Enjoying MP3 Audiobooks with the OverDrive Media Console Mobile App

It is possible to download and listen to MP3 audiobooks on the go by installing the OverDrive Media Console mobile app on a wide variety of mobile devices:

• Android phones and tablets, including the popular Nexus devices
• eBook reading tablets like the Kindle Fire, Nook Color, Nook Tablet, Nook HD, Nook HD+
• Apple iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, iPad Mini
• Blackberry phones
• Windows 7 phone and Microsoft Surface RT tablet.

 

Desktop Computer Transfer

Note that it is also possible to download MP3 audiobooks to a Windows or Mac computer and transfer the MP3 audiobook to the mobile device with a cable directly to the device's music player.

Apple products and other WMA-compatible devices can also play WMA audiobooks, provided the WMA audiobook is first downloaded to a Windows computer and transferred to the device with the use of a cable and the OverDrive Media Console for Windows (and iTunes when using an Apple device). Note that from the list of devices above, only the Apple devices can be used to listen to the WMA audiobooks. 

Read more about transferring a WMA audiobook to an iPod from a Windows computer.
Read more about transferring an MP3 audiobook to an iPod from a Windows computer.
Read more about transferring an MP3 audiobook to an iPod from a Mac computer. (Coming soon!)

Finding and Installing the OverDrive Media Console App for Your Device 

 

Install the OverDrive Media Console on your mobile device. Each device provides access to an app store. Here is an example of getting the app for the Google Nexus 7 Android device. Note that you may be prompted to register the app with a free Adobe ID. This is only necessary if you plan to read Adobe EPUB eBooks. It is not necessary to register the app to listen to MP3 audiobooks.

Using the NHDB Site 

 

Log into the NHDB site through the mobile web browser or the OMC app's mobile browser. Either method works equally well. I typically use the mobile browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.) to browse the NHDB site.

After logging into the site, click the "menu" icon and select an audiobook genre to start browsing.

 

The titles are automatically sorted by the newest added to the site. To see titles that are available to borrow immediately, click "Available Now."

Be aware that there is a glitch with the mobile site. After clicking "Available now" you'll see both audiobooks and eBooks. Scroll downwards to limit your results to audiobooks only.

When you see an audiobook that looks appealing to you, click on the cover to view more about the book.

Double-check that the title is available in MP3 audiobook format.
Note that mobile browsers will not display WMA audiobooks.

Click "Borrow" to checkout the audiobook.

Press "Download" to start downloading the audiobook.
The OverDrive Media Console opens automatically.

Note that audiobook files are very large. Take care when downloading audiobooks on your mobile device's cellular network. You may wish to wait to download the audiobook until you have access to a wireless network. 

Once one part has downloaded you can start listening to the audiobook!

Tap on the book cover or surrounding area to open the audiobook player.

Return to the Bookshelf to select another title from your downloaded EPUB eBooks or MP3 audiobooks.

Note that different versions of the OMC app have different ways to return to the app's bookshelf...

Android App on the Nexus 7

iOS App on iPhone

Returning the MP3 Audiobook Early 

The OverDrive Media Console mobile app will automatically block your access to the audiobook after seven days, removing it from your account and prompting you to delete the title from the app. But if you finish the audiobook early, you can return the MP3 audiobook to the collection from the OMC app.

From the app's bookshelf, tap the small plus symbol to return the title.

Read More

Reading EPUB eBooks with OverDrive Media Console App