If you're an avid Audible listener, you've likely wished you could enjoy your audiobooks on any device, from your MP3 player to your smartwatch. The catch? Audible's proprietary AA or AAX formats are typically locked to their app. To truly free your listening, you need a way to convert Audible files to MP3.
That's where OpenAudible steps in. This popular software simplifies the process of downloading and converting your Audible books to MP3 or M4B files. New to OpenAudible? This OpenAudible review will walk you through its features, pros and cons, how to use it, and its best alternatives, and help you decide if it's the right Audible assistant for your needs.
Part 1. What Is OpenAudible: Features and Pros & Cons
OpenAudible is a specialized software designed to give Audible users greater control over their audiobook collections. It helps you download your Audible library and convert it into universally compatible MP3 or M4B files. But unlike many other Audible converters, OpenAudible goes a step further, letting you view and manage your converted audiobooks right within the application. It's also cross-platform, meaning it works seamlessly on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Key Features of OpenAudible:
- Format Conversion: It allows you to convert Audible files to more universally compatible formats like MP3 and M4B (with chapter information kept).
- Library Management: OpenAudible provides a clean interface to browse and organize your entire Audible library. It can sync with your Audible account, displaying all your purchases and their conversion status.
- Offline Access & Backup: All converted Audible files are local, DRM-free copies. You can have a permanent backup and play them on a wider range of devices, without needing the official Audible app or an internet connection.
- Automation: The software offers automation features to quickly update your library after new purchases, streamlining the process of keeping your local collection current.
- Chapter Splitting: A highly appreciated feature is the ability to split Audible audiobooks by chapter, which can be very useful for navigating long titles on various players.
Pros
Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.- Frees audiobooks from Audible's DRM, converting them to universal MP3/M4B.
- Easily connect to your Audible account
- 10X faster conversion speed
- Conveniently divides long audiobooks into chapters
- Perserve ID3 tags
Cons
Not support audiobooks playback on its software- Not free now
- Not support editing ID3 tags
- No customer support or free update
- Output quality is not lossless
- Not support customizing output parameters
Is OpenAudible Free?
While OpenAudible used to offer a free tier, that's no longer the case with its latest versions, including 4.5.3 and beyond. To unlock its full capabilities, you'll need to purchase a license.
The standard license for OpenAudible costs $21.95 USD. This includes a year of free updates. If you're looking for a more long-term solution, an optional lifetime upgrade is available for an additional cost, typically $69.95 for unlimited future updates.
| Plans | Yearly License | Lifetime License |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $21.95 | $69.95 |
Is OpenAudible Safe?
Yes. OpenAudible is safe to use. From a security perspective, OpenAudible has built a generally positive reputation among audiobook users. It is commonly reported as clean by mainstream antivirus tools, with no known history of bundling adware or unwanted background programs.
That said, using any third-party Audible management tool involves a degree of trust. OpenAudible must connect to your Audible account and retrieve content from Amazon's infrastructure, which means you are trusting an external tool with your account access. There have been no widely reported cases of Audible accounts being suspended solely for creating personal backups with OpenAudible. Nevertheless, if you remain hesitant about linking your main account, you can skip to Part 3 for the best OpenAudible alternatives that operate differently.
Is OpenAudible Legal?
OpenAudible's legality operates in a gray area. While it's an open-source software, it necessitates users to log into their Audible accounts and download audiobooks, which could potentially violate Audible's terms of service. Although Audible hasn't explicitly prohibited the use of OpenAudible, users should be aware of the potential risks involved.
Part 2. How to Use OpenAudible
If you can accept the shortcomings of OpenAudible, now let's see how to use OpenAudible to converts Audible books with detailed steps.
- Outdated Interface and User Experience: While OpenAudible delivers on its promise of backing up your audiobook library, the actual user experience feels distinctly trapped in the past. The software utilizes a dated and utilitarian user interface. Navigating the menus isn't intuitive, and it lacks the fluid design aesthetics users expect today.
- Unstable Conversion Speed: When it comes to actual conversion speed, performance is a mixed bag. The download and extraction process happens locally on your computer, meaning your conversion rates heavily depend on your local hardware specs and internet bandwidth. While it handles standard files relatively quickly, processing massive, multi-hour audiobook anthologies can cause noticeable sluggishness.
- Occasional Login and Syncing Issues: Furthermore, because OpenAudible is a third-party application requiring your Amazon login credentials, it frequently runs into connection friction. Audible hosts its content across various regional servers. OpenAudible's internal browser sometimes struggles to route these handshakes properly, leading to random login errors, failed library syncs.
Step 1. Set Up OpenAudible
- Navigate to the official website of OpenAudible and download OpenAudible on your Windows/Mac/Linux computer.
- On OpenAudible's website, click on 'Purchase' to purchase a license. Then you can get the license code from your email.
- Launch the OpenAudible software and click on 'About' > 'License' from the menu.
- Enter your license code in the text box and click on 'Activate'.
Step 2. Connect to Audible
- Click on 'Controls' > 'Connect to Audible' from the top menu.
- Enter your Audible email and password.
- Then you will see all your Audible audiobooks.
Step 3. Download and Convert Audible Books with OpenAudible
- You will be asked if you want to download the Audible library. If you click 'Yes', it will automatically download all your audiobooks. If you click 'No', you can then choose to download individual books.
- To download single Audible books, select them and choose 'Action' > 'Download'. It will take several minutes to download a book. (You'd better use the official method to download Audible books, because sometimes this software fails to download.)
- After downloading, you can select an audiobook and choose 'Action' > 'Convert to MP3' to start converting it. You can also select convert Audible books to M4B and it provides better output quality.
(If you use the official way to download audiobooks, you can import them by clicking 'File' > 'Import Books'.)
Step 4. Split Audible Audiobooks or Join Them
- In the OpenAudible interface, find the audiobook you wish to split from your list of titles.
- Right-click on the audiobook entry, then click the "Split by Chapter" option or go to "File" and choose the "Join Audio Files" option.
- OpenAudible will then begin processing the audiobook. It uses the chapter metadata embedded in the original Audible file to create new files for each chapter.
Part 3. Best OpenAudible Alternative
While OpenAudible is a popular choice for managing and listening to Audible audiobooks, there are several free alternatives available that offer similar functionalities. These alternatives cater to users who prefer open-source solutions or are looking for specific features not found in OpenAudible.
DRmare Audible Converter
OpenAudible is perfect for Audible lovers. But since updating to the latest version, many people are unwilling to pay because of its shortcomings. Therefore, we want to show you the best alternative to OpenAudible - DRmare Audible Converter.
It can convert Audible books to MP3/AAC/M4A/M4B/WAV/FLAC. It supports batch conversion and works 100 times faster. It doesn't require your Audible account, and you can easily drag & drop audiobooks into it to convert. After conversion, you can listen to your favorite audiobooks directly on this program or on your local media player. You can also move the converted Audible books to any other device for playback. Even better, this all-in-one converter also works with Apple Music, iTunes songs and other audio files.
- Step 1Add Audible books to DRmare
Download, install, and open the DRmare Audible Converter. Then you can drag and drop your downloaded Audible books to its main software. Alternatively, you can click on the 'add files' button at the top left to import Audible files.
- Step 2Reset Audible output format and other parameters
You can also skip this step and this software will automatically convert Audible books to MP3 for you. If you have other needs, click on the 'Format' icon at the bottom-left corner. Then you can change the output format, channel, bit rate, and so on. Then click on 'OK'.
- Step 3Convert Audible audiobooks
Click on the 'Convert' icon at the bottom right to start converting Audible files at 100 times faster. When it ends, you can click on the 'Converted' list at the bottom right to view and play Audible audiobooks offline. You can also hit on the 'Converted' folder to find the converted Audible books on your local computer and start listening. If you want to move them to other devices, it is also workable.
Libation
Libation is a personal software project that allows users to convert Audible audiobooks into MP3/M4B files. This software allows users to import their Audible library, download DRM-free copies of audiobooks, and organize their collection using tags. It is available on Windows, Mac and Linux. Some drawbacks of this software are its larger size and less user-friendly interface. The developer acknowledges that the software is still under development.
Step 1. Obtain and set up the most recent version of Libation that matches your computer's operating system here (Remember to hit on “Assets”): https://github.com/rmcrackan/Libation/releases
Step 2. Unzip the downloaded file and find the "Libation.exe" file. Double-click this file to start the installation.
Step 3. The first time you launch Libation, you'll see a series of helpful tips to guide you through the program. Follow these instructions to connect your Audible account.
Step 4. Once you've logged into your Audible account, click the "Import" tab in the top left corner. This will scan your Audible library and display it below.
Step 5. To download an audiobook, click the traffic light icon to its left. This will initiate the download process. Alternatively, you can select the audiobook and then click "Liberate" from the top menu, followed by "liberate".
AAX Audio Converter
AAX Audio Converter is an open-source software that converts Audible audiobooks from AAX files to MP3 or M4A/M4B formats. It also supports the older .aa files. This free software is compatible with Windows 10 and above. It utilizes FFmpeg for audio processing and offers users customization options for output naming and splitting.
Step 1. Go to GitHub Page of AAX Audio Converter: https://github.com/audiamus/AaxAudioConverter
Step 2. Scroll down to locate the exe file used to install this program
Step 3. After installation, click on "Add" on the top of the program to select desired AAX Audible books to convert.
Step 4. Then you can customize output format as MP3 or M4B, and click on "Convert" to convert your AAX file into MP3 or M4B file.
Note:
If during installation, the program asks you to download .Net Framework, just follow the instructions and download it to your computer.
Part 4. OpenAudible VS OpenAudible Alternatives
| Feature | OpenAudible | DRmare Audible Converter | AAX Audio Converter | Libation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support System | Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows, Mac | Windows | Windows, Mac |
| Conversion Speed | 10X | 100X | Not Mentioned | Not Mentioned |
| Batch Conversion | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Keep and Edit ID3 Tags | ❌ (No edit Feature) |
✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Split Audible Books | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Support Output Format | MP3/M4A/M4B | MP3/M4A/M4B/ AAC/WAV/FLAC |
MP3/M4A/M4B | MP3/M4B |
| Output Quality | Not Lossless | Lossless | Lossy | Lossy |
| Customize Output Parameters | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Price | $21.95/year $69.95/lifetime |
$10.95/month $34.95/year $69.95/lifetime |
Free and open-source | Free and open-source |
| Audiobook Playback | ❌ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Free Customer Support | ❌ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Support Input Audio | Audible files, MP3/M4A/M4B audiobooks | Audible files, Apple Music, iTunes music, etc. | Audible files | Audible and other sources |
As you can see above, DRmare Audible Converter has more powerful functions than OpenAudible and other OpenAudible alternatives. If you are looking for an alternative to OpenAudible, you might consider it. For more economical savings, we recommend that you choose a lifetime license.
Part 5. In Conclusion
For Audible listeners seeking true freedom, OpenAudible is a powerful tool. It expertly removes DRM and converts Audible books to universal MP3/M4B files, letting you listen anywhere, anytime, with the added benefit of local backups.
While it's no longer free, its comprehensive features and one-time purchase offer significant value. However, if cost is a concern, excellent free alternatives like DRmare Audible Converter, AAX Audio Converter, and Libation are also available. Ultimately, whether you choose OpenAudible or an alternative, the goal is to enjoy your audiobooks on your own terms.
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