Audible started in the audiobooks business in 1997 with a portable media player. To get audiobooks to run in this player, you have to download them on the Audible website. This was a new concept for many, but it became a hit. Eventually, they would be upgrading their technology going through other different Audible file formats. They were also a merger in that they cooperated with different companies until Amazon; the biggest e-commerce store in the US bought them for about $300 million dollars.

We’ll be going in-depth with the Audible file format as well as how to listen to them and what software to use to convert them. As you continue reading the article, you’ll find out how Audible arranged their tech so that users can listen to their audiobooks comfortably.

Article Content Part 1. What Is the Audible File Format?Part 2. How to Listen to Audible Files?Part 3. How to Convert Audible Files to MP3? Part 4. Summary

Part 1. What Is the Audible File Format?

The Audible file format has gone through different revisions throughout the years. It depended heavily on hardware that can play these formats. As hardware continued to improve, so did audio quality. Consequently, the audio quality related to what audio format the audiobook was encoded in. Hence it gave way to different Audible file formats.

Almost all Audible file formats were named with Format X revisions. The number (x) corresponds to a version number and relates to what bit rate was used for encoding. As an example, earlier formats named Format 2 and Format 3 had 8Kbps and 16 Kbps respectively. As it was an audiobook recording and there was limited hardware resource, these low bit rates seemed fine to listen to. The newer format, Format 4 had 32Kbps and had much-improved quality; it also sounded like MP3. The said formats had the popular extension. aa which many users relate to as the Audible extension. Eventually, Audible moved to the Enhanced format which had CD-like quality. This Enhanced format had the. aax extension, unlike the previous other formats. Audible is now adapting this file extension on almost all of their current audiobooks.

We’ll now explore how to play our Audible files in the next section in a step-by-step manner.

Part 2. How to Listen to Audible Files?

Audible is available on many devices. It’s available on mobile or tablets as an app. It’s also available for the PC and Mac. Try going to the Appstore or Playstore to download a copy of the Audible app to your iOS or Android devices. With this app, you can listen to Audible books directly on your phone or mobile.

If you want to download Audible books in the Audible file format then listen to them on your PC, the best way is to use your PC or Mac’s internet browser. Audible recently stopped supporting several of its own apps and software on the PC. We don’t know what Audible’s plan is, but this end of support includes Audible Manager, Audible Sync, and the Audible app for Windows 10.

To download and play Audible files in the Audible file format, see the steps below:

  1. Go to the official Audible website then login with your credentials.
  2. Click on Library on the categories on the upper left.
  3. You’ll see the audiobooks you’ve purchased. Click Play Now to listen to it via the Cloud Player on a new window.
  4. To download the audiobook in the .aax file format click download beside it.

Login Audible to Check File Format

You can comfortably back up and play your purchased audiobooks if you’ve downloaded its .aax file in Audible file format. Here are convenient steps to play them:

  1. If you have a Mac, downloading it from the Audible website will automatically import it to Apple Books. You’ll be asked to authorize your Mac to proceed. After this, use Apple Books to play your audiobooks in the Audible file format.
  2. If you have a PC using iTunes to import and play your downloaded audiobooks from the Audible website. In iTunes click File -> Add File to Library… Choose your Audible file in Audible file format. You’ll be asked to authorize iTunes to play Audible content. Continue with it.
  3. If you want to conveniently play your audiobooks with any music player, use the TunesFun Audible Converter. We’ll discuss this in the next section.

Part 3. How to Convert Audible Files to MP3?

These Audible files in the Audible File Format cannot just be played by any media player, it must first be authorized by Audible to allow playback of its audible content. iTunes, Apple Books, your iOS and Android devices can do this, but what if you want to use your own player? (e.g. your mini MP3 player). In this scenario, we introduce the TunesFun Audible Converter.

Try It Free Try It Free

TunesFun Audible Converter can convert Audible file format into MP3 or other popular file formats. You can now use these converted formats in any music player you want. You won’t need Audible authorization procedures or buy expensive audible authorized players. All you need to do is download TunesFun Audible Converter for the PC or Mac through the links below:

To use TunesFun Audible Converter, see the steps below:

Adding Audible Audiobooks to Third Party Converter

  1. Open TunesFun Audible Converter. Choose your Audible files to convert in Audible file format by dragging and dropping them in the Window. You can also use the Browse button.
  2. Choose the output format by clicking the drop-down menu beside your audiobook file. You can choose MP3, M4A, WAV, and FLAC. Click on the tag icon so you can change ID3 or metadata settings. If you want to change advanced settings, click the list menu above and choose Output Settings. You can also change the default output directory below.
  3. Click the Convert button to start converting. You can convert individually or in batches.
  4. Once finished seeing your converted files in the Completed tab. Click Open File to browse it in a new Explorer or Finder window.

Converting Audible Audiobooks Files to MP3 Format

If you’re satisfied using TunesFun Audible Converter, then purchase a license key. This will give you the privilege of timely software updates. You’re also given a 30-day money-back guarantee for purchasing the software. TunesFun also supports its customers through a guaranteed 24-hour reply customer service.

Part 4. Summary

In summary, we’ve discussed the Audible file formats in detail. We’ve traced back its history and dissected its characteristics. We also discussed how to download and play them properly both on mobile and PC devices. We saw a shortcoming playing them on non-audible certified devices. By this, we suggested a versatile third-party tool called the TunesFun Audible Converter. This converter is an Audible converter and DRM removal tool-in-one.

Try It Free Try It Free

To use TunesFun Audible Converter download a free trial first. If you’re satisfied, purchase a license key. You’ll get many privileges of using a commercial tool rather than relying on free online or software-based Audible Converters.