> You should be asking why aren't most books available in a DRM free format?

Because most people don't care! I wish they did, because I'm like you, I do care about owning DRM free media! I buy videos game from GOG wherever possible, and audiobooks from a combination of downpour.com and libro.fm. Guess what most people do? They buy games on Steam and audiobooks on Audible.

Audible is the one that really breaks my heart! Games and movies I understand, because the DRM free sources have such narrow selections, but I can find just about any audiobook I want on either Downpour or libro.fm; every once in a while I'll come across an audible exclusive, but it doesn't happen frequently. And yet, everybody uses Audible!

And, sure, there are known ways to strip Audible DRM, but with DRM free stores so readily accessible, why wouldn't you use those?

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bluebarbet 3 days ago | parent [-]

>but I can find just about any [DRM-free] audiobook I want on either Downpour or libro.fm

Just had a browse of Downpour. They say that it's mostly DRM-free. I don't get it. How come the rights holders don't complain? My experience of DRM-free e-books is that the available titles are, let's say, nothing I would want to read. And audiobooks have higher production value because of the voice acting. What A-list authors are narrating their own books and then allowing them to be sold DRM-free?

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Wowfunhappy 3 days ago | parent [-]

Unless something changed recently, every title on Downpour is DRM free when bought (as opposed to rented). I've been using Downpour for more than a decade and own tons of books. Libro.fm is slightly newer and IMO has slightly nicer UX, but both websites have mostly the same (wide) selection of titles.

I can't tell you why publishers make the decisions they do, but there's no trick here, if that's what you're asking. DRM free audio books are widely available and have been widely available for a long time now.

The real question is, why does Audible insist on putting DRM on their Audiobooks when the publishers clearly don't care? I don't know the answer to that either, but the upshot is that everyone should stop buying from Audible!

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frm88 3 days ago | parent [-]

If only sales on downpour were possible outside the US. I just tried to buy a K. J. Parker. Does not sell to the EU. I haven't tested libro.fm because their ToS doesn't tell me if non-US sales are prohibited and I'm not going to make an account just to try.

	▲	Wowfunhappy 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		Hmm, I'm in the US, but this page would seem to at least indicate libro.fm at least supports multiple countries? I don't know what the selection is like though. https://support.libro.fm/support/solutions/articles/48001183...