
to, and begin playing, the desired section of an audio book.
OverDrive Audio Book titles also include the conveniences of
skipping back 15 seconds and advancing to the point furthest
played.
- Copy to CD or device
For titles that publishers permit to be burned to CD,
OverDrive Media Console optimizes Microsoft's industry-standard
media player, Windows Media Player to support CD burning and the
transfer of audio book files to supported portable devices.
To review
a suggested list of portable devices, click here. To use
OverDrive Audio Book titles on a device, the device must either
support the bit rate of 32kbps or be able to transcode 32kbps
files to a supported bit rate.
There is no need to get other
software to burn your audio books to CD; everything you need is
simply and easily incorporated into OverDrive Media Console.
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How can I get a copy of
OverDrive Media Console?
To
review system requirements and download OverDrive Media Console,
click here.
To
skip the review of system requirements and go to download, click
here.
How much does OverDrive Media
Console cost?
OverDrive Media Console is a free
download.
To
download, click here.
On what platforms does OverDrive
Media Console run?
OverDrive Media Console supports
the following platforms:
- Microsoft Windows 98 Second
Edition (SE)
- Microsoft Windows Millennium
Edition (ME)
- Microsoft Windows 2000
(Professional or Server®)
- Microsoft Windows XP
(Professional, Home, or Tablet PC edition)
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What other software do I need in
order to use OverDrive Media Console?
To use OverDrive Media Console, you
will need to have Windows Media Player (9 Series or newer).
OverDrive Media Console takes advantage of Windows Media Player
support for burning audio books to CD (when allowed by the
publisher) and transferring files to supported portable devices.
To review a
suggested list of portable devices, click here. To use OverDrive
Audio Book titles on a device, the device must either support the
bit rate of 32kbps or be able to transcode 32kbps files to a
supported bit rate.
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How can I get a copy of Windows®
Media Player®?
Microsoft Windows Media Player is a
free download.
To review system requirements and download Windows Media Player,
click here. Please remember that Windows Media Player 9 Series
or newer is required in order to use OverDrive Media Console.
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How much does Windows Media
Player cost?
Windows Media Player is a free
download.
To download Windows Media Player, click here.
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I came across a reference to
'Windows Media Player Security Upgrade'. What is this, and will I
have to do it?
The Windows Media Security Upgrade
is a one-time process that must be performed before Microsoft
Windows Media Player will allow any copyright-protected files to be
played. A security measure, the security update identifies the copy
of Windows Media Player with the computer on which the Player is
being used.
The first time that Windows Media
Player attempts to open a protected file, it will alert the user
that a Security Update must be performed before the file may be
opened. The update takes just a few moments.
To review instructions on
completing the Windows Media Player Security Upgrade, click here.
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Once I have checked out an
OverDrive Audio Book title, how do I download it?
- After the book has been
checked out, in your browser, click on the 'Download' button
next to the cover image of the book.
OverDrive Media Console opens and prompts for the folder to
which the files should be downloaded.
- From the OverDrive Media
Console prompt screen, specify a download location (or leave the
default file path) and click 'OK'. The 'Download Part(s)' dialog box is displayed.
- In the 'Download Part(s)'
dialog box, choose which part(s) you would like to download by
placing a checkmark next to the desired part(s), then click the
'OK' button.
Download progress is displayed for each part. When the download
is complete, the title is ready for listening.
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How do I download an OverDrive
Audio Book title using Firefox?
If you are using Firefox, after the
title has been checked out, click on the 'Download' button next to
the cover image of the OverDrive Audio Book title. If prompted,
choose option 'Open with', and browse to 'OverDrive Media Console'.
To adjust your settings so that you do not have to repeat this step
going forward, check the box next to 'Do this automatically for
files like this from now on'.
If you've already downloaded a file
with Firefox and are unable to open it, complete the following
steps:
- Open Firefox.
- Go to Tools > Options.
The 'Options' dialog box is displayed.
- In the 'Options' dialog box,
click the 'Downloads' button.
- Under the heading 'File
Types', select either 'ODM OverDrive.Media' or
'application/x-od-media' (the option you will see will vary
depending on the version of Firefox you are using) and click the
'Change action' button.
The 'Change Action' dialog box is displayed.
- Select 'Open them in this
application'.
The 'Choose Application' dialog box is displayed.
- Browse to 'OverDrive Media
Console' and double-click 'OverDrive Media Console'.
The 'Choose Application' dialog box is closed, displaying the
'Change Action' dialog box again.
- Click the 'OK' button to save
your change.
The 'Change Action' dialog box is closed, displaying the
'Options' dialog box again.
- Click 'OK' to exit the
'Options' dialog box.
- Be sure you are connected to
the Internet, then browse to the file you were unable to open.
Double-click the file. OverDrive Media Console launches,
allowing you to use your audio book file.
Please note that the initial
download is a small file; you download the actual audio book file(s)
from within the OverDrive Media Console application.
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How do I listen to my audio
book?
When the book has finished
downloading, click the 'Play' button in OverDrive Media Console. The
'OverDrive Media Explorer™' window is displayed and the file begins
playing.
If desired, you can click the
'Stop' button and navigate directly to a desired section of the
audio book using MediaMarkers. Each OverDrive Audio Book title is
divided into parts, and parts are then divided into logical sections
(such as chapters). The beginning point of these logical sections
are MediaMarkers, which are displayed as hyperlinks.
When you click on a 'Part', the
MediaMarkers associated with that Part are displayed in the
right-hand portion of the 'OverDrive Media Explorer' window. Click
on a MediaMarker to jump directly to, and begin playing, the desired
section of the audio book.
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I am only interested in one of
the chapters of the audio book I downloaded. Can I just play that
chapter?
You can navigate directly to a
desired portion of an audio book using OverDrive MediaMarkers. Each
OverDrive Audio Book title is divided into parts, and parts are then
divided into logical sections (such as chapters). The beginning
point of these logical sections are MediaMarkers, which are
displayed as hyperlinks.
To display MediaMarkers in
OverDrive Media Console, click the 'Play' button. The 'OverDrive
Media Explorer' window is displayed and the file begins playing.
Click the 'Stop' button, then click
on the 'Part' associated with the desired chapter. The list of
MediaMarkers associated with the Part you have selected is
displayed. Click on the desired MediaMarker, and the audio book will
begin to play at the point you have indicated.
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To which devices can I transfer
OverDrive Audio Book titles?
To review a suggested list of portable devices, click here. Note
that in order to use OverDrive Audio Book titles on a device, the
device must either support the bit rate of 32kbps or be able to
transcode 32kbps files to a supported bit rate.
You may want to check device documentation to determine if a device
supports protected Windows Media content at 32kbps.
Note: If you are using a Pocket PC, you need to have a memory card
with sufficient memory space installed in order to transfer audio
book files from your PC to your PDA.
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What is a 'bit rate'?
Bit rate is a measure of the
quantity of audio data transferred from your device's memory to it's
audio decoder. Different devices support different ranges of bit
rates. Some devices are able to convert unsupported bit rates to
supported bit rates, a process called 'transcoding'.
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How much free disk space do I
need to have in order to transfer audio titles to my portable
device?
Audio titles for OverDrive Media
Console are delivered in parts, with each part generally not
exceeding 18MB in size. As long as your portable device has at least
18MB of storage space you should be able to transfer a single part
or more to it at a time. Obviously the more storage space you have,
the more parts you’ll be able to transfer to your device at one
time.
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Why can some titles be burned to
CD but others cannot?
The publisher of each title decides
whether or not to allow the title to be burned to CD; this decision
is at the publisher’s discretion. Many publishers enable this
functionality while others choose not to permit this use of their
content.
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How can I tell if a title can be
burned to CD?
There are two places you can check
to see if a title may be burned to CD. You can check at this web
site or, if you have already checked out the title, you can look in
OverDrive Media Console. Check to see if a title may be burned to CD
as follows: At this web site, check whether a
title may be burned to CD as follows…
Search for the desired title, and click the title to bring up the
page displaying details about the title. At this page, look for the
heading 'Digital Rights Information'. The information listed here
will clearly indicate whether or not the publisher has enabled the
burn to CD functionality.
In OverDrive Media Console, check whether a title that you have
already checked out may be burned to CD as follows…
- In the OverDrive
Media Console 'Media Library', click the desired title then
click the 'Properties' button.
The 'Properties' dialog box is displayed.
- Click the 'License'
tab.
'License details' for the title you selected are displayed. If
the publisher permits the title to be burned to CD, the details
will read 'This title can be burned until mm/dd/yyyy.'
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How do I transfer an audio book
to my portable device using Windows Media Player 9?
- In OverDrive Media Console,
highlight a book and click the 'Transfer/burn' button.
Windows Media Player opens.
- Turn off skin mode, if
necessary, and click the 'Copy to CD or Device' button.
The 'Copy to CD or Device' screen will appear.
- Select the part(s) you want
transferred to the portable device by checking the box next to
the part name.
- Connect your portable media
device and ensure that it is selected in the right hand pane of
Windows Media Player.
- Click the 'Copy' button in the
upper right hand corner of Windows Media Player to copy the
part(s) to the portable device.
Windows Media Player will inspect and copy the file(s) to the
device. This process should take less than a minute, depending
on how many files you transfer. You may follow the Player's
progress by monitoring the 'Status' field in Windows Media
Player.
- When the transfer is complete,
the status field in Windows Media Player will indicate
'Complete'.
You may now disconnect your portable device and enjoy your
OverDrive Audio Book title.
Note: If you are using a Pocket PC,
you need to have a memory card with sufficient memory space
installed in order to transfer audio book files from your PC to your
PDA.
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How do I transfer an audio book
to my portable device using Windows Media Player 10?
- In OverDrive Media Console,
highlight your book and click the 'Transfer/burn' button.
Windows Media Player opens and begins playing the title.
- You may stop playback at this
point if you choose. Click the 'Library' tab.
The media Library will be displayed but the 'Now Playing List'
should remain.
- If you wish to transfer all
parts, ensure that your portable device is connected and click
the 'Start Sync' button.
Windows Media Player will transfer the files to your device in
the order that they appear in the 'Now Playing List'.
- If you wish to transfer a
specific part(s) to your device, you may remove parts from the
Sync List. Simply click on them and press the 'Delete' key.
Alternately, you may right-click an unwanted part and select
'Remove from List' from the menu. When the Sync List is ready,
ensure that your device is connected and click the 'Start Sync'
button.
You may follow the Player's progress by monitoring the 'Status'
field next to the part name in the Sync List.
- When the transfer is complete,
the status field will indicate 'Complete'.
You many now disconnect your portable device and enjoy your
OverDrive Audio Book title.
Note: If you are using a Pocket PC,
you need to have a memory card with sufficient memory space
installed in order to transfer audio book files from your PC to your
PDA.
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How do I burn an audio book to
CD using Windows Media Player 9?
- If you have not already done
so, verify that publisher permissions allow the title to be
burned to CD as follows:
- In the OverDrive
Media Console 'Media Library', click the desired title then
click the 'Properties' button.
The 'Properties' dialog box is displayed.
- Click the
'License' tab.
'License details' for the title you selected are displayed.
If the publisher permits the title to be burned to CD, the
details will read 'This title can be burned until
mm/dd/yyyy.' (some publishers to not allow audio files to be
burned to CD).
- In OverDrive Media Console,
highlight the title and click the 'Transfer/burn' button.
Windows Media Player opens.
- Turn off skin mode if
necessary, and click the 'Copy to CD or Device' button.
The 'Copy to CD or Device' screen will appear.
- Select the part(s) to be
burned to CD by checking the box next to the part name.
- Place a blank CDR in your
CD-ROM drive and ensure that your CD drive is selected in the
right hand pane of Windows Media Player.
- Click the 'Copy' button in the
upper right hand corner of Windows Media Player to add the
part(s) to the list of files to be burned to disc.
Windows Media Player will inspect, convert, and temporarily copy
the file in preparation for burning. This process may take a few
minutes. You may follow the Player's progress by monitoring the
'Status' field in Windows Media Player.
- When the burning process is
complete, Windows Media Player will eject the disc and the
status field will indicate 'Complete'. Please note that you will
generally need to burn one CD for each part.
You may now enjoy your OverDrive Audio Book title on your home
stereo CD player, car stereo CD player, or on your portable CD
player.
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How do I burn an audio book to
CD using Windows Media Player 10?
- If you have not already done
so, verify that publisher permissions allow the title to be
burned to CD as follows:
- In the OverDrive
Media Console 'Media Library', click the desired title then
click the 'Properties' button.
The 'Properties' dialog box is displayed.
- Click the
'License' tab.
'License details' for the title you selected are displayed.
If the publisher permits the title to be burned to CD, the
details will read 'This title can be burned until
mm/dd/yyyy.' (some publishers to not allow audio files to be
burned to CD)
- In OverDrive Media Console,
highlight your book and click the 'Transfer/burn' button.
Windows Media Player opens and begins playing the title.
- You may stop playback at this
point if you choose. If you're running Windows Media Player in
'Skin Mode', be sure to switch to 'Full Mode' before proceeding.
- Click the 'Library' tab.
The media library will be displayed but the 'Now Playing List'
should remain.
- Depending on the number of
parts you want to burn to CD, do one of the following:
If you wish to burn all parts to CD, insert a blank CDR in your
CD-RW drive and click the 'Start Burn' button. Windows Media
Player will burn the parts to CD in the order that they appear
in the 'Now Playing List'. The Player will prompt you when it
requires a new CD.
-Or-
If you wish to burn only specific part(s) to CD, you may remove
parts from the Burn List. Just click on them and press the
'Delete' key. Alternately, you may right-click an unwanted part
and select 'Remove from List' from the menu. When the Burn List
is ready, insert a blank CDR in your CD-RW drive and click the
'Start Burn' button.
- Windows Media Player will
inspect, convert, and temporarily copy the part(s) in
preparation for burning. This process may take a few minutes.
You may follow the Player's progress by monitoring the 'Status'
field next to the part name in the Burn List.
- When the burning process is
complete, the status field will indicate 'Complete'. Please note
that you will generally need to burn one CD for each part.
You may now eject the disc and play your OverDrive Audio Book
title on your home stereo CD player, your car stereo CD player,
or on your portable CD player.
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I came across a reference to
'licenses'. What are licenses and why do I need them?
Licenses are files that allow
protected content to be played with Windows Media Player. Before
Windows Media Player will open a protected file, it verifies that
the user has the appropriate license. If the user does not have a
license for the content, the file will not open. Licenses are
automatically managed by OverDrive Media Console when audio books
are downloaded.
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