New Sedaris audiobook is a DRM-free download
Brian sez, "The new David Sedaris audiobook, When You Are Engulfed In Flames, is available DRM-free from Zipidee (whence I got Little Brother in audio form). Yay!"
I love Sedaris's audio stuff -- he's such a great reader, it really brings the work to life. Plus: DRM-free audio!
Link
(Thanks, Brian!)
the latest
latest episodes
Someone want to re-upload this to a site I don't have to login on? I hate going through the steps of creating a fake email, just for one item.
Ditto, I tried to register and the Zipidee site asked for my gmail password to "Import Email Addresses from GMAIL".
Good luck with that.
Agent, If I get it, I'll repost it (takin' one for the team, and all that).
Well, I registered (without giving my password), and all I'm getting is a 2 minute preview (of 9 hours), or the option to buy for $24.99..
Anybody else getting a link to drm-free audio of the book?
Ok, maybe I just read the topic wrong, drm-free, but pay for the access..
Oh well.
So, I can download for $25, or I can get a physical manifestation for $15?
Does the publishing industry think we are so stupid that we don't realize that a big percentage of the cost of a book is due to printing, warehousing, shipping, retail costs, etc.? Audiobooks should be significantly less than printed books. Or, if the consumer is going to continue to get screwed, at least give the artist a greater royalty. But that's not happening in the music industry, and I'm sure it's not happening in the publishing industry, either.
I know that's not what this post was about. I will say this: David Sedaris is amazing, and his readings of his books are superior to reading them yourself.
Ah, mis-read it as well. I'm more likely to buy the print than the audio, though I won't feel bad pirating the audio after I buy the book.
Yeah, all I see is the $25 price. Makes Little Brother look like a bargain at $20.
Well, I can't say I could listen to Kirby Heyborne for more than that 2 minute preview, on the Little Brother one linked above. I found his reading overly slow and laboured, and I thought his inflection made him sound kind of like the "behind-the-curve" character he was describing.. unconvincing (and sort of annoying).
Meh, $20 saved, and a great book for free.
(read: the free ice cream tastes great, but don't pay for the sprinkles)
"So, I can download for $25, or I can get a physical manifestation for $15?"
Why not. It doesn't matter that the old business of printing, shipping and retail is a fact of the cost, you are paying for what you find value in. I buy books almost exclusively used...for some reason, I get mine for $2 that are better printed and have taken up just as much space in a warehouse or storefront. I make exceptions for a few authors I like, for instance Rushdie or Palahniuk...and then I know I'm going to spend a lot more because of the perceived value I have attributed to it. And honestly, it is worth it those few times a year that I splurge.
So I don't think the publishing industry thinks anyone is stupid. I think they are willing to pay what they are willing to pay. I listened to the first two minutes of this, and if it were more 'reasonably' priced (reasonable as defined only in the eyes of those making the judgment), I might have picked it up. But I'm not willing to buy it, so it doesn't really matter.
I see this in the music industry too...they charge as much as they can get away with, and for that I'm grateful (my royalties are based off of MSRP...other artists...who knows...I can't comment on artists having incompetent representation). For the most part, people are willing to pay...and thus the costs stay the same regardless of it being cheaper to produce, ship and warehouse.
My advice...don't pay for something you think is overpriced and don't take it in any way that the artist didn't offer it to make a point that it is overpriced. It isn't like you can't find other artists, writers or whatever that are more 'reasonable'.
I think it was likewise $25 for CD audiobook at B&N yesterday (we picked up the dead-tree version), which one can presumably rip into as DRM-free a form as one desires.
Handier to be able to buy it online, though.
Zipidee didn't ask me for my gmail password when I registered -- Arkizzle, when did that happen for you? I definitely wouldn't buy it if they did that kind of stuff. (Gave them my anonymous gmail address so in case they do spam me, it won't hurt anything.)
Zipidee asked me for my gmail password when I registered (well, I started to register - that stopped me) for Little Brother.
That was a few weeks ago.
I've come across a surprising number of sites lately that want my email, or my address book, and offer to automagically slurp them off my computer if I just don't say no quickly enough.
Brother!
A shout for to my former employer, eMusic - ALL audiobook downloads from eMusic are DRM free, and cost between $10 and $20 US.
They don't have When You Are Engulfed In Flames, but they do have a decent collection of his works
Also, new subscribers get a free audiobook credit, and 50 free tracks of DRM free MP3s (single files, not albums). If you cancel during your trial period, they're fully free.
They Have Little Brother there too, FYI.
Ankh - you may be affected by the "autofill" function on Firefox. Sites should not "slurp" anything off your computer without your consent. As for wanting your email address, if I were selling downloads, I'd insist on a valid email address. A billing address for your credit card too, and if your zip didn't match the given billing address, I'd turn down the sale.
Expecting e-commerce to act differently is silly.
In the "coming soon" section on eMusic, I see "David Sedaris | 6/12", so its likely they are going to add this new book at that time.
JJapser, Asking for my gmail password (so they can access my addressbook) is out right social engineering.
Not a customer friendly service.
Who's asking for your gmail password? No major music sales site I know of does that. Was it a social sharing site, like imeem?
JJasper,
Look at my first comment (#2), and Wurp's (#11).
Zipidee asked me for my password (to "Import Email Addresses from GMAIL"), because I checked the free-credit offer.
That is way outta line IMHO. Compromising their customers personal security for some extra email addresses tells me not to shop there.
Here's a screenshot..