Audible is a website that sells downloadable audio content including books, periodicals, and radio programs, for play on a computer or other device. Audible offers several membership plans along with the option to purchase products individually.
An accessible version of the site, geared for screen readers, is at Audible Access. It works well with a Mac or PC. Since the company is owned by Amazon, you can use the same e-mail address and password for an Audible account as you do for Amazon. It's very handy that material can be downloaded from the website straight to an iOS device without installing any software on your computer.
This article discusses the accessible website, downloading content onto the Audible iOS app, and using the Audible app. An iPhone 6 with iOS 8.4 was used for this review.
Getting Support with Audible
Free, live technical support for Audible is available 24/7 at 888-283-5051. Support staff members are trained to work with people who are blind. With your permission, they can access your computer to assist in the set up process.
The Audible Accessible Website
The Audible Access home page and all subsequent pages are uncluttered and easy to navigate. At the time of this writing (August 2015), new users can take advantage of a free trial of one audiobook. The registration form is clear and controls are labeled. Note: Although book information can be viewed in the Audible iOS app, purchases cannot be made within the app. All content must be purchased from the website.
Finding Content
Audible's website contains a search form where you can enter a title and/or author. To review search results, use the screen reader's forms hot key. Depending on whether you are using a Mac, iOS device, or a PC to choose how results are sorted, there is a pop up menu or a combo box. For example, my results are sorted by relevance. Next is a box to choose how many results are displayed per page. Results are listed directly under that box.
For each result, you will find information such as the title link, author's name, narrator's name, release date, price, length of reading, and more. There are options to add the book to your cart or to add it to your wish list.
Activating the book's title link loads a page with additional information including the publisher's summary and reviews from other readers. Use your headings hot key to get to the publisher's summary.
Audible also has an Advanced Search link to a form to enter more parameters including length, abridged/unabridged, and language. Another option is to activate one of the site's numerous category links. Examples of categories include Fiction, Non-Fiction, Business, Newspapers, and Bestsellers.
Purchasing Content
Audible has many different membership plans. Detailed information can be found on the website or via technical support. Prices for non-members are higher. The price for members is one credit per book, but Audible sometimes runs specials.
Once you have chosen a book or other content and added it to your cart, go to the top of the page and use the forms hot key to find the "Go To Cart" button near the top of the page. This same hot key is useful for moving around the page. Above the item in your cart will be related items that Audible recommends. Eventually, there's a "Next Step" button. Below this is information about the contents in your cart including title, author, and an option to remove the item.
Another "Next Step" button is below this information. When activated, a new page will load and you will need to sign into your account. On the next page will be a "Complete Purchase" button.
Your Library
The list of items in your Library is stored by Audible in the Cloud and on your computer. When you make a purchase, the content itself is not physically on your computer or device until you actually download it. When you purchase content from Audible, it is placed in your Library, a link to which is located on your homepage. Purchased content remains in your Library permanently so it always available. To play purchased content on your computer, you need to download Audible's software Technical support can assist you with this process.
Using the Audible iOS App
The Audible iOS app is free in the App Store. Once the app is installed and opened, there are two buttons at the top left of the screen.
The first button is labeled "Cloud" and lists all the content in your Audible library. The second button, "Device," lists only the content you have downloaded to your device. Next is a search box and parameters for sorting results. From the "Search" button, slide your finger down to the "Refresh" button. Activate the "Refresh" button to add new content. No sound is played to indicate the Library is finished refreshing but it will be done in less than a minute.
Next, activate the "Search" button and enter the name of the title or author. For each result, you will find a title and a "Menu" button. Double tapping on the title will start the download process. By swiping right and left, VoiceOver will speak the download progress. When enough of the title has downloaded to begin playback, VoiceOver will add that the title is ready to play. Double tap on the title and the book will start playing. There is no audio notification that the book has completely downloaded. However, swiping on the title will cause VoiceOver to speak the book's title, author, and length. Below the title is a menu that includes book details and rate and review.
There are five tabs at the bottom of the screen: My Library, Discover, Player, Me, and More. The My Library tab contains a list of all the content you have purchased. Near the top of the screen are buttons for sorting your library by different parameters including by title or author.
The Discover tab contains recommendations that Audible has chosen based on your previous purchases. By default, the Bestsellers category is selected. At the top left corner of the screen is a "Categories" button. When activated, an extensive list of categories is displayed. Double tapping on a category will display a list of recommendations specific to that category.
Once a title is selected, there are options to add the book to your wish list, a button for a book summary and another button for reviews. There is also a Search button on the right side of the screen. The Discover tab will provide a lot of information about Audible's diverse content.
The third tab is Player. This tab controls your book or other audio program as it plays. All controls are labeled. At the top left corner of the screen is a "Close" button followed by a Player "Volume" button and a More menu which includes a sleep timer and "Share" button for social media. Keep swiping right and you'll hear how much time is left in the book, the chapter number, how much time has elapsed in the current chapter, and how much time remains in the chapter. Next is the total number of chapters and the book's title, followed by a "Jump Back" button, a "Play" button, a "Jump Forward" button, and a "Speed" button. By default, speed is set to 1X or normal speed. Double tapping on the button will cycle through additional options. The "Chapters" button is next and shows all the chapters and lets you jump quickly to one. The final control lets you add a bookmark.
The fourth tab is labeled Me. In the upper right corner is a page selector. The first page is Listening Time. This can be set to Today, Daily, Monthly or Total Time. The second page is Badge Collection and the third is Listening Level. The final page is Titles in Your Library. This has the number of titles for each year that you have been a member.
The final tab is More. In this tab, the first option is News. Selecting this option displays news from Audible. The next option is Settings. The first control here is a button to sign out followed by your user name. Next is a button to refresh your Library followed by a "Sync Device Position" button. This is followed by a Contact Us heading. Information is clearly displayed for contacting by phone and e-mail. Next is the Download Settings heading. The first option here is whether to only download on Wi-Fi rather than also downloading on your cellular network. This may make a difference in the data usage of your cellular plan. Next is a button to choose download quality, followed by a button to choose whether to download by parts. Double tap on each button to view options. The next heading is Playback Settings. The first control is whether to disable Auto Lock. Next is a button labeled "Jump Forward/Back." Activating this button gives options for the "Jump Back" and "Jump Forward" buttons on the player.
Deleting a Book
Any content purchased from Audible is always available, even if you delete it from your device. Delete a book by going to the My Library tab. Activate the "Delete" button, which is to the left of the "Refresh" button. Flick through the items on your device until you locate the one to be deleted. Below the title will be a "Menu" button and then a "Delete" button. Double tap the "delete" button.
Conclusion
Audible is an excellent option for obtaining audio content. This site is easy to navigate. Customer support is excellent and the iOS app works extremely well with VoiceOver.
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