• There are many kinds of devices available. How can I tell them apart?
  
• Can I transfer OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to an Apple® device?
  
• Can I transfer OverDrive WMA Audiobooks to an Apple® device?
  
• Can I transfer OverDrive Audiobooks directly to a Zune® device?
  
• How can I determine if a device is compatible with OverDrive WMA Audiobooks, WMA Music, or WMV video?
  
• How can I determine if a device is compatible with OverDrive Download Station?
  
• Why are some devices supported while others are not?
  
• What bit rates must my device support in order to play OverDrive Audiobooks, Music, and Video?
  
• What can I do if my device is not supported?
  
• What is 'firmware' and how do I update it on my device?
  
• Which devices are recommended for use with OverDrive Media Console?
  

There are many kinds of devices available. How can I tell them apart?

You may consider first determining what you are looking for in a portable player, and what features you will expect a device to have. Some readers will want players to resume playing a file at the point at which it was playing when the player was powered off. Others will want to be able to bookmark their favorite locations in an audio file. There are a wide variety of options available when shopping for a portable audio player. We suggest you contact the manufacturer of any player you are interested in purchasing to ensure that the device has the features you want.

Additionally, devices can be classified by their capacity to hold media files as well as by the kind of storage technology they use. (2 items)

1. Capacity - Measured in megabytes or gigabytes. As with any other computer storage measure, the larger the number the larger the amount of data the device will be able to hold. Common sizes range from 128MB to 120GB. A small device will be able to hold a few audiobook parts or music titles, while a device with a higher capacity will be able to hold many more titles. Higher storage capacity usually means higher price.
   
2. Storage technology - Devices store information using either flash memory or a hard drive. Hard drive-equipped devices are able to hold more data while devices with flash memory are smaller and consume less power. Flash memory usually stores from 128MB to 8GB while hard drive devices are capable of storing 30GB or more.
   

Can I transfer OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to an Apple® device?

OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks can be transferred to Apple devices using OverDrive Media Console v3.0 (or newer) on Windows or OverDrive Media Console for Mac.

Notes on transferring OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks…

• Most MP3 capable devices should play OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks.
  
• If you plan to transfer OverDrive MP3 content to an Apple device, iTunes v7.6.2.9 (or newer) and QuickTime v7.4.5 (or newer) are required. You can download QuickTime as part of the iTunes download. iTunes v8.1.0.52 (or newer) is recommended for use with the iPod shuffle®.
  
• OverDrive Media Console™ for Mac® supports transfer to Apple devices only.

Note that Apple devices do not support DRM-protected OverDrive Music or OverDrive Video.

Can I transfer OverDrive WMA Audiobooks to an Apple® device?

OverDrive WMA Audiobooks can be transferred to Apple devices (where permitted by the publisher) using OverDrive Media Console v3.2 (or newer) for Windows. OverDrive Media Console v1.0 for Mac does not support OverDrive WMA Audiobooks.

Notes on transferring OverDrive WMA Audiobooks to Apple devices…

• iTunes v7.6.2.9 (or newer) and QuickTime v7.4.5 (or newer) must be installed.
• The Apple device must be formatted for use with Microsoft Windows.
• If you want to use the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard to transfer content to an Apple device, the setting 'Manually manage music…' must be enabled in iTunes before you can complete the transfer. Adjust this setting as follows…
  1. Connect your device to your computer.
  2. If it does not launch automatically, open iTunes (v7.6.2.9 or newer).
  3. In iTunes, locate your device in the left vertical navigation panel (under heading 'DEVICES'), and click your device.
     The 'Summary' screen is displayed.
  4. If it is not already checked, place a checkmark next to option 'Manually manage music…'.
  5. Click the 'Apply' button.
     The iTunes 'Summary' screen refreshes, and your changes are saved.
  6. If desired, close iTunes.
• OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles cannot be transferred to 1st or 2nd generation iPod shuffles®. The 3rd generation iPod shuffle supports the transfer of OverDrive WMA Audiobooks using OverDrive Media Console v3.2 (or newer) Transfer Wizard. To determine which iPod shuffle you have, click here.

Note that Apple devices do not support DRM-protected OverDrive Music or OverDrive Video.

Can I transfer OverDrive Audiobooks to a Zune® device?

The Zune does not support OverDrive WMA Music or OverDrive Video. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks and OverDrive WMA Audiobooks can be transferred to the Zune using the Transfer Wizard in OverDrive Media Console v3.1 (or newer). If you plan to transfer OverDrive Audiobooks to a Zune using OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard, please note that OverDrive Media Console v3.1 (or newer), Zune application v3.0 (or newer), and Zune device firmware v3.0 (or newer) are required. Before you can transfer OverDrive Audiobooks to a Zune using the OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard, you must close any other program to which the Zune device is connected.

How can I determine if a device is compatible with OverDrive WMA Audiobooks, OverDrive Music, or OverDrive Video?

If you have OverDrive Media Console installed, you can use the following files to test your device's compatibility with OverDrive Media.

For OverDrive WMA Audiobooks:
To download a 10 second DRM-protected sample OverDrive WMA file to OverDrive Media Console, click here.

For OverDrive Music:
To download a 10 second DRM-protected sample OverDrive Music file to OverDrive Media Console, click here.

For OverDrive Video:
To download an 11 second DRM-protected sample OverDrive Video file to OverDrive Media Console, click here.

Transfer the sample file for each format that you want to test on your device using these instructions…

1. Connect the portable player to your computer.
   
2. In OverDrive Media Console, highlight the title you want to transfer and click the 'Transfer' button.
   The OverDrive Media Console Transfer Wizard is displayed.
   
3. Click 'Next'.
   The Transfer Wizard searches for a connected portable device.
   If your device is detected the 'Confirm' screen is displayed.
   If your device is not detected, the Transfer Wizard displays a message stating that 'no portable players could be found.' For more information about why your portable player could not be found, click here.
   
4. At the 'Confirm' screen, click 'Next' to begin transferring the file(s) to the device.
   When the file transfer is complete, the Transfer Wizard displays a 'Success' message.
   
5. Click 'Finish' to exit the Transfer Wizard.
   
6. Disconnect the device and play the sample file. If the file plays you will hear and/or see a test message indicating that the device is compatible with the specified format. If the files transfer successfully but do not play on the device, the device is not compatible with the specified format.
   

Note: If you are using a Pocket PC, OverDrive Media files must be transferred to a memory card. Be sure you have a memory card with sufficient memory space installed, and be sure to specify the memory card in the course of the transfer process.

Note: Many OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles can be transferred to Apple devices (where permitted by the publisher) using the Transfer Wizard in OverDrive Media Console v3.2 (or newer) for Windows.

In order to use OverDrive WMA Audiobooks on a device other than an iPod or an iPhone, the device must play DRM-protected WMA content and either support the bit rate of 32kbps or be able to transcode 32kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks on a device, the device must either support the bit rate of 64kbps or be able to transcode 64kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive Music on a device, the device must play DRM-protected WMA content and either support the bit rate of 64kbps or be able to transcode 64kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive Video on a device, the device must either support the bit rate of 500kbps or be able to transcode 500kbps files to a supported bit rate. To review a list of supported portable devices, click here.

How can I determine if a device is compatible with OverDrive Download Station?

If your local library has OverDrive Download Station available...
At your local library, plug your device into the OverDrive Download Station and click on the 'Test My Device' link which should be prominently displayed on the computer's homepage. Follow the instructions on the screen to test your device for compatibility.

Why are some devices supported while others are not?

There are several reasons why a device might not support OverDrive media:

• Using OverDrive Media Console:
  
  • Encoding bit rate - OverDrive WMA audio files are encoded at 32kbps for audiobooks, 64kbps for music, and WMV video files are encoded at 500kbps. OverDrive MP3 audio files are encoded at 64kbps. If your device is not capable of either playing these bit rates or doing the necessary transcoding then your player might not be able to play back OverDrive media.
    
  • Support for DRM-protected Windows Media files - Many available MP3 devices do not support Windows Media DRM and are not capable of playing DRM-protected Windows Media files. If your device does not support Windows Media DRM, it might not be able to play OverDrive media.
    
  
  
• Using OverDrive Download Station:
  
  • Device connectivity - OverDrive Download Station offers USB cables to connect your device, but some devices use proprietary or nonstandard connectors. If the Download Station in your library has free USB ports available, you may be able to bring your proprietary USB connector with you in order to transfer files in the library. Please ask your library staff about connecting your device using your own cable.
    
  • Proprietary software - Some devices require software to be installed on a computer before the device will work in conjunction with that computer. Though we have attempted to provide the broadest support possible, the software that your device requires might not be available in OverDrive Download Station.
    
  
  

What bit rates must a device support in order to play OverDrive Audiobooks, Music, and Video?

Many OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles can be transferred to Apple devices (where permitted by the publisher) using the Transfer Wizard in OverDrive Media Console v3.2 (or newer) for Windows.

In order to use OverDrive WMA Audiobooks on a device other than an iPod or an iPhone, the device must play DRM-protected WMA content and either support the bit rate of 32kbps or be able to transcode 32kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks on a device, the device must either support the bit rate of 64kbps or be able to transcode 64kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive Music on a device, the device must play DRM-protected WMA content and either support the bit rate of 64kbps or be able to transcode 64kbps files to a supported bit rate. To use OverDrive Video on a device, the device must either support the bit rate of 500kbps or be able to transcode 500kbps files to a supported bit rate. To review a list of supported portable devices, click here.

What can I do if my device is not supported?

If your device is not supported, visit your device manufacturer's web site and check for firmware updates. Sometimes updating the firmware will enable your device to play an expanded range of bit rates, which might fix the compatibility issue. Also, contact your device manufacturer and let them know that you are not able to use secure WMA files encoded at 32 kbps (audiobooks) and/or 64 kbps (music) and WMV files encoded at 500kbps -- a solution may be available for your particular device.

What is 'firmware' and how do I update it on my device?

Firmware is the software stored on your portable device that makes it work. Many manufacturers periodically offer firmware updates that expand the functionality of devices. We suggest that owners of unsupported devices check their device manufacturer's web site for the latest available firmware updates. It is possible that such an update may provide support for DRM-protected Windows Media files.

The method used to update devices will vary but generally an update is downloaded and run on your computer while your player is connected to it. Your computer will update the software on your device. Check your device documentation for specific instructions for updating your firmware.

Which devices do you recommend for use with your service?

OverDrive does not recommend any specific devices. We have tested a number of devices and have posted the results on our known compatible devices and known incompatible devices pages. We do not endorse any particular device, nor are we affiliated with any device manufacturer.