Amazon destroyed the Audible Android App ... but I found something better!

I have generally become cavalier about downloading updates to the apps on my Android phone. So I didn't think much of it when I had a series of updates to the Audible app.

I understand that the first versions of the Android Audible apps were written after Amazon bought Audible, and they were usable if not spectacular:

It did allow you to download Audible-purchased books directly to the phone and it performed
reasonably in most respects.  I never looked for an alternative book player for this phone, though a friend of mine kept raving about an alternative.

The most recent update of this app, though ...

... slowed down (at least on my 2011 phone) to the point it was unusable. It changed to a 'wait -- loading' type screen every time I changed the orientation of the phone. I found it maddening.

I went back to my friend with the alternative and listened to what he had to say. He uses Ambling Book Player Pro:

I bought a copy ($8.99). This works, it's fast ... but it does require a different piece of software to break the DRM copyright on Audible-format books. There are several out there. My friend is a PC user who runs Sound Taxi. I mostly use a Macintosh and found a similar Audiobook Converter from Macsome ($34.95). It actually runs much faster than SoundTaxi (though still takes a few hours to convert a 20-hour audiobook on my 2008 Macbook.)

The overall usage is more complex than for the Audible app; you have to

•  download the book to the computer
•  load it into iTunes (the only way Macsome will grab it, trying to look non-pirate!)
•  run Macsome
•  connect the phone to the computer,
•  copy the converted files (Note! one book per directory)
• run Ambling to load books from the location in your phone where you stored them

But worth it! At least on this phone. I am planning a phone upgrade early next year and will review all apps then, but for the moment this works for me.

Happy listening!