Audio Books

[LJF]

Has anyone any idea why BL audio books are so darn expensive. I listen to a lot of podcasts and books throughout the day. I'm a farmer and so have some tasks each day were I can plug in earphones and enjoy some easy listening while I destroy my back and body toiling. I've bought a few BL audios way back when they came out at first and enjoyed them and I keep looking at the books but they are prohibitively expensive. I buy a lot of BL books and I know they are more expensive than most and I'm not gripping about that it's a niche hobby and i want our beloved authors rewarded well and the company to thrive but the audios are eye watering. I listened to American Gods last week it cost £7.99, that would get me an hour of BL. It doesn't add up at all. Are any of them good enough to warrant the money? Am I missing out? I'm going to buy one to give it go, any advice?

Well there are audiobooks and then there are audiodramas

 

Audiodramas may be a bit overpriced but they are ultimatelly worth it I think, since there is atleast some production effort put into them. You just have to learn to recognize which are the crappy ones.

 

On the other hand BL audiobooks is some of the worst value for money I have ever seen. For 30 - 35 Euros you get a single voice actor and zero sound effects with maybe a little music scattered between parts. That's why I would always recommend getting them somewhere else unless GW drops the price significantly or start putting some serious effort into them. Actually tons of audiobooks/dramas have been uploaded on Youtube recently most of them have abyssmal sound quality but some are ok.

[HeritorA]

 

Has anyone any idea why BL audio books are so darn expensive. I listen to a lot of podcasts and books throughout the day. I'm a farmer and so have some tasks each day were I can plug in earphones and enjoy some easy listening while I destroy my back and body toiling. I've bought a few BL audios way back when they came out at first and enjoyed them and I keep looking at the books but they are prohibitively expensive. I buy a lot of BL books and I know they are more expensive than most and I'm not gripping about that it's a niche hobby and i want our beloved authors rewarded well and the company to thrive but the audios are eye watering. I listened to American Gods last week it cost £7.99, that would get me an hour of BL. It doesn't add up at all. Are any of them good enough to warrant the money? Am I missing out? I'm going to buy one to give it go, any advice?

Well there are audiobooks and then there are audiodramas

 

Audiodramas may be a bit overpriced but they are ultimatelly worth it I think, since there is atleast some production effort put into them. You just have to learn to recognize which are the crappy ones.

 

On the other hand BL audiobooks is some of the worst value for money I have ever seen. For 30 - 35 Euros you get a single voice actor and zero sound effects with maybe a little music scattered between parts. That's why I would always recommend getting them somewhere else unless GW drops the price significantly or start putting some serious effort into them. Actually tons of audiobooks/dramas have been uploaded on Youtube recently most of them have abyssmal sound quality but some are ok.

 

 

They totally worth it cause the quality of production nowadays make it really worthwile.

Toby, Banks, Armstrong - are now what really epitomise the best in Horus Heresy and W40K. I can't imagine any produced audio without them. Plus the quality of the audio stories in the last year or so (especially in HH range) get even better than written stuff.

As for the pricing range - it would be good if they get cheaper > more fans would be able to buy them. But from the production point of view - in my personal opinion audios from BL in 2017 worth each penny.

[Knockagh]

They are too expensive, that was originally why i started this thread. But all is forgiven now they have joined audible and i can buy them on credits!

I don’t think they are poor quality. I’ve listened to a lot of audio books outside BL and I’ve found BL books to be right up there with the best in quality.

Edited October 4, 2017 by Punishing Pete

[DarkChaplain]

Horus Heresy audios are on audible now. Well, some of them. The Primarchs are all up to date, but the mainseries only got a handful, scattered along the range. Looks like they're adding half a dozen every couple of days though, so at least the translation is going well.

 

Problem: The Horus Heresy audiobooks are only on audible.co.uk, not anywhere else. I wonder if that's an oversight with the recent additions or an actual decision by them.

 

Hopefully Ravenor is gonna make his way onto Audible within the next two weeks or so, that's a credit I'd like to spend sooner rather than later.

[HeritorA]

Horus Heresy audios are on audible now. Well, some of them. The Primarchs are all up to date, but the mainseries only got a handful, scattered along the range. Looks like they're adding half a dozen every couple of days though, so at least the translation is going well.

 

Problem: The Horus Heresy audiobooks are only on audible.co.uk, not anywhere else. I wonder if that's an oversight with the recent additions or an actual decision by them.

 

Hopefully Ravenor is gonna make his way onto Audible within the next two weeks or so, that's a credit I'd like to spend sooner rather than later.

Selection of audible seems to be a direct choice for the UK auditory. It seem that for the rest of EU or outside it > the main distributor is a BL site

[veterannoob]

yep waiting for Ravenor to come to US Audible as I test the waters. Only like 3 audiobooks in general I don't know from entire BL audio catalog :)

 

Horus Heresy audios are on audible now. Well, some of them. The Primarchs are all up to date, but the mainseries only got a handful, scattered along the range. Looks like they're adding half a dozen every couple of days though, so at least the translation is going well.

 

Problem: The Horus Heresy audiobooks are only on audible.co.uk, not anywhere else. I wonder if that's an oversight with the recent additions or an actual decision by them.

 

Hopefully Ravenor is gonna make his way onto Audible within the next two weeks or so, that's a credit I'd like to spend sooner rather than later.

[Knockagh]

Would love to see Ravenor go audible, a nice box set to sit alongside Eisenhorn wouldn’t go amiss either

[Knockagh]

This month I got Horus Rising. It’s years and years since I read this and listening to it again reminds me what an absolutely friggin awesome book this is. It’s brilliant start to finish. From the small stories of stupid journalists getting themselves kicked to pieces to the high grandeur of the great crusade I remember that Dan Abnett can present the contrast of human v space marine like no one else. I could kiss the man

[JH79]

For anyone interested Audible UK has something crazy like 40 > 60% off all 244 Black Library Audiobooks that they currently list at the mo. Might be just the right time to grab a bargain!

Edited December 19, 2017 by JH79

[Grey Angel]

For anyone interested Audible UK has something crazy like 40 > 60% off all 244 Black Library Audiobooks that they currently list at the mo. Might be just the right time to grab a bargain!

I’ve been saving a lot more by buying audible credits of eBay for just £3 each!

Edited December 19, 2017 by Grey Angel

[Knockagh]

I didn’t know you could do that. How does that work? Do you get a code when you purchase them? Is it legit? Question time!

[ShadowSwordmaster]

For anyone interested Audible UK has something crazy like 40 > 60% off all 244 Black Library Audiobooks that they currently list at the mo. Might be just the right time to grab a bargain!

Cool. Might check out what Horus Heresy books are on sale now.

[Grey Angel]

I didn’t know you could do that. How does that work? Do you get a code when you purchase them? Is it legit? Question time!

I’ve had no problems with them,the seller I’ve been buying from sends me the codes.

[DarkChaplain]

You US and UK people got amazing deals on Audible this holiday season, and all the German site got was a selection of 13 editor picked german translations for half a credit / 5 bucks each. Seeing 50% site-wide discounts even on preorders makes me weep. Should've linked my Kindle to US Amazon instead of the local one, I guess.

 

I'm really frustrated that Audible doesn't seem to be getting the latest releases. The Warmaster was a fluke it seems, I'm still waiting for Ravenor. Have been feeling in the mood for a re-read of both Eisenhorn and Ravenor and Toby Longworth makes it all very engaging, so these odd delays are a bummer, especially seeing how many audio dramas are hitting the market in multiple editions (sometimes they even release multi-story CD releases first, then again piecemeal for the same prices...)

[JH79]

I'm really frustrated that Audible doesn't seem to be getting the latest releases. The Warmaster was a fluke it seems, I'm still waiting for Ravenor. Have been feeling in the mood for a re-read of both Eisenhorn and Ravenor and Toby Longworth makes it all very engaging, so these odd delays are a bummer, especially seeing how many audio dramas are hitting the market in multiple editions (sometimes they even release multi-story CD releases first, then again piecemeal for the same prices...)

Agreed, there doesn't seem to be any kind of logical release schedule. I'm really looking for Old Earth, Clonelord and as you say Ravenor to be released... time will tell i suppose.

[Knockagh]

Xenos is on for £5! BL hitting audible has been the best thing since specialist games came back

[Knockagh]

Ravenor Rogue on audible but not the first two books in the trilogy..... some messed up logic there. Makes you think.....

[JH79]

Ravenor Rogue on audible but not the first two books in the trilogy..... some messed up logic there. Makes you think.....

Indeed. I've been checking Audible quite regularly and following the initial flood of titles being added near daily things really started to slow down in Dec and have continued to do so. My feeling is that either communication of new titles between BL & Audible is shockingly inconsistant, or BL have noticed a dip in sales via their Website and Audio App so in a bid to keep profitability high reduce the rate of new titles being made available to Audible.

[DarkChaplain]

I managed to finish both Malleus and Hereticus on a whim the past week or two, Audible editions, and been hoping at least Ravenor's first book will end up there before I'm done. Their release schedule is completely messed up....

 

Today they put up A Deadly Wit it seems, but still no Ravenor. Heck, they actually changed the release date for The Burden of Loyalty backwards to a few days after the BL release - they put it up as their first preorder title on Audible, with a date of March 2nd or sth originally. Probably screwed up the date format, and actually meant February 3rd...

[Knockagh]

I emailed black Library and audible about Ravenor. Audible basically said they put up what they are given. BL said they are working hard to get content onto audible and Ravenor audible is available on their site.....

So that’s that. But I didn’t join audible to buy books from BL site!

Had reread Eisenhorn trilogy recently and was hoping to squeeze in Ravenor audible before Magos comes out but won’t get to now. A little disappointed

[Tarvek Val]

I'm a little late to the party here, but I highly recommend Horus Rising if you haven't read /heard it yet, it's one of my absolute favorite Horus Heresy books and is, in my opinion, a wonderful introduction to the HH series.

[Knockagh]

It’s a great book in print or audio, top read. Well worth a revisit in audio if you read it in print many moons ago. I did this and was suprised by how different it felt all these years later. Super book Edited February 23, 2018 by Punishing Pete

[Tarvek Val]

I've never heard the audio version before, but I will have to give it a listen now that you say that! I was going to recommend the Night Lords trilogy as well, but I don't think they have an audio yet on BL or audible, which is a shame... I feel like those books would make wonderful audiobooks.

[DarkChaplain]

I hope they'll be tackling Ciaphas Cain with audiobooks at some point. With the third omnibus being out later this year at long last and Sandy potentially working on something new, it seems like the stars would be right for Toby Longworth to narrate the novels.

[Knockagh]

I hope they'll be tackling Ciaphas Cain with audiobooks at some point. With the third omnibus being out later this year at long last and Sandy potentially working on something new, it seems like the stars would be right for Toby Longworth to narrate the novels.

Never say no to another excuse to listen to the adventure of Ciaphas. Didn’t know ‘Sandy’ was working on something new.... you have my attention!